Best Powerline Ethernet Adapters of 2024

The dominant technology for powerline Ethernet is HomePlug’s AV and AV2, which are marked with speeds such as “AV600” or “AV2000.” AV devices are cross-compatible, but the speeds are limited by the slowest device involved, so it’s usually best to stick with the same brand and models when building your network. However, if you just need to expand your existing AV network with a slower yet cheaper node, there’s nothing wrong with that.

The newer competing standard is G.hn, which offers much faster speeds than AV devices. However, G.hn adapters are still quite expensive, and they are not compatible with the AV standard. We haven’t included any G.hn devices in this roundup since we couldn’t find any that were a good deal yet, but if you have a specific need, such as ultra-stable gaming, or need the fastest downloads possible, you may want to invest in this technology instead. That being said, the AV standard is still evolving as well!

These are the most important considerations, so now we can get down to our picks for the best adapters you can buy.

The TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter is the Rolls-Royce of powerline Ethernet adapters, promising up to 2Gbps over your electrical wiring system, a speed that rivals the G.hn standard. While its kit does not include Wi-Fi functionality, it’s the perfect connection between two remote parts of your home and can serve as a fast backhaul for mesh devices or wireless access points in an outbuilding.

Thanks to its 2×2 MIMO (Multi-In, Multi-Out) capabilities, this adapter is perfect for devices like gaming PCs, consoles, high-resolution smart TVs, and other devices that benefit from fast speeds and reliable connections. Of course, each Ethernet port is limited to 1Gbps, but it’s not a practical concern unless you have faster internet than this speed. If you want to move large files or streams across your local network, this is a great solution effective up to 300m or just short of 1000ft.

The only real downside is that these units are quite bulky compared to some of the more typical “nano” powerline adapters, but given the specifications, having a unit block a socket on your wall outlet is probably a fair sacrifice, especially since it has a passthrough you don’t lose the plug you’re using.

TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter(TL-PA9020P KIT)

Best Powerline Ethernet Adapter Overall

$80 $120 Save $40

A fast and reliable powerline adapter using the latest AV standard technology. It lacks Wi-Fi, but makes up for it in every other way.

This TP-Link AV600 Powerline Ethernet Adapter starter kit is one of the cheapest ways we’ve seen of starting up your powerline network, and it’s an even better way of expanding your current setup. These are simple Ethernet-only adapters at the “nano” size, so they don’t take up much space. Although these are rated at AV600, the Ethernet ports are limited to 100Mbps. The upside is that, since real-world AV600 speeds are generally more than 100Mbps, you should get at least that unless there’s some issue with interference or wiring.

Let’s imagine you’re using something like our best overall pick to share your internet connection with the powerline network. These little 100Mbps nodes are perfect for sharing that connection to devices that don’t need more than that. Smart TVs and general-purpose computers that don’t need rapid download speeds are prime candidates. While it may be old technology now, few people would complain about 100Mbps of bandwidth on tap.

That being said, the main selling point of these adapters is how little they cost, and for very little money, you could buy enough to provide wired Ethernet to every room in a typical home.

TP-Link AV600

Best Budget Powerline Ethernet Adapter

$34 $40 Save $6

These 100Mbps port powerline nodes are perfect for any devices that don’t need more than that ample ampunt of bandwidth.

If you need more than just Ethernet at the destination point, you’ll want a powerline extender with a Wi-Fi module like the TP-Link Powerline AC1200 Dual Band WiFi Extender. We would have preferred a Wi-Fi 6 model, but at the time of writing, we could not find such a powerline extender in the United States for online purchases. That said, an AC1200 unit like this should be more than enough for the majority of users, and this nicely matches the AV1300 powerline performance to feed those Wi-Fi speeds.

One of the units in this kit has three Gigabit ports, which is nice for connecting multiple wired devices. Of course, there isn’t nearly enough bandwidth on offer to actually saturate 3Gbps worth of ports. This is just because there’s no intermediate Ethernet port speed between 100Mbps and 1000Mbps, so this makes the most of what is being offered.

If you happen to be a TP-Link OneMesh router user, this extender seamlessly merges with that system, so you don’t have to worry about separate SSIDs. Even if you don’t, this extender kit has a cool feature where it copies the name and password from your router, so it should all look like one big Wi-Fi hotspot from the perspective of devices.

TP-Link TL-WPA8631P

Best Powerline Ethernet Adapter With Wi-Fi

$100 $120 Save $20

With AC1200 Wi-Fi and AV1300 powerline bandwidth, this is a great all-around kit for extending your fast internet connection to the far reaches of your home.

This TP-Link AV1000 Powerline Ethernet Adapter is the lesser sibling to our overall winner, with half the number of ports and half the maximum theoretical speed. However, the vast majority of people don’t need more bandwidth than this kit offers, and this option is significantly less expensive. At the same time, it’s not limited to 100Mbps like our top budget choice, so we think it’s the best overall option for someone who just wants a fast Ethernet connection transported from one part of their home to another.

Given that this kit costs about the same as an actual 1000-foot Ethernet cable, minus the installation hassle, it’s a fair deal. The only downside is that, depending on your home wiring, you may not have the same speeds as a dedicated Ethernet cable. If your copper is clean, however, this is the most flexible way to get those internet tubes where they need to go.

TP-Link AV1000 Powerline Ethernet Adapter

Best Ethernet-only Powerline Adapter

$54 $60 Save $6

Use these powerline Ethernet adapters to extend your wired network without laying down fresh cable.

FAQ

What is a powerline Ethernet adapter?

A powerline Ethernet adapter is a device that sends network signals over the electrical wiring of your home. So any devices connected to a powerline adapter can communicate with each other as if they were connected using Ethernet network cables.

What is the difference between a powerline Ethernet adapter and a Wi-Fi extender?

There are different types of Wi-Fi extenders. Simple Wi-Fi “repeaters” simply listen for signals between your router and target device and repeat the signal to boost it’s power, at the cost of half the maximum bandwidth. Other types of extender may be more sophisticated, where the extender is itself a device connected to the router, and has it’s own Wi-Fi network name. Devices connected to the extender then get access to the main network. The extender may be connected to the main network wirelessly, or using a wired connection.

Powerline Ethernet adapters that also have Wi-Fi are essentially identical to wired repeaters, with the only difference being that one uses traditional Ethernet cables and the other uses electrical wiring.

Should I use a Wi-Fi extender, Wi-Fi repeater, or powerline Ethernet adapter for my home?

Generally, we recommend against using Wi-Fi repeaters unless you’re fine with the cut in bandwidth. They are cheap and easy to set up, so if you’re still getting enough speed it’s a fair solution. Wi-Fi extenders and powerline Ethernet adapters with Wi-Fi will perform the same, limited by the quality of the wired connection. Powerline’s main advantages is that you don’t have to install new cabling, but some homes will have wiring with poor quality and therefore poor performance. Installing Ethernet cable guarantees speed and reliability, but it’s best to try Powerline first in our opinion because it doesn’t involve ripping up walls or climbing into the roof.