TP-Link TL-PA551KIT AV550+ Gigabit Powerline Review

A Closer Look

Looking at the plugs, the first thing that is apparent is their rather bulky size, however this is down to the AC pas through feature which allows the plug effectively to still be used for other electrical items, whilst this sits in the middle giving network connectivity at the same time.

Lower down on the front are three LEDs indicating power, LAN activity and power line status / strength. When the Ethernet connection is disconnected (when a device is turned off for example) the plugs go into a idle state and this is indicated by a slow pulsing power LED.

On the lower edge of each plug is a Gigabit Ethernet port and to the side a pair button to establish the connection in a powerline setup. Whilst the plug offer up a Gigabit connection, the link speed between the plugs is [up to] 500Mbps and it should be noted that the speed experienced may be lower depending on the location of use as we will see later on.