Cisco PLK300 issue...please help

[bhawk22]

I have a Comcast ISP. Motorola SB6120 modem with DOCSIS 3.0 capability. Using Netgear N750 WNDR4000 as main router on lower floor. Throughput and signal strength on 2nd floor wasn't very good. So I thought I would use Cisco home plug plk300 with 200mbps. All ports on router are gigabit. I tried two things

1) direct connection from home plug 2 to my Mac
2) direct connect from home plug to my Airport Extreme and use Airport as a roaming, Ethernet connected bridge network.

Throughput and signal strength all improved. Just as I was hoping. But my download speeds from ISP dropped to 15mbps from 35mpbs (getting 35bps even with weaker signal via wireless) but getting a much slower download speed via home plug connected Ethernet.

Network utility shows my link speed for the home plug Ethernet connected Mac is 100.

I tried all kinds of configs and something in that home plug is blocking download speeds. I even bought net gear xavb5001 to test. Same problem. What else could I do. Or could I achieve the stronger signal and throughput to 2nd fl in a different way. Please help. Thank you

 

[stevech]

Have you tried isolating the HomePlug units by plugging one or both into an outlet in which there are no other items connected? And maybe none in a nearby outlet?

Is this a home with 110VAC two-phase power (US/Canada)?

See the sticky here, 'round the house...

 

[thiggins]

200 Mbps HomePlug AV should yield around 40 Mbps of total throughput, best case. Make sure that you plug the adapters directly into the wall outlet and not any power strips.

If there are any cellphone chargers or other small power warts plugged into the same outlet, try unplugging them as a test to see if throughput improves.

To test if you have faulty adapters, plug both into the same outlet and measure throughput between two computers plugged into each one.

If you are in a newer home, check your breaker panel for AFCI breakers.

 

[bhawk22]

Thank you both. i'll try this out. I appreciate it

 

[bhawk22]

So, i tested it out today. if i plug PLK300 unit A and B in the same outlet, everything works perfect. I am getting 35bps download speeds. As soon as I take the second unit to another room (I tried 4 rooms; 3 on FL 1 and 1 on FL 2), download speeds drop to a range of 6mbps - 17mbps. and they seem inconsistent.

i checked the breakers. i dont see any marking AFCI on them.

Any suggestions? clearly its not the PLK300. I need to do something with an outlet. I appreciate the ideas.

 

[stevech]

Tell us about if one or both are in an outlet or power strip in which there are other items plugged in that may attenuate the signal. And have you tried to avoid that?

 

[bhawk22]

When I tested, I unplugged all other items (lamps etc...) and tried both outlets in the socket. Thanks

 

[stevech]

A nearby outlet, on the same breaker and phase as the one your'e trying, can interfere/attenuate, especially if that nearby outlet has lots of high-tech plugged in, and/or a plug strip with so-called surge protectors (spike suppressors) inside.