A great-value HomePlug
adaptor kit
Specifications
TP-Link's latest
HomePlug kit is comprised of two HomePlug adaptors, two Ethernet cables and a
configuration disc. Each adaptor has a single Gigabit Ethernet port, so you can
attach a PC, smart TV or games console to your router over your home's wiring -
handy if your device doesn’t have a Wi-Fi adaptor or if you're struggling to
get a strong enough wireless signal around your home. The TL-PA511 kit adheres
to the fast 500Mbit/s HomePlug standard, which means it’s perfect for streaming
high-definition video and other media from your network to your smart TV or
other device.
Setting up the TL-PA511
kit takes no more effort than plugging the adaptors in to mains sockets and
pressing the Pair button on each adaptor. After a minute, the two adaptors are
networked and traffic is protected with 128-bit encryption. The TL-PA511’s
setup utility lets you configure privacy, Quality of Service and security
settings, but it’s very basic in appearance and options and its cramped setup
is hard to use. In our tests we saw data transfer rates of 139.8Mbit/s, which
is what we expect from 500Mbit/s HomePlug kit. The TL-PA511 adaptors run hot,
but this didn't seem to affect their performance.
Details
Rating ****
Powerline networking
standard HomePlug AV
Homeplug stated speed 500Mbit/s
Power consumption active 5W
Number of adaptors in
box 2
Security
Push-button security yes
Physical
Size 77x58x105mm
Ethernet ports 1
Number of power sockets 0