Lifespan of powerline adapters

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MarcVANDERLINDEN -
cs_mvedeel - 27 Jan 2018 at 13:17

Hello,
Recently, on the advice of a Darty technician, I replaced the 2 powerline adapters used to connect my BBOX and my TV.
The adapters in question had been installed for over 2 years.
Is it normal for such equipment to be no longer fully operational after such a short time?
Is it possibly feasible to get these adapters working again?
Thank you in advance for any advice and assistance.
Best regards,
Marc

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4 answers

Answer 1 / 4

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brupala Posted messages 4 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 14 454

Hi,
a good technician would have suggested an Ethernet cable instead of powerline adapters.
After all,
a good salesperson is the opposite of a good technician.

--
and ... There you go!
10
1. cs_mvedeel Posted messages 2 Status Member
  
  Yes, I agree, but there is no room for an Ethernet cable. At least, installing such a cable would be quite (if not very) complicated!
  Indeed, the box and the TV are located in two separate rooms. So it's not easy...
  
  0
  1. brupala Posted messages 4 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 14 454 > cs_mvedeel Posted messages 2 Status Member
    
    It is always possible to run an Ethernet cable if it is less than 100m, of course, it is more or less elegant depending on the means one has.
    
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2. cs_mvedeel Posted messages 2 Status Member
  
  You are probably right, but the powerline solution seems much easier to implement, in my opinion.
  
  0
  1. brupala Posted messages 4 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 14 454 > cs_mvedeel Posted messages 2 Status Member
    
    Easier, often yes (not always), but far from being as efficient and economical in kilowatt-hours ...
    
    0
3. jeannets Posted messages 28439 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention 6 609
  
  The cable remains the best guarantee of quality, not more expensive and no waves...
  And you still don't know why your powerline adapters weren't working...??
  The new ones might do the same thing in the coming weeks... especially if the cause is still present..
  
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Answer 2 / 4
f894009 Posted messages 17417 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 1 717

Hello,
Why did you replace them if they had nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
1. cs_mvedeel Posted messages 2 Status Member
  
  I replaced them on the advice of the Darty technician who checked the installation. For the past few weeks, I had been having more and more problems with the Bbox connection.
  The technician therefore checked it as well as the modem and the connection between the two powerline adapters.
  
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2. jeannets Posted messages 28439 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention 6 609
  
  I would be curious to have the references for the two types of models...??
  Because in fact, there are no explanations in your text. Otherwise, you just leave it to Darty..
  
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  1. cs_mvedeel > jeannets Posted messages 28439 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention
    
    The old ones are NETGEAR Powerline 500 and the new ones are NETGEAR PLP1200.
    With the old ones, I regularly had issues and every time the customer service at Bouygues advised me to swap the plugs. It would then work better for a few weeks/months.
    But for the past few weeks, the issues have reappeared, and I requested a technician from Bouygues/Darty to come by; he visited my home earlier this week and checked my setup. His diagnosis was the one outlined at the beginning of this conversation.
    He performed a test with an Ethernet cable, and everything worked perfectly. But since the cable in question is not long enough to remain connected permanently, the technician then advised me to replace the powerline adapters.
    Not knowing anything about it, I wouldn't doubt the technician's skills. But now, thanks to those who have participated in this conversation, I know a bit more about powerline technology.
    Thank you all!
    
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Answer 3 / 4
AZAMOS

Good evening,

As a powerline adapter (PLA) user for many years, here is my little feedback on it.

From the same batch of PLAs purchased together, I have experienced one of them not working or malfunctioning overnight. Hardware defect, overheating at the socket, etc... I don't know the cause, but the facts are there.

I have also noticed that by swapping 2 PLAs (the one on the box and another placed on the network), everything worked fine again, both at the box level and at the peripheral level.

From one PLA model to another, there are indeed differences in quality in the components; to see it, you can browse around specialized sites and forums on electronics/home automation.

