Head-to-head · Best Powerline Network Adapters

NETGEAR PLP2000 vs TP-Link TL-PA7017P

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

NETGEAR PLP2000 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.5 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about buyers who want maximum powerline throughput and range and will pay a premium for the fastest, most reliable kit — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Powerline Network Adapters

NETGEAR PLP2000

4.5

2 sources1 derived$110.59as of Aug 1

The NETGEAR PLP2000 is the best powerline adapter overall and Tom's Guide's top pick, thanks to throughput that often more than doubled every competitor in testing plus class-leading range. It pairs AV2000-class speed with two Gigabit ports, a pass-through outlet, and an extra AC socket. Working against it: a high price, only 90 days of support, and no configuration interface.

Strengths

— Highest measured throughput in head-to-head testing
— Superb range — still leads competitors at 100 feet
— Two Gigabit Ethernet ports per adapter

Watch-outs

— Among the most expensive powerline kits available
— Only 90 days of included support
— No app or web interface to monitor or configure

$110.59 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #3 in Best Powerline Network Adapters

TP-Link TL-PA7017P

4.4

3 sources2 derived$59.99as of Aug 1

The TP-Link TL-PA7017P is the best-value powerline kit, named best budget adapter with pass-through sockets by Tech Advisor, which praised it as 'fast, easy, affordable, compact' with passthrough on both adapters. Its AV1000 speed handles HD streaming and general use comfortably for far less than the AV2000 kits. The trade-offs are a single Gigabit port per adapter and no Wi-Fi.

Strengths

— Best budget kit with a pass-through outlet on both adapters
— Compact, unobtrusive design
— Gigabit Ethernet port for full wired-speed connections

Watch-outs

— Only one Ethernet port per adapter
— AV1000 ceiling is slower than AV2000 kits
— No built-in Wi-Fi

$59.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

NETGEAR PLP2000

The performance leader. It matches the AV2000-class speed of the TP-Link AV2000 (TL-PA9020P) but, per Tom's Guide testing, posts higher real-world throughput and better range than any competitor — well ahead of the AV1000 TP-Link TL-PA7017P and TL-WPA7617 and the value-focused TRENDnet TPL-423E2K. The trade is that it's the priciest kit here.

TP-Link TL-PA7017P

The budget value pick. It's far cheaper than the AV2000-class NETGEAR PLP2000 and TP-Link AV2000 (TL-PA9020P) and adds the pass-through outlet the TL-PA9020P lacks, though it's slower (AV1000) with a single port. It shares its base adapter with the Wi-Fi-equipped TP-Link TL-WPA7617, and outperforms the cheaper TRENDnet TPL-423E2K in TP-Link's reliable ecosystem.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	NETGEAR PLP2000	TP-Link TL-PA7017P
Speed Rating	AV2000 (up to 2000 Mbps)	AV1000 (up to 1000 Mbps)
Ethernet Ports	2x Gigabit per adapter	1x Gigabit per adapter
Pass-through Outlet	Yes (+ extra AC outlet)	Yes (both adapters)
Standard	HomePlug AV2 / MIMO	HomePlug AV2
Adapters in Kit	2	2
Setup	Plug-and-play	Plug-and-play
Encryption	128-bit AES	128-bit AES
Warranty	1-year (90-day support)	—
Dimensions	2.8"L x 1.49"W x 5.26"H	3.7"L x 1.7"W x 2.3"H
Wi-Fi	—	No (wired only)
Weight	—	0.52 kg

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