TP LINK AV500 Vs AV600 – Which One Kills Dead Zones Better?

You found that perfect spot in the housetowork in – if only the internet would reach it! Allow this TP LINK Av500 Vs Av600 discussionto help you reclaim the spot using the power mains and your router!

Like most products in the market, powerline adapters come in many brands, shapes and colors. Each promises internet heaven. It is hardly practical to just pull one out of the hat, and start using it. Making an informed selection is always the best way to get the adapter that meets the specifics of your need. This TP LINK Av500 Vs Av600 comparison aims at equipping you with information to do just that. How? By helping you see at a glance how important specifications of the two models compare.

TP-Link is amongst the most popular Powerline or HomePlug adapters. The TP LINK AV 500 and the AV 600 adapters are both excellent choices in their own right. Speed is one key aspect that consumers are interested when purchasing a powerline adapter. In addition, things like budget, security, connection components, Wi-Fi availability, distance and size are also important to consider. Let’s see how the two adapters compare in these areas.

What are the Differences Between TP LINK Av500 and Av600?

TP LINK Av500 Vs Av600 – How do they compare?

Speeds

TheTP LINK AV 500 has maximum speeds of 500Mbps while the AV 600 has 600Mbps. Never be wowed by these theoretical maximum data transfer rates, because they are usually derived from specifications on the Home Plug AV2 optimal network environment. Actual data transfer rates vary depending on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, noise on electrical wires, network traffic, distance, construction and building materials, adverse conditions, and electrical installation quality. For example, things like microwaves, washing machines, tab and phone charging slow adapters. In the same vein, power-surge protectors scramble their signal.

The truth is, it is not possible to achieve these maximum theoretical speeds. Both product electronic systems and our infrastructure do not support this. For this reason then, it is important to establish an adapter’s actual speeds. However, since no 2 homes have the same configuration, it is more important to consider relative performance than absolute figures, when it comes to performance. There are many tests that can be undertaken to test an adapter’s performance. The throughput rate which, for a communication channel, is the rate of successful message delivery is one such consideration. In other words, throughput refers to the transactions per second that an application handles.  .

In a series of throughput tests the Av 600 was consistently found to have throughput speeds in the 70s. This was a cool 10Mbps higher than other high end products, as shown below:

Using 10 GB filesin another performance test -the Totusoft’s LAN speed test the AV600 adapter was found to have a 25% boost over the AV500. See the findings below:

• TP-Link 600AV Powerline 91Mbps
• TP-Link 500AV Powerline 72Mbps
• Ethernet 298Mbps

Though appearing to perform dismally compared to a direct Ethernet connection, the adapter’s speeds are decently high, in fact, high enough to support multiple HD data streams. Since a 1080p mp4 video stream requires about 22 Mbps, a 72Mpbs adapter has capacity for several streams.

Generally, the rule of thumb is: 200Mbps devices though a lot cheaper, are suited for simple web browsing. If what you need is streamlining movies and having several devices run simultaneously, then go for devices with 500Mbps and more.

Connections

Both adapters under review come in a pack of 2 adapters in their starter kits. One adapter is for plugging in a power socket and connecting to the existing internet source using an Ethernet cable. The other connects to the device that needs connection to the powerline network and another socket.

Having a pass through socket on one of the adapters is usually an added benefit since it ensures that even when the adapter is plugged in the wall, one doesn’t miss out on a power socket.Both the AV600 and the AV 500 do not have a pass through features. This is a disadvantage when the sockets in a room are limited. Newer models of the two however have incorporated this feature.

Though many adapters come with only one Ethernet port some have more. This is a big advantage because people usually have more than one device they need to connect to connect to the internet. Both the TP-Link AV500 and AV600 have 2 ports. The AV600 even makes those Gigabit Ethernet ports at that. Gigabit ports ensure faster transfers. The reality however is that Gigabit Ethernet ports on the adapters only make a difference if your computer and router are also Gigabit Ethernet.  Though Gigabit can be used with slower systems (since they are backwards compatible), they have no speed benefit. This means that if you use 10/100 Ethernet with a Gigabit system the slower protocol speed is adopted.

Both adapters under review only work with devices on the same electrical circuit. Many older adapters aren’t able to transmit from one circuit to another. Newer models using higher frequency signals may be able to cross from one circuit to another.

Set-up and Security

Both the AV500 and AV600 are simply plug-and-play when it comes to setting up. All you have to do is plug them in the socket and using the Ethernet cable connect them to your router. Next you plug in the other adapter and also connect it to the device needing internet, using another Ethernet cable.  Though most adapters are fairly easy to set up, some though employ some security functionalities like syncing.

Both the AV500 and AV600 have AES encryption to secure the network. Even though the powerline devices’ signal won’t by large be picked outside your home, there is the risk of neighbors picking a signal in apartment houses. This is why many adapters come with security features that support encryption.

Distance

The distance between powerline adapters sometimes influences speed. Though both adapters under review come with a theoretical distance limit of 1000 feet, which is quite far, some users complain of their adapters experiencing slow speeds or random disconnects beyond 650ft. Generally, wall sockets give better performance than extensions.

