Mesh vs powerline

[Fred66a]

Just got gig 1 as per Sam knows am getting the 1 gig to the hub and good speeds wifi when near it (800 meg +) I use a tp link powerline to boost WiFi around the house and best I can get out of it is say 350 meg is that normal for the wifi from a powerline? The powerline on 5g claims a max of 867meg but understand will never get that 

It's not a big deal but would say a tp link mesh system deliver a better wifi around the house the area to cover is a bit big so am considering that as an alternative in the future say the xe75 pro system? 

[carl_pearce]

Powerline adapters are never as fast as they claim to be.

350Mbps is pretty good to be honest.

The best approach would be to have ethernet wired around your home, with either access points or a mesh system using ethernet as the 'backhaul' (The method of distributing the broadband connection between nodes), however, this is usually not economical for most users.

The next best option is a mesh system that uses the Wi-Fi as the 'backhaul', however, you'll lose one of the bands the system would normally use for devices, for the backhaul.

You'd need to do some research to ensure the mesh system you purchase has at least two bands for Wi-Fi 6, for example, to ensure you still get a decent speed to the devices, as well as between nodes.

[legacy1]

A router and AP would be better

[Adduxi]

PoE wifi 6 access points preferably, but as @carl_pearce  says, this is not always practical.  Wifi 6 Mesh system as a second preference.

[Client62]

350Mb/s is very decent for Power Line adaptors. An important question is, outside of academic speed tests, which pieces of kit will function any differently on a real work tasks if you can increase that speed ?

[Adduxi]

I assume if a user is on the 1Gb Tier, they have the equipment to use it.  Otherwise it's a waste of money?

[carl_pearce]

Keep in mind it's not just about broadband.

Having a healthy network across your home can give other benefits.

[sayekm]

If I got 350 using powerline on my M350 that would be perfect. But its always below 150Mbs but Wi-Fi is reliable between 360 to 395 in the same spot. But my son prefers the wire connection for his gaming.

[Adduxi]

PLA's are very reliant  on the house wiring and consumer unit splits etc.  I wouldn't use them personally, but they have a place if proper ethernet wiring cannot be used.  Just don't expect to see the quoted PLA figures 🙂

As for wired gaming, 100% agree.

[Tudor]

A qualified answer is neither. Best option for WiFi is Ethernet wired access points (WAP) preferably using PoE, ideally from a PoE switch. Gets rid of lots of power supplies which you need with a mesh system. If you do used a mesh system it’s best to use Ethernet cables backhaul, when the mesh are actually used as WAPs. Don’t forget if you use true meshing with no Ethernet backhaul then units should be mid way between the source and target machine. If you use meshing you really need to do a comprehensive WiFi scan of the property to find the best locations. I bet 90%+ of people never ever do this, they just plug them in and prey, then complain when things don’t work.