What is better - Powerline Devolo Magic 2 WiFi Starter Kit or TP‑Link WiFi TL‑WPA8631P?

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Where are the main differences between Powerline Devolo Magic 2 WiFi Starter Kit and TP‑Link WiFi TL‑WPA8631P?

If you live in a house or a larger apartment, you are probably familiar with the problem: the range of internet coverage is actually always too short. This is where adapters for the socket help - called Powerline adapters - to increase the area covered by the Internet in your rooms.

Powerline device sets usually come in pairs per set. Some sets may also have three or more units. In addition, most systems can be retrofitted with additional devices.

In this comparison, we want to go into the main differences between a system from Devolo and one from TP‑Link.

What products are we looking at?

Devolo Magic 2 WiFi Starter Kit

The Devolo Magic 2 WiFi transmits the high-speed Internet from your Internet provider via the power supply in your apartment or house to any socket. Thanks to Powerline technology, you can use this router to make speeds of up to 2,400 MBit/s available in the power cable for every room. The range in the power grid is specified by Devolo as 500 meters.

The access point of the Devolo Magic 2 router allows WiFi connections of up to 1,200 Mbit/s, which we were able to confirm in our test setup.

Two gigabit LAN ports are integrated in the powerline adapter and another in the connection adapter. Both allow you to connect three wired devices at the same time.

The set has a loop-through socket in each unit so that the electrical consumers that were previously plugged into the wall sockets can continue to be supplied with electricity after they have been reconnected.

Accessoires of the Devolo starter kit includes two units (a WLAN adapter and a connection adapter) as well as a German quick start guide.

Devolo gives a 3-year guarantee on its product.

TP‑Link WiFi Powerline TL‑WPA8631P

The theoretical data speed for devices connected to the power cable with the TP‑Link router is 1,300 Mbit/s with a range of around 300 meters.

Installation is quick and easy: the units simply plug into mains sockets on the same circuit. After pressing the "Pair" button, all adapters in the same circuit will automatically connect to each other.

Loop-through sockets: The basic set comes with two adapters, each with its own integrated socket. This allows the electrical consumers previously plugged into the wall sockets to be reconnected.

Both units have four Ethernet ports.

The content of the package consists of the adapters themselves, two Ethernet cables, and an English-language quick start guide.

The guarantee period is 3 years.

What are the main differences between Devolo Magic 2 WiFi and TP‑Link WPA8631P?

The TP‑Link kit has the better equipment

The TP‑Link set has four LAN ports, but with the Devolo package you have to make do with three ports.

There are also benefits when expanding the system: each newly purchased expansion adapter has three LAN ports. A single expansion unit from Devolo, on the other hand, only has two.

The Devolo Magic 2 WiFi offers the better features

The Internet signal of the Devolo Magic 2 device reaches almost 200 meters further in the power supply than that of the TP‑Link system, which is an advantage in many and larger rooms into which the signal is to reach.

The device from TP‑Link is currently cheaper

The TP‑Link kit currently costs around 20% less than the Devolo set.

Conclusion: Which is better now - Devolo Magic 2 WiFi or TP‑Link?

The data transmission rate of the Devolo Magic 2 system via the mains is around twice as high as that of the TP‑Link system. The Internet signal also reaches around 60% further than with the WPA8631P, which quickly becomes an advantage in larger apartments.

If the fastest possible Internet is important to you, even in rooms further away from the provider router, you should take a closer look at the Devolo Magic 2 system.

With the TP-Link Kit you get the opportunity to provide four of your wired devices with Internet access at the same time. The speeds in the power cable and via WLAN are sufficient if you do not want to run WiFi 6 compatible clients. The range of the signal over the power grid is also more than sufficient for small to medium-sized apartments.

If you want to connect a larger number of wired computers to the Internet, TP‑Link's device offers more options thanks to its larger number of LAN ports. In addition to the larger number of connection options, the WPA8631P is also around 20% cheaper than the Devolo router.

Benefits of Devolo Magic 2 WiFi

• With the Magic 2 WiFi from Devolo, you can transfer data to and from your clients around twice as fast via Powerline connection as with the TP‑Link device.
• The Internet signal of the Devolo Magic 2 in the power cable reaches around 60% further than that of the TP‑Link system.

Benefits of TP‑Link WPA8631P

• The TP‑Link adapters have a total of four LAN ports. Together, the Devolo units only have three LAN ports.
• Up to three additional wired devices can be connected to each extender purchased at a later date. If you purchase additional units of the Devolo system, you have to make do with one less connection.
• The TP-Link set is currently available for less money than the Devolo set.