NETWORK PERFORMANCE RESULTS
LOCATION 1
SOFA 2M FROM ROUTER IN SAME ROOM
0 400 800 1,200
Ethernet^816
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6) 473
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi)^418
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline)^157
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^108
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5)^216
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5)^65
UPLOAD SPEED Mb/SEC
0 400 800 1,200
Ethernet^907
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6) 324
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi) 285
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5)^229
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^140
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline) 138
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5)^65
UPLOAD SPEED Mb/SEC
Average Max
0 120 240 360
Ethernet^1115
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi) 1215
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6)^1315
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline)^1821
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5) 20 53
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5)^3671
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6) 20 92
PING MS
Lower is better
0 400 800 1,200
Ethernet 812
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi)^213
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6)^165
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline) 112
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6) 22
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5)^13
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5) 5
UPLOAD SPEED Mb/SEC
0 400 800 1,200
Ethernet 907
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6)^192
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^179
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi) 137
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline)^104
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5)^21
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5) 0.5
UPLOAD SPEED Mb/SEC
Average Max
0 240 480 720
Ethernet 1511
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline)^1618
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi) 2516
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6)^21125
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^23151
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5) 45 460
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5)^70634
PING MS
Lower is better
0 400 800 1,200
Ethernet 812
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi)^153
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6)^136
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline)^31
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^6
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5) 0
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5)^0
UPLOAD SPEED Mb/SEC
0 400 800 1,200
Ethernet 907
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6)^134
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^115
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi) 46
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline) 9.2
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5)^0
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5) 0
UPLOAD SPEED Mb/SEC
Average Max
0 120 240 360
Ethernet^1115
Asus ZenWiFi XD6 (Mesh Wi-Fi)^1535
Devolo dlan 650 triple+ (powerline)^1722
Asus RT-AX68U (5GHz Wi-Fi 6) 19 127
Asus RT-AX68U (2.4GHz WiFi 6)^59311
Plusnet Hub One (5GHz WiFi 5) NA
Plusnet Hub One (2.4GHz WiFi 5) NA
PING MS
Lower is better
UPSTAIRS BEDROOM, 5M DIAGONAL FROM ROUTER
LOCATION 2
OUTSIDE GARDEN, 15M FROM ROUTER
LOCATION 3
There are several routes to obtaining this
type of network. You can simply add disparate
Wi-Fi access points to whatever wired
network you’ve already set up, or there are
more integrated systems.
For instance, Linksys’ Velop mesh
networking nodes support wired backhaul, so
you can have two or three nodes connected
wirelessly to provide Wi-Fi coverage for your
house, then add another one at the end of
an Ethernet cable running to the garage or
summerhouse, and the whole lot will just
appear as one seamless Wi-Fi signal.
Another popular option is a dedicated wired
backhaul and Wi-Fi access point system, as
used in some professional environments.
Companies such as Ubiquiti sell a whole
system of scalable network products that
allow you to cable up your home and then add
compact access points – which can use power
over Ethernet, so you only need to plug them
into to the network, with no other connections
needed – again, the whole Wi-Fi signal will
appear as a seamless network.
Alternatively, you can take the powerline
route, with the likes of the Devolo Mesh Wi-Fi
2 packing Wi-Fi access points in its powerline
adaptors, again creating a seamless network
out of the lot.
There are also alternatives to powerline
when it comes to using existing cabling, with
a popular option being Ethernet over coax.
This uses existing TV coax cable to transmit
a signal, which due to the nature of coax
cable being shielded – unlike mains power
- means it can achieve much higher speeds
without interference from turning on mains-
powered devices.
However, it’s much less common to have
coax in every room of a house, so its uses
are limited.
Whichever option you choose, we hope this
article has provided you with some insight into
what can and can’t be achieved with some of
the key home networking technologies that
are available.
For many homes, a modest mesh Wi-Fi
system is likely to be the best option but hard-
wired options such as Ethernet and powerline
will get you a more reliable connection with
lower pings at long ranges.