TP-Link TL-PA4020PKIT 2-Port Passthrough Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, No Configuration Required, UK Plug

It’s truly made the difference. I’ve been using Wi-fi for a long time on both my Xbox One and PS4, and it has worked fine for the most part. But as time went on, I felt the connection stability couldn’t keep up with the decent quality (which is not bad for residential area Sky Broadband!). So I stumbled across the term ‘PowerLine’ and became immediately intrigued. After reviewing the available information, it was an immediate purchase for me. And it’s worked flawlessly.The pairing set-up took a few seconds, and it was already ready to go, right out of the box. Luckily it comes with 2 lengthy Ethernet cables, which was perfect for connecting them to my consoles (which are slightly far from the nearest mains wall outlet). The difference, while not leaps and bounds above wi-fi, was considerable. It reduced my latency by half, and improved the stability in general. No more jumpy ping, relatively better download speeds too.Games like COD Infinite Warfare played better on my Xbox with very few connection health indications (whereas it used to flash red constantly), and Titanfall 2 performed well too. On PS4, Tekken 7 feels very smooth online, though it has amazing netcode anyway, so it’s hard to tell a clear distinction. However, the upload speed of my PS4 game saves was slightly better, so there was some indication. Regardless, I have seen the improved effects up-close.Ultimately, a PowerLine can’t be a 100% replacement for a direct LAN cable, but it’s a fantastic alternative for convenience. If you can spare the cash, this will be very valuable for your gaming and/or PC set-ups if they currently run on Wi-fi. Easy to set-up, and reliable.

Several years back I tried Powerline adaptors (in the same environment) and they flat refused to work, so I approached these ones with low expectation. I needed them to feed my Youview box, which doesn't have wifi. A bonus is that the second ethernet socket could feed my new smart tv.They worked, first time! I get around 35mbps connected via ethernet cable to my router. I plugged a laptop into the powerline adaptor and got around 30mbps, which is pretty good and more than enough to support HD streaming.Amazon Prime, iPlayer etc. now work wonderfully with my smart tv. I even ran some 4k demos (amazing!) from Youtube and they ran perfectly and without buffering.Youview (for BT Sport) was initially breaking up every minute or so. Initially I put this down to the powerline adaptors. Plusnet support (from whom I got Youview) advised me to factory reset the Youview box. I was initially dubious but in fact the reset did fix the problem!So now I get interference-free, prefect streaming from all sources! Very pleased.Before I got to the factory reset solution I did learn a few tips, which are probably not 'urban myths', about how to get the best from powerline adaptors. They are:(1) Plug directly into a mains socket (not an extension).(2) If you know the mains cabling route, make the distance between the adaptors as short as possible.(3) Plug them in as far away as possible from power supply transformers for other gadgets, especially at the receiving (i.e. tv) end.I may get another adaptor for elsewhere in the house at some point. There seems to be a common protocol for powerline adaptors (which not ALL share) I imagine almost any other TP-link or even other brand adaptor will work, providing they conform to the standard.Summary: if your device supports cabled ethernet and it doesn't cramp your style, I'd definitely recommend powerline adaptors over wifi, and these adaptors are excellent. Even if you may not need the second socket these ones have, you probably will in the future and the premium versus single socket adaptors isn't that great. They definitely solved my 'problem'!

Deceptively easy to use - and easy enough to set up more than two units in a network. Throughput isn't bad either, with this model providing enough speed for streaming, VoIP, etc. The form factor is pretty good too, so I think it's unlikely to get in the way of other connections to the same mains sockets, and despite the warning it seems to be tolerant of using on an extension socket. My only concern is that the default security isn't very strong as the devices all use the same default parameters - this makes it easy to deploy but means there could be scope for eavesdropping by close neighbours and therefore penetration of networks (depending on the mains cabling).

Bought these as wifi was constantly dropping out in upstairs bedroom. These solved the problem and have improved speed in the process, even running on an extension lead. Very easy to install - simply plug in each end, press the pair button on one and then the same button on the other inside of 2 minutes. Easy as that. They just work. Have used similar in the past, and now with the addition of pass-through power socket and 2 ports per device, they are even better.Update: bought a second set as a trial for a computer in my office extension, which was previously running on wifi from an extender, and not very successfully. Again, plug and play. The best thing is that they work after going via two mains boxes and an extension lead. Also using to run a Raspberry Pi media centre and Sky+ box via 2 ports on one unit, and both devices are connecting perfectly, and noticably faster than on wifi.Overall, very happy with purchases and will certainly add additional units if required. Wifi now relegated to phones and tablets.