What category of RJ45 cable for powerline?
LiakiM
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LiakiM -
LiakiM -
So here, I received my powerline adapters today; someone close to me lent them to me without the cables since I already had two. The one connected to the box has an RJ45 Cat 5e cable that's about 1.5 meters long (a bit damaged, by the way; you can see the wires inside at the end of the cable), and the one for my PC has a Cat 6 cable that's 10m long.
My connection, my speed is slow, and it's not stable. Would changing the Cat 6 cable to a Cat 5e, or changing the Cat 5e cable to a Cat 6, make any difference? Which cable categories are best suited for powerline adapters? Do both cables need to be of the same category? Does the length of the cable play an important role? Thank you
PS: I don't have fiber; I'm with SFR with the NB6Vac box.
My connection, my speed is slow, and it's not stable. Would changing the Cat 6 cable to a Cat 5e, or changing the Cat 5e cable to a Cat 6, make any difference? Which cable categories are best suited for powerline adapters? Do both cables need to be of the same category? Does the length of the cable play an important role? Thank you
PS: I don't have fiber; I'm with SFR with the NB6Vac box.
3 answers
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Hello
It doesn't matter, in the case of PLC.
With PLC, except for the very latest ones, the speeds are transmitted via the PLC (power line) and will be lower than BOX=>PLC (and PLC=>PC/etc. if we talk about wired).
And if the other modules are WIFI, it's the same. Cat5 will work perfectly.
However, damaged wires should be avoided.
Best regards
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"We swallow the flattering lie in large gulps and sip the bitter truth drop by drop."-
- Powerline works quite well when it works (at least for me for years), but when it doesn’t... it’s temperamental and there are few options.
Powerline will depend on the compatibility of the modules (brand and often even model), in this regard what manufacturers claim is often very... optimistic. I have never had issues with several types of powerline, but when I replace them I always take the "series" (same brand and same model).
Another factor is your electrical circuit AND EVERYTHING connected to it.
The age of the house (circuit), the distribution, and especially all the other elements plugged into your electrical network (appliances, TV, etc.) can also disrupt the quality.
In principle, if everything is recent AND you follow the manufacturer's recommendations closely (not using a power strip, etc.), powerline works very well. But from experience, if even one device (other than the powerline adapters) malfunctions, it can disrupt the entire segment.
Finally, the issue could also stem from the powerline adapters themselves. You can test by swapping their positions.
But finding an interferer is not an easy task (if that is indeed the cause).
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Indeed, the modern, in absolute terms, can have disadvantages... But the current PLC (domestic) has adapted very well to all this and it is evolving.
There are plenty of people who have been using it since the beginning, without any issues. On my side, it has been over 10 years. I know quite a few in private and elsewhere, with zero issues, except for occasionally needing to re-pair, but that's rare, (nothing is perfect).
It has become fairly reliable and a very good compromise for a load of situations AND, of course, if we take into account the limits of this technology.
(Wiring remains the holy grail, that's obvious).
But the only disruption I experienced came from a screen (PC) with an integrated power supply, which gradually started shorting, hence the difficulty in finding (random failure).
I deduced (by unplugging) and it was while doing all this that my nose caught a slight burnt smell from the screen (by accidentally putting my nose on it). Once the screen was removed, no more issues.
Also note that the disturbance in my case only appeared on the segment (the electrical line from the panel) where the screen was connected, but everything that was on it was impacted.
This may help you look for whether it is indeed something like that.
Again, don't overlook that a PLC module itself can be the cause if there are issues (failure).
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"We swallow in large gulps the lie that flatters us and drink drop by drop a truth that is bitter to us."-
- Indeed, the cause of a malfunction may not be where one thinks.
It is necessary to proceed by elimination.
First, put yourself in a different environment. If it doesn't work elsewhere, the issue comes from the hardware.
If it works elsewhere and not at home, the issue comes from home.
And so on to find the element(s) that may be causing the disruption. As everything is electric these days, there is a whole bunch of devices and additionally, if we also count all the cables that could also be defective, the search can be long and tedious.
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Madmyke has clearly summarized the issue with powerline adapters.
What brand and model do you own?
Indeed, there are powerline adapters and powerline adapters, and generally speaking, if the price is low, the quality is too.
I've had Devolo for 7/8 years, without any issues.
Devolo, Netgear, and TP-Link are among the very good brands.
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The cable should not be defective. If the length is less than 3 meters, there are no issues with quality. For longer lengths, yes, you need to use very good quality.
But with powerline adapters, there is always an electrical outlet not too far away. Avoid multiple outlets and extension cords that are not of good quality.
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I move often and I have never encountered disruptive elements during my rentals, most of which are less than 30 years old, but this is not impossible in very old homes.-
Hi,
Disruptive elements are often in your place, not necessarily elsewhere. One should be more wary of a phone charger than a fridge.
For a network cable, 3 or 30 meters is the same,
it gets complicated beyond 50 meters, but the standards are defined for 100 meters. -
The house dates from around 2008-2009, and it's true that the 1.5-meter cat 5e cable is a bit damaged. The powerline adapters are from Netgear and are not plugged into a power strip. But I think the main problem is the electrical network. I believe a lot of things interfere with the electrical network and therefore the connection remains unstable.
- If the house is from 2008/2009, it was built with already very important electrical standards. Our house is a year older and we have no issues with the house's electrical system which is perfect, and we have 7 Devolo powerline adapters with no functioning problems, so I don't think the disturbances come from this electrical network; rather, look for older electrical devices installed near the powerline adapters because nowadays everything is electric, so there can be quite a few. This means that tracking down the disturbing element can take a long time before finding it. Also, check the cables and connections.
- And yet,
modern electrical installations, which are up to standard, are the most harmful to the signals of powerline modems:- Star wiring, with power outlets located on several separate circuits whereas previously they were often all on a single circuit.
- Circuits protected by 16 or 20A magnetic circuit breakers, which are coils that attenuate the radio frequencies of powerline modems, whereas older fuse installations do not attenuate them.
- Several residual current devices of 30mA (between 1 and 3 for the larger panels) that further attenuate radio frequencies, meaning powerline signals may have to pass through two of them, as opposed to older installations where they encountered none, since there was only the main residual device (the 500mA) which they did not have to pass through, unless wanting to go to the neighbors' house.
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