It’s evident that wired gaming is superior to wireless due to lower latency and faster speeds. Although most routers have ethernet ports, they may not be accessible throughout the house.
That’s when gaming-friendly WiFi extenders and Powerline adapters come into the picture. Both differ slightly, but that’s a discussion for another time. In this article, I’ll focus on the powerline adapters suitable for gaming.
After using more than 15 Power over Ethernet adapters, I have narrowed down the list to seven. These will improve your gaming experience without spending a lot. But what specific aspects were they tested on and how did they perform? Let’s find out!
7 Best Powerline Adapters for Gaming in 2024
The devices in this list are qualified after a week-long test in speeds, latency, and consistency in gaming sessions.
Overview: Starting with the most reliable performer with the high throughput, the list takes you through multiple mid-range options with Wi-Fi Capacity. Jump right to the end if you are looking for a budget-friendly choice.
1. Best Overall: TP-Link AV2000 TL-PA9020P KIT
- Wi-Fi Support: No
- Speed Capacity: Up to 2,000 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 4
- Ports: 2 x Gig Ethernet
Don’t let the lack of WiFi in this TP-Link adapter overshadow its strengths. A 2 Gbps throughput capacity combined with a bunch of advanced features like MIMO & beamforming readily qualifies it as one of the best powerline adapters on the market.
Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
Capable of delivering up to 2000 Mbps, the adapter is a good fit for 1 Gbps internet. With the output node at least 50 ft of wiring apart, a gigabit plan from Verizon FiOS gave me close to 212 Mbps in download speeds and 78 Mbps in uploads.
The speeds improved when I moved the adapters closer. The download speeds were raking over 241 Mbps and uploads at 98 Mbps. Red dead redemption ran smoothly at medium graphics with low latency and an average ping of 40-60 ms, which was a substantial improvement from the wireless mode.
Devices Capacity
The PoE adapter comes with MIMO and beamforming, which makes it deliver high speeds. The longer the amount of wiring, the loss of speeds escalated during the tests. Yet it delivered some of the highest speeds I have seen for a powerline adapter.
With two Ethernet ports per adapter, you can connect up to 3 wired gaming devices to them. This gives sufficient room for gaming on a desktop and a console.
Credit to the latest features, the wiring up two devices didn’t impact the speeds for both devices substantially.
Conclusion
If you want a solid wired connection for gaming or live streaming, the TP-Link powerline offers a bunch of features and a strong performance.
Its pass-thru design with a power slot, easy plug-n-play setup, and power-saving mode is a bonus for any household.
Pros
- 2×2 MIMO
- Beamforming
- Passthru design
- Gigabit speeds
- 4-level QoS
Cons
- No Wi-Fi Support
2. Best with WiFi: Netgear PLW1000 – AV2 1000
- Wi-Fi Support: Yes
- Coverage Range: Up to 750 Sq Ft
- Speed Capacity: Up to 1000 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 10
- Ports: 1 x Gig Ethernet
Netgear PLW1000 brings the best of both worlds; the stability of a wired connection and the coverage advantage of a wireless extender.
Its high throughput capacity and dual-band Wi-Fi make it a close competitor for the top spot and one of the safe bets with wireless capacity.
Wireless + Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
The dual-band WiFi at the receiving end opens up the potential of your internet. In close range, my downloads were clocking over 115 Mbps and uploads above 25 Mbps.
The wired speeds at approximately 30 ft away were clocking 225 Mbps on downloads and 85 Mbps on uploads.
This gave us a lot of potential to gaming on the further end of the house, which would have been difficult otherwise. Games like Assasin’s Creed, and Cyberpunk 2077 were fun to play with lower latency and stable performance, as long as the Wi-Fi was not bogged down with traffic.
Coverage & Devices Capacity
There are two external antennas, that extend your WiFi coverage by 750 sq ft easily. It was the easiest way to extend the wifi to the room in the furthest corner of my house, an area that measured a little over 500 sq ft.
At the helm of dual-band, it was easy to connect up to 10 devices when I wasn’t using the wired network for gaming. The WiFi was shared between a couple of mobiles, voice assistants, and tablets for productivity tasks and surfing without any hassle.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a versatile gaming powerline adapter that doubles as an access point when you’re not gaming, the Netgear PLW1000 is a reliable Homeplug AV2-compliant adapter. The dual-band Wi-Fi at this price makes it a stand-out option.
Pros
- Dual Band Wi-Fi
- Gigabit speeds
- External antennas
- Push and secure
- Energy saving design
Cons
- No pass-thru socket
3. Best Value for Money: Tenda AV1000
- Wi-Fi Support: Yes
- Coverage Range: 500 Sq ft
- Speed Capacity: Up to 1000 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 6
- Ports: 2 x Gig Ethernet
Unlike its predecessor PH5, the Tenda powerline directs its focus on both wired and wireless components in a powerline extender.
