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    Powerline adapters - speed issue

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    • R
      robina80
      last edited by

      Found out it was the cable between the router and the host powerline adapter,

      the laptop was only seeing it as 100meg but pfsense was seeing it as 10meg but as soon as i changed the ethernet cable over with a new one laptop saw it as 1gig but pfsense sees it as 100meg

      Interesting tho when its plugged in the powerline adapter it loses x10, has anyone noticed this?

      Rob

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      • R
        robina80
        last edited by

        If anyone wants to know its this -

        tp link av500 mini powerline adapter

        model no: tl-pa411

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        • B
          bennyc
          last edited by

          I have a similar model here, also a AV500 (tl-pa4010p), I use them every now and then (lazy patching, allows me to temporary extend any network connection).
          I wouldn't put my money on it, but I think I would have noticed such sort of behaviour. When you say 'plugged into pfSense', what's on that end? (what is your HW?)

          Sure it isn't a wire-mapping issue? Laptops tend to be very forgiving (most do autoMDI-X), firewalls on the other hand…

          4x XG-7100 (2xHA), 1x SG-4860, 1x SG-2100
          1x PC Engines APU2C4, 1x PC Engines APU1C4

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          • R
            robina80
            last edited by

            I have a apu 1c board and then a cable between it and the powerline adapter and that was showing as 10megs on the main pfsense dashboard but as soon as i changed the cable its showing as 100megs

            the powerline can do up to 500megs but the pfsense can only do 10/100/1000 so it must downgrade to 100 as it cant do 500?

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            • J
              jasonlitka
              last edited by

              500Mbit/s isn't an Ethernet standard.  PowerLine devices that claim 500Mbit/s need to use a Gig-E port.

              I can break anything.

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              • R
                robina80
                last edited by

                So it should read 500 then as my devices are all 1 gig?

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                • J
                  jasonlitka
                  last edited by

                  @robina80:

                  So it should read 500 then as my devices are all 1 gig?

                  No, if working correctly it should read 1Gbit/s because that is the link speed between you and the adapter, you just won't be able to transfer any more than 500Mbit/s because that is the maximum link speed between your powerline adapters.

                  EDIT:  I just looked up the model you posted.  That adapter has a 10/100 port on it.  Your link speed should be 100Mbit/s, not 1Gbit/s, and your maximum throughput will be limited accordingly.  The 500Mbit/s on the box is pure marketing BS because you'll never come close.  If you're getting a 100Mbit/s link with the cable changed out then it sounds like everything is working correctly.

                  I can break anything.

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                  • B
                    bennyc
                    last edited by

                    It should advertise gig speed if it is a gig nic, even though the real throughput will be less.
                    But, to confirm you findings, I quickly plugged on into my APU1C, and it also settles on 100M(fd).

                    No idea why…  ::)

                    4x XG-7100 (2xHA), 1x SG-4860, 1x SG-2100
                    1x PC Engines APU2C4, 1x PC Engines APU1C4

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                    • J
                      jasonlitka
                      last edited by

                      @bennyc:

                      It should advertise gig speed if it is a gig nic, even though the real throughput will be less.
                      But, to confirm you findings, I quickly plugged on into my APU1C, and it also settles on 100M(fd).

                      No idea why…  ::)

                      Read my post above.  The model in question only has a 10/100 port on it.

                      I can break anything.

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                      • B
                        bennyc
                        last edited by

                        Hà. Good one… Missed your edit. You solved the mistery by reading the manual...  ;D

                        4x XG-7100 (2xHA), 1x SG-4860, 1x SG-2100
                        1x PC Engines APU2C4, 1x PC Engines APU1C4

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                        • R
                          robina80
                          last edited by

                          now i understand there BS marketing jargon , when they say AV500, the internface is only 10/100, so you will never ever see 500mbps speeds

                          should have really got the AV500 gigabit, least i would have got 500mbps out of them as the interface is a gig

                          i cant believe i have been had!!!

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                          • J
                            jasonlitka
                            last edited by

                            @robina80:

                            now i understand there BS marketing jargon , when they say AV500, the internface is only 10/100, so you will never ever see 500mbps speeds

                            should have really got the AV500 gigabit, least i would have got 500mbps out of them as the interface is a gig

                            i cant believe i have been had!!!

                            Doubt it.  Think of it like WiFi.  Your link speed may be 300Mbit/s but the odds of you getting more than 40-50% of that, even with line of sight to the AP, are pretty long.  The absolute best of the AV500 adapters are capable of about 250Mbit/s WHEN PLUGGED INTO THE SAME POWER STRIP.  They all drop to 60-80Mbit/s in more realistic residential scenarios.

                            If you really need networking over power lines then I'd suggest waiting a month or two for the AV2 MIMO adapters to start hitting the streets (based on QCA7500).  These should be branded as AV1000 or similar and should be capable of 2-3x the rate of older adapters and be able to maintain higher speeds in less optimal scenarios.

                            I can break anything.

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