Size

This may sound vain, but size plays an important role in adapters. It is aesthetically disgruntling to have a bulky, ugly beast sticking out of your living room’s socket, unless you intend to hide it! Moreover, you may also need to use the adjacent socket, which large adapters would effectively block.Both the AV500 and AV600 adapters come in small, compact units that don’t block any adjacent socket.

Wi-Fi Features

The TP Link AV600 supports Wi-Fi. This is handy when electrical cabling isn’t of good enough quality to make the powerline internet reliable. In such a scenario, the adapter will set up a new hotspot near where you need it which gives you better Wi-Fi reception. The AV600 also hasWi-Fi cloning features which greatly boost network capacity.

The AV500 adapter does not have a Wi-Fi feature.

The TP LINK Av500 Vs Av600 – A Comparison Overview

The TP LINK Av500

TP-Link AV500 2-Port Powerline Starter Kit, Up to 500Mbps (TL-PA4026 KIT)

• Expands your home network by establishing a Powerline connection with one TL-PA4010 and one TL-PA4020...
• 300-meter range over electrical circuitry for better performance through walls and floors

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The TP LINK AV500 is one of the best quality, fairly priced powerline adapter, from the TP-Link. It is HomePlug AV standard compliant and its plugs are small enough to not block any adjacent sockets, though one sticks out of the socket more. The plugs have a cool two-tone color and they work straight out of the box.

Located at their front are the pair button, and the LED lights showing power, connection to the Ethernet and connection to the powerline network. The adapter has a mains filter which makes the powerline communication performance better.

Instead of exponentially increasing power consumption the adapters automatically cuts down the consumption of power by up to 85% when not in use. This is thanks to the patented Power Saving Mode. Thanks to the AES encryption (128-bit), the network is secured by a simple button press on the paired device button.

These adapters come with two 100Mb Ethernet ports, making it possible to connect it to more than one device (Newer models like PA 551, have Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the pass through feature).They have sufficiently high speeds to support HD video streaming even across different floors in the house. The only downside with using multiple devices on the powerline at the same time is that all the bandwidth would have to first flow through the ‘source’ plug before catering for the multiple HD streams. This is why it is said to optimize IPTV streaming. This doesn’t make a big difference in the larger scheme of gaming and streaming, however.

Pros

• Fast speeds
• 2 Ethernet ports
• 5ft Ethernet cables
• Small, unobtrusive size
• Fairly priced

Cons

• No Wi-Fi
• No pass through socket feature

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The TP LINK Av600

TP-Link AV600 Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, Up to 600Mbps, Gigabit Ports, Plug and Play, Power Saving Mode (TL-PA6010KIT)

• Up to 600Mbps speed via Gigabit Ethernet port for seamless HD video streaming and online gaming
• 300-meter range over electrical circuitry for better performance through walls and floors

Check Price

The TP-LINK AV600 Powerline adapter is a newer version of the AV500 model. As such, it comes with all the AV500 awesome features plus a few improved ones like 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports and Wi-Fi, all delivered with an increase in price.

In design, the plug’s height and width is similar to the AV500, though it sticks a bit more out from the socket. Its pair button is smaller and located on the underside. The LED’s lights arrangement is also different from the AV500.

As expected, the adapter is the standard HomePlug AV compliant, as an automatic power saving mode and a 128-bit AES encryption.

With the high speeds, the AV600 easily supports heavy-bandwidth applications such as HD video streaming on multiple devices, downloading of large files and online-gaming.

Pros

• Compact
• Very high throughput speeds
• 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports
• 5ft Ethernet cables
• Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi cloning features

Cons

• Doesn’t detect other flavor adapters
• Relatively pricey, considering its not MIMO

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Conclusion

Because many things in life don’t come in clear-cut black or white, decisions are all about balancing the shades of grey! On the one hand, the TP-Link AV500 is compact enough to give you full use of all the sockets in your room. It comes with 2 Ethernet ports and enough throughput speeds to enable you video stream on multiple devices. On the other hand, not only does the TP-Link AV600 come with all these features too, but it also further boosts your network capacity with its Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Cloning features. What’s more, it offers better throughput speeds. All nice-to-have additions, really.The catch? It costs more.

Your choice will definitely depend on what you need an internet boost for, and whether you think the additions the AV600 brings your way are worth paying the extra amount for. The ball, as they say, is in your court!

Verdict: So which is better? The TP-Link AV500 or the TP-Link AV600?

Being an improvement of the AV500, theTP-Link AV600 is has ironed out some of the kinks that the AV500 had, like 100Mbps Ethernet cables. As a result, it has Wi-Fi abilities, Gigabit ports and very high throughput speeds, higher than some known ‘heavy weights.’ It is therefore a very good bet, overall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1: Is av600 compatible with av500?

Ans: the two TP LINK powerline adapters are compatible since they both adopt Homeplug AV standards.

Q2: Can TP LINK powerline adapters be mixed and matched?

Ans: Even though two adapters are compatible, when different AV adapters are used together, the powerline rate drops to the lower one’s rate.