A wireless adapter takes the place of an Ethernet port. This combination allows the powerline extender to find its closer to the top half of the list.
Wireless + Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
It comes with a capacity for transmitting up to 1000 Mbps over the powerline. Which then translates to maximum Wi-Fi speeds of 200 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 433 Mbps on 5 GHz. The download speeds were clocking over 145 Mbps while the uploads were close to 50 Mbps in the next room.
The wired speeds across 30ft of wiring were hitting close to 233 Mbps in download and 85 Mbps on the uploads with the gigabit internet pack from AT&T, double the speeds of what our primary router was capable of. With a ping consistently less than 100ms, it was easier to play games like Witcher, final fantasy, and Last of Us.
Coverage & Devices Capacity
The internal antennas are capable of covering up to 500 sq ft. It managed to cover a room spanning 300 sq ft. Beyond that distance, the Wi-Fi speeds were laggard, which made it impossible for any substantial usage.
With dual-band Wi-Fi, you can connect and use up to 10 devices when you’re not using the Ethernet port. Light activities like surfing, and streaming music, on mobile, tablets, and laptops were a walk in the park. I also had a voice assistant and a camera connected to it without any hassle.
Conclusion
The pricing is one of the advantages of this Tenda powerline adapter that works well for gaming. If you’re looking for a hybrid PoE with WiFi at a budget-friendly price, this Tenda AV1000 can be a handy purchase.
Pros
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi
- Homeplug AV2 Compliant
- Affordable Pricing
- Plug n play design
Cons
- No pass-thru design
4. Fastest Option: Zyxel G.hn 2400
- Wi-Fi Support: No
- Speed Capacity: Up to 2400 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 1
- Ports: 1 x Gig Ethernet
This Zyxel Powerline adapter would be positioned higher if not for its missing Wi-Fi features. Based on recent G.hn Wave 2 technology, it brings a throughput capacity of multi-gigabit speeds and a superior performance with MIMO, which makes it impossible to leave it out of this list.
Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
Without WiFi support, all you’re left with is an ethernet port capable of transmitting data at 1 Gbps. With 500 Mbps at my home, the download speeds close to the adapter were raking above 230 Mbps and uploads at 112 Mbps. The most I have witnessed is a powerline adapter.
Even a couple of rooms away, at least 60 ft of wiring away, the downloads were close to 82 Mbps and uploads crossed 20 Mbps. This made gaming in medium-high graphics setting possible.
Games like Far Cry and Call of Duty consistently hit 45 FPS in 720p quality, which was unachievable with my Wi-Fi router.
Devices Capacity
Every node you have is capable of supporting one device via a Gigabit Ethernet port. To maximize its throughput potential of 2400 Mbps, you can add multiple nodes.
While the G.hn is capable of extending up to 14 nodes, it’s advisable to limit the nodes to 2 or 3 at max. This will allow you to share the wired network with 3 or more data-heavy gadgets.
Conclusion
Don’t allow the lack of a wireless module to undermine its strength and capacity. If you seek the fastest powerline adapter for online gaming, entertainment halls, meeting halls, and executive rooms, this Zyxel G.hn would be the right choice.
Pros
- Builtin power socket
- MIMO
- QoS
- Multi-Gig speeds
Cons
- No Wi-Fi Support
5. Best Under $50: TP-Link AV1000
- Wi-Fi Support: No
- Speed Capacity: Up to 1000 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 1
- Ports: 1 x Gig Ethernet
With improvements in the capacity of its predecessor, the adapter is compatible to work with HomePlug AV2 devices. The TP-Link AV1000 brings a gigabit throughput capacity, at a competitive price.
Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
Unlike some of our top contenders, this TP-Link device lacks wireless capacity. With 50 ft of wiring separating my garage, the download speeds from my 500 Mbps internet connection, topped 65 Mbps in downloads, and 18 Mbps in uploads. 20 ft closer, the speeds soared up to 142 & 48 Mbps, respectively.
This gave me sufficient bandwidth to stream TV and accommodate quality gaming. Latency levels keeping below 120ms, allowed me to play first-person shooting games at a decent quality, making it more reliable than gaming on the main router.
Devices Capacity
With just 1 Gigabit Ethernet port, each node can accommodate one heavy streaming or gaming device. You can add one more node to the system, exceeding which you’d notice a substantial dip in the performance.
Conclusion
Are you constrained by budget? If you are looking for a gaming-friendly powerline adapter with a 1 Gbps capacity that doesn’t dent your wallet, this TP-Link AV1000 fits your bill. The quick setup and compact design make the deal more appealing.
