Mixing 200Mbps and 500Mbps homeplugs

[smagro]

Hi,
I currently have 3x200Mbps homeplugs (TP-Link PA211). One connected to my router, one to a desktop/media server, and one for my HTPC in the living room. I can stream my videos from the media server to the HTPC just fine.

I was thinking of picking up a couple of extra ones for HTPCs in other rooms.

Would there by any advantage to picking up 500Mbps versions (PA-511)?, the price is almost the same now.. If I added two 500Mbps models, would the traffic between these models be faster, or in a mixed environment do they all just operate at 200Mbps ?

Thanks

 

[thiggins]

If just the 500 Mbps pair are in use, you should see higher throughput between them. But if the 200 Mbps devices also become active, both pairs will share bandwidth and the 500 Mbps pair will slow down. So might not see the extra performance that you are paying for.

Note that bandwidth-sharing happens with multiple 200 Mbps (or 500 Mbps) devices, too. It's like any shared, medium. The more users, the less each user gets.

 

[stevech]

can't you use the HomePlug admin tools to put the two systems on different frequency ranges that don't overlap and get concurrent operations?

 

[thiggins]

You can't control frequency band use or even force link rate with any admin tool I know of.

 

[smagro]

If just the 500 Mbps pair are in use, you should see higher throughput between them. But if the 200 Mbps devices also become active, both pairs will share bandwidth and the 500 Mbps pair will slow down. So might not see the extra performance that you are paying for.

Note that bandwidth-sharing happens with multiple 200 Mbps (or 500 Mbps) devices, too. It's like any shared, medium. The more users, the less each user gets.

Thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately streaming around the home is my main requirement for bandwidth and due to my network setup there will always be at least 3 homeplugs in operation. So adding two 500Mbps units would be a waste I guess.