Powerline Networking Guide -How To Setup HomePlug Adapters


That is the idea behind Powerline or Homeplug networks.





What you will Learn


  • How powerline networking works.
  • How It integrates into your existing home network.
  • How to create a powerline network using homeplug adapters
  • How to add and remove adapters from a network
  • How various standards interoperate.
  • What tools you can use.

Powerline Networking Overview







  • No additional wiring required
  • Wiring is usually hidden
  • Fast speeds of 500Mbps are possible with new models

Common Powerline Uses

They are often used:


Powerline/Homeplug Standards


The standards are:

  • Homeplug 1.0 Speeds 14Mbs
  • Homeplug 1.0 with Turbo Speeds 85Mbs
  • Homeplug AV2 (latest) Maximum speed currently 1200Mbps
  • HomePlug Green PHY -low power version and low speed.

See Wiki- for more detail.

HomePlug Inter-Operability





How Powerline Adapters Work







Creating Powerline Networks









Some manufactures will ship adapters with a common NMK.



Powerline Networking Scenarios

  1. Creating a new powerline network.
  2. Replacing a broken adapter.
  3. Adding new adapters to an existing powerline network.
  4. Leaving a Network.

Creating a New Powerline Network


Once paired you can move them to the required location.


Pairing Procedure

If pairing is unsuccessful then see troubleshooting section.

Replacing a Broken Adapter




Adding new Adapters to an Existing Powerline Network




Note: pairing procedure covered above:

Leaving a Network.




Things to try


Extending Wi-Fi Coverage



Using The Powerline Software Utility


If not you should be able to download the software online.







Powerline Speeds








Line Speeds and Throughput Speeds



Measuring Throughput Speeds





Buying Adapters Quick Note

When purchasing high speed adpaters e.g AV 500 and above check the speed of the Ethernet port as many older adapters used 100Mbps Ethernet.


Newer devices usually use 1Gbps Ethernet but check.





Abbreviations Used

PLC Power Line Communication

NMK Network Membership Key

AVLN – Logical network of AV adaptors

Useful Videos


Resources and references:

Please Let me Know if you found it Useful
[Total: 22 Average: 3.9]


  1. Hi,
    I’m new to this area of tech and am currently using 200Mpbs HomePlug kit. Although I’ve seen some references to folk using them in the shed at the bottom of the garden, etc., I’ve only come across ONE example of any direct (or even ‘rule of thumb’) guidance as to the physical RANGE (ie in metres) of this technology.

    That one example is a claim by Maxx Digital that their product is good for “…up to 200 metres operational range”. I’m aware that transfer speed decreases with distance – so is 200 metres a fair/reasonable claim?

  2. Hi Steve!

    Awesome article.
    Can I connect a WiFi Access Point to my HomePlug? I want to extend my WiFi range but I have an AP already.

  3. Great article. Quick question, should it be possible to mix powerline units from different manufacturers? eg BT and Netgear ?
    I have some BT ones I use just to connect the network to powered speakers vie Apple Airport Expresses, but with FTTH coming I would like to add Netgear PLP 1000 powerline units to boost my WiFi speed ( using Ubiquity Instant). Would the old BT home spots co exist ok and work alongside do you think ?

  4. Hi Steve,

    great site, I am a little perplexed with all the optoins right now.

    Could you possible help?

    New property has a Man Cave bottom of the garden. A I work from home I am turning this into an office.

    The building has electrics and runs of the House Circuit.

    Would powerline adapters allow me to plug My VOIP phine into the LAN socket underneath these devices in my office and Will it talk to the router that will remain in the house?

    If this concept works whats the best Powerline adapter to get ?

    This will save me a hell of a lot of work runing a cable through the house (Terraced Property) to the property to the back garden is 70 ft from the house.

    Appreciate your thoughts


    1. Hi
      It should work but there aren’t any guarantees as It depends on your mains wiring.You plug one it the house by the router and connect it to the router and the other in your office. The one in the office should probably be a wi-fi one and then you will also have wi-fi in the office.
      I use TP-link ones and am happy with them. If you can get hold of a pair just to test then I would recommend that before you buy them.


  5. Can you clarify how routing works in the following scenario? I currently have 4 homeplugs but want to increase Internet speed by putting in an ethernet cable around the house from the router to a new ethernet switch that will also be connected to a homeplug. This will give me 2 homeplugs connected directly to the router.
    Does the homeplug programming determine which is quickest route to the router? Specifically l want the traffic from me homeplug in my office to pick up the route to my router via the homeplug that is connected to the new switch that I am putting in that is itself directly connected to my router via the new cable around the outside of my house as opposed to following the path which makes greater use of my mains circuit which will be slower. Visa versa applies as well from my router to my office.

