Hi all,

I feel like GPT has steered me wrong here, so doing what I should have done first - trust TPLink forums before trusting our