Pros
- HomePlug AV2
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Power saving mode
- Compact
- Plug n Play
Cons
- No passthru design
- No WiFi adapter
6. Best Power-Efficient: D-Link DHP-601AV AV2 1000
- Wi-Fi Support: No
- Speed Capacity: Up to 1000 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 1
- Ports: 1 x Gig Ethernet
The D-Link power adapter is an improvement over its predecessor with an improvement in total capacity and an intelligent power-saving future.
A compact design makes it blend well into your household without sticking out. This finds a place in the list, credit to its capacity, and affordable pricing.
Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
A total capacity of 1000 Mbps is an ideal match for households with high-speed connections ranging up to 1 Gbps.
A 1 Gbps pack from Verizon FiOS, delivered download speeds of 221 Mbps and upload speeds of 88 Mbps within the same room as the primary router.
A couple of rooms apart, approximately 40 ft away, I was getting 75 Mbps on the downloads and 11 Mbps on the uploads, which was sufficient to play racing games, role-playing games at 720p-1080p quality and a decent frame rate.
Devices Capacity
Wire up a heavy streaming or gaming device to the Ethernet port and get a reliable wired network. Lack of Wi-Fi support limits the usage to one device.
Adding more devices to the node does make the internet accessible for more devices. The MIMO makes it possible without losing much speed.
Conclusion
This is the lowest power consumption powerline adapter that you can use for gaming. The cost-effective price and gigabit speed makes it stand out. Be wary of performance when you stray far away from the main extender.
Pros
- Homeplug AV2 Compliant
- Gigabit bit throughput capacity
- Minimum power consumption
- Compact
- MIMO
Cons
- Not a pass-thru design
- No Wi-Fi antennas
7. Cheapest Option: TRENDnet Powerline 500 AV
- Wi-Fi Support: No
- Speed Capacity: Up to 500 Mbps
- Device Capacity: 1
- Ports: 1 x 100 Mbps Ethernet
It is hard to leave out this TRENDnet adapter from this list owing to its compact design with an inbuilt power slot that will turn your electric cabling into reliable wired connectivity at a reasonable price.
Wired Speeds & Gaming Experience
A total capacity of 500 Mbps gets limited by its 100 Mbps ethernet port. With a 300 Mbps internet plan at my house, I was getting download speeds of 62 Mbps and 19 Mbps in uploads, two rooms away.
This allowed me to play games on my PS4 in my room, without having to lug it around close to the router, every time I had to use it. Games like FIFA, NBA, and Gran Tourismo were easier to play at medium-graphics quality with games hitting above 30 FPS at 1080p.
Devices Capacity
With a single Ethernet port for every adapter, you’re limited to using a single device. While you can add up to 8 nodes to this TrendNet Powerline Adapter, limiting the number to a total of 3 would allow you to create stable wired connectivity at home without losing out on the speeds.
Conclusion
Stuck in a tightly packed, network-congested environment with heavy interference? This powerline adapter can give a budget-friendly option to offer more stability to your home internet.
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Inbuilt power slot
- Fast Plug n’ Play setup
- Compact design
Cons
- 100 Mbps Ethernet port
Frequently Asked Questions
Wired connectivity is more reliable than any wireless medium. Powerline adapter uses the existing wired network for transmitting data, and takes away the vulnerabilities of wireless interference and latency, making it a good choice for gaming.
Your modern electric wiring is capable of delivering high speeds. When a powerline adapter is capable of exploiting the capacity with high throughput, that makes it more consistent and reliable than a Wi-Fi extender.
Since the powerline shares the existing electricity wiring. The electric cabling is vulnerable to electric noise and usage fluctuations. This might cause some loss of speed, thereby lagging when your endpoint is separated by a huge amount of wiring.
The powerline adapter is not as fast as Ethernet, and it will never be. Ethernet is a dedicated transmission medium, that is used to send just the data back and forth between the two devices. This makes it far more reliable and faster than a powerline adapter.
Verdict
I hope that this article has addressed your concerns about powerline adapters that are ideal for gaming. If you’re still unsure of which one to choose, below are my suggestions for some of the most common requirements w.r.t their features:
- If you need multiple Ethernet ports and advanced features to extract top performance for your gaming and streaming needs from your powerline adapter, TP-Link AV2000 is your device.
- Netgear PLW1000 delivers on both wired and wireless fronts. One of the stable performers with WiFi and a reliable wired range.
- Do you need both Wi-Fi and Wired features without costing much? The Tenda AV1000 can fit your requirements.
- If you are looking for the cheapest option for your entry-level speed internet connections, the TrendNet Powerline checks all the boxes.