    1. Hi
      Homeplug adapters don’t do routing.
      When you connect homeplug adapters together they can be considered as effectively connected by a single Ethernet cable.
      You cannot prioritise the traffic between them.
      Homplug adapters need a partner i.e they need to be paired this forms a logical connection and the data link level between them.
      If you join into this connection with other homeplugs they all then share the same logical connection.
      However you could pair two homeplugs (1 and 2) and then pair the other two homeplugs (3 and 4) and this would give you two logical connections.
      In this configuration a deive connected to homeplug 3 or 4 could not communicate with a device connected to homeplug 1 or 2.
      To make it possible you would need to connect one of the homeplugs in each pair to a switch.
      Does that help?

      1. I wasn’t aware that I could create 2 separate networks with 4 Homeplugs. So if they are all on the same logical network how do I switch 2 of them to a separate network? Do I just press and hold the network join button on one of the plugs and then press the button on the other plug that will be connected to the new switch?

        1. According to my TP-link instructions press the pair button for 8 seconds to leave an existing network and 15 seconds to reset.
          You will need to reset one and with the other leave the network and then pair it again with the other.
          I would do this on a extension cable far away from the existing network as possible.
          However not sure what you will gain as they still share the same virtual connection as far as I understand it it is just that they are encrypted using different keys which is why they can’t exchange data.
          But you don’t know unless you try it.

  6. Hi Steve

    very useful article

    Previously I used Powerline to extend Wifi to a room on the otherside of a thick stone wall, it worked well except that our devices saw the Wifi from the router and that from the Powerline adapter as separate networks, so if you moved rooms you needed to swap networks

    I’m think of doing something similar and buying new hardware, is there any way of avoiding this, so that the network appears as one (we have a wifi extender provided by sky which does this)??

    1. Hi
      Some extenders let you do that but the client my not like it see https://kb.netgear.com/24942/How-to-set-up-my-Wireless-Extender-to-use-the-same-SSID-as-my-router
      You could look at wireless mesh networks which are designed to overcome that problem.
      http://www.steves-internet-guide.com/wi-fi-mesh-networks/ but again their are exceptions.
      You might find this article interesting it cover wi-fi roaming in more detail

  7. Hi Steve,
    I have a BT mesh network and just need to know if I can plug a power line adapter into one of the extenders , I can plug it in by the router as the house has a three different ring mains so the powrline adapters won’t be able to connect to each other.. I hope that makes sense!

    1. I assume the BT extender connects via ethernet to the router. You should be able to use the powerline adapters for the ethernet connection.
      I believe you will experience problems if you are on a different phase (unusal).

      1. Hi Steve,
        Thanks for the reply, I have come to the conclusion it is a house wiring issue , I will probably need to get another mesh extender or two! the house is quite big, we have five different fuse boards covering 35 rooms! Just can’t get WIFI into the kitchen!
        Excellent web site by the way, appreciate your quick response.

        1. Glad you have found the problem I didn’t realise the size involved. You might want to look at running a cable or cables to various locations in the house.Good luck.

  8. I knew homeplugs worked best in main’s sockets and not on extension cables but BBC iplayer on my TV worked fine so I got a firestick to stream from my satellite box. Although iplayer on the firestick worked fine the streaming was terrible. Sure enough attaching them to main’s sockets cured the problem. However I do not have enough main’s sockets. Will Wall Adaptor Sockets (like a plug-in double or triple plug) work any better?

    1. Sorry but you need to try it. I have several homeplugs on short extensions and they work ok. I guess it depends on how far apart they already are and the state of the home wiring.

  9. Hi Steve,

    Thank you for the article, I do have a question though, do the plug in extenders need to be on the same mains circuit or will the signal go through the fuse box allowing signal on a different ring? My ground floor mains ring is on a different fuse to upstairs.


    1. It would be a good idea to put the ‘feed’ unit as close as possible to the fuse-box, then it can effectively feed all circuits served by that fuse-box. Even lighting circuits!!!
      I have a shed at the bottom of the garden, about 100′ from the house. My feeder unit is the downstairs 13A loop, close to the box, and all services receive an ok signal. The feeder is only 2m from the box, by the shortest path on the ring

  10. Hi Steve
    Thanks for your article.
    I need to extend the broadband network to our new garden office – we have power down there and i have tried these BT powerline adaptors https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/powerline/bt-broadband-extender-flex-600-powerline-adapter-kit-twin-pack-10142651-pdt.html
    Unfortunately the connection was intermittent at best and when it was connected the speeds were unusable ie. very slow. Would upgrading the adaptors to something like these ones that advertise a faster speed …. https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/powerline/tp-link-tl-wpa8630p-v2-wifi-powerline-adapter-kit-av1300-twin-pack-10166934-pdt.html
    make a difference?