It is quite possible that one (or both) of the PLA sockets are functional:
1) leave the new PLA at the box in place
2) run a speed test on the Speedtest site (do it 3 times to have a constant)
3) remove the PLA at the computer and test one of the old ones on Speedtest
4) redo with the second "old"

Of course, if the "old" ones are of a lower standard than the new ones (500 vs 200), it will be normal that they perform less well. The aim is already to check which one is causing the problem or not working at all.

With the results of these tests, we will already have better elements of response.
4
1. brupala Posted messages 4 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 14 454
  
  Hello
  There are indeed many differences in quality among CPL models in terms of components; to realize this, check out specialized websites and forums in electronics/home automation.
  
  Here you are talking about brands, not components; you probably don't know them, just like everyone else.
  What is certain:
  a speed test is useless for testing CPL, you're testing the internet connection instead.
  To test a CPL modem link (it's a set: the modems and the wiring) you need to do an iperf, too bad the boxes don't natively integrate an iperf server.
  
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2. AZAMOS
  
  No, no, I'm indeed talking about components, not brands. From one series to another, from one brand to another, they can vary in quality.
  
  A speed test is entirely legitimate to carry out: I have powerline adapters from different brands and models, but with the same standards (500 and 200); some 200 from brand "X" are faster than those from brand "Y." And even among them (same model and same brand, out of the same box), the results are sometimes different.
  
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3. brupala Posted messages 4 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 14 454 > AZAMOS
  
  No, you're saying things without basis,
  unless you have a fiber connection for the speed test, in which case the powerline adapters become the weak link in the chain.
  Edit,
  what do you consider components?
  
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4. cs_mvedeel
  
  Thank you very much for all these details and information.
  Have a great weekend!
  
  0
5. AZAMOS
  
  Things without foundations... it's true that I'm not really known here...
  
  I have fiber (930 Mbps), so yes, the powerline adapters are my weak link.
  
  The components are the electronic parts inside the powerline adapters: capacitors, circuit board, solder quality, etc. The Ethernet cable can also play a role.
  
  I have a good ten powerline adapters connected at home and in my workshop (computer repairman) and have solved quite a few problems through the simple tests I've outlined above, both at my home and at my clients': the advantage of real-world experience ;-)
  
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Answer 4 / 4
jeannets Posted messages 28439 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention Ambassador 6 609

Hello,

Normally, unless there's a breakdown, these powerline adapters work for life... A PC from 1985 still runs as it did back then, sure it's not up to date, but with its DOS, it's still operational; fundamentally, a powerline adapter is the same thing... Ask the Darty salesperson to show you their electronics diploma... or to give you the formula for a circuit tuned to a frequency...

That said, it's possible that your powerline adapter (two years old) may not be performing well enough to transmit the data required for high-definition video... but if that's the case, it never was, that's not new. Check the maximum frequency of the signals transmitted for your model...

What's much more likely is that the electrical layout of your house has changed since then, you've moved outlets around, added equipment to your line, there's increased electrical noise or interference from neighboring devices in your setup... WiFi on all floors... Bluetooth speakers, etc...

-- Or even that your wired ADSL speed is already insufficient at the base, and the powerline adapters have nothing to do with it...

-- It's important to analyze carefully and differentiate between the issues..
1
1. cs_mvedeel Posted messages 2 Status Member
  
  Thank you for this clarification.
  So, it's possible that the plugs are still in good condition? Maybe I could pass them on to someone instead of throwing them away at the dump.
  
  0
2. mushu14 Posted messages 11897 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention 1 123
  
  Hi,
  it's also possible that some low-end electronic components (like capacitors) age poorly, and after 2 years, it's not impossible
  cheaper and cheaper equipment, but profits get bigger and bigger for multinationals thanks to shoddy and/or poorly designed gear
  
  planned obsolescence? Oh come on, that's not possible.....
  
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  1. brupala Posted messages 4 Registration date Status Member Last intervention 14 454 > mushu14 Posted messages 11897 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention
    
    Planned obsolescence,
    we need to stop with these delusions, it only exists for lawyers.
    Then, pushing down prices is very common, especially among the "big" brands.
    But the basic components are often the same for everyone; at this level, the list of foundries shrinks every year.
    
    0

Lifespan of powerline adapters

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