  11. Hi Steve,
    Will the homeplug work over an RCD. I’ve a garage which has it’s own RCD which is feed from my home RCD.

  12. Hi Steve. Thank you for your very helpfiul article. I am a total amateur, looking to extend my wifi in to a particular room where it currently doesn’t reach in a stone walled house. I have read lots of reviews on Amazon with the intention of buying a power line adaptor but am very confused which to buy. Do I need to check any speed or anything with my current router and should I be looking at one that says extender? Will a basic starter kit do the job or if I pay more what exactly am I paying for? Thank you for any advice you can give.

    1. A standard starter kit should be fine.
      however if you want to use a tablet or smart phone in the other part of the house you should use an wi-fi powerline extender like this one.

      TP-Link TL-WPA4220KIT 2-Port Powerline Adapter WiFi Starter Kit, Range Extender, Broadband/WiFi Extender, WiFi Booster/Hotspot, No Configuration Required, UK Plug


      You tend to pay more for the latest high speed ones which you almost certainly don’t need. Also if you want pass through adaptors they cost more. (they let you plug in other things and don’t take up the socket).

      1. Thank you for your help – I’ve just purchased and installed the device you suggested. Works a treat and it was really simple to install . Very pleased.

  13. Hi Steve, thanks for this information. Will running an AV2 network on the same powerlines as a Homeplug 1.0 Turbo network impact the speed of the network? Will the Homeplug 1.0 Turbo adapters slow down the AV2 adapters?

  14. Thanks for this Steve. I have my router connected to a powerline adaptor, and then four other adaptors spread around my thick-stone-walled house to give ethernet and wifi connections. Generally speaking it all works, but I have random drop-outs and devices struggle randomly to ‘see’ each other, for example when trying to control the TV from my phone or remotely access the family computer. Printing is also a nightmare – it sometimes works, but often you have to move your laptop near to the main router to get a connection which works.

    I have followed the manufacturers instructions as best I can to make sure they are all using the same key and share a network name, but am I doing something wrong, or is this all just an inherent weakness of these solutions?

    1. Colin
      Is it the Wi_fi that is the main problem or the powerline adaptors? Moving the laptop nearer the router implies it is wi-fi?
      Do you use Wi-Fi extenders?
      As you have thick stone walls I assume it is an older property. If the wiring is very old then it may be causing problems with the adaptors. I’ve seen this mentioned on forums.
      If you suspect the adaptors then as a quick workaround I would get a very long Ethernet cable and use that is place of 2 of the adaptors and see if it resolves the problem.
      You can do it to each of the adaptors in turn until you find the link that is the problem then you may need to replace that link with a wired connection.

  15. G’day.
    I have a Powerline Adaptor in my room connect up to my pc. Because I also have LG DVD player that needs a Internet connect I have brough a splitter with two ethernet connects at the end fitted to one PLA. My pc got on line but no my DVD.What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

    1. I looked at those splitters myself a little while ago.
      It seems that they don’t give you two outputs but one and you can choose which output is live. It is effectively one or the other not both.
      I co[ied this from a descriptipn of a switcher on Amazon
      Note: This item is eligible for click and collect. Details
      1 new from £5.99

      RJ45 Ethernet Network Splitter could help to split one network cable to 2 port output, that’s convenient to take turns to use different computers. (Please note that cannot support using two cables at the same time)

      You need to get a small switch. The smallest is 4 port.

  16. Steve, thank you for a very informative article. It has helped me understand Powerline networking in our home setting. In particular, how the adapters connect by way of NMK. Thank you.

  17. Hi,
    another question.
    If you would like to use your HomePlug to “move” your router, is that possible?

    ISP—–CPE—-Homeplug—–Electrical net—–Homeplug—-Router/Wifi—–HomePlug—-Electrical net—-Homeplug—-OutdoorWAP

    1. Hi
      I’ve never done this but provided that the router connects to the CPE using Ethernet then I would say yes. However you have 4 homeplugs and they should be configured in pairs as two networks not as a single network.
      The homeplugs between the router and CPE one network and the homeplugs between the router and WAP the second network.

  18. Very usefull article, thanks you.
    Wou’d you have an advice for a generic powerline utility compatible with homeplug av2 and modern 64bits windows os (or linux)

    1. Hi
      I’ve looked for one but haven’t found anything yet. There don’t seem to be any tools/utilites for powerline networking.
      If you come across any then grateful you let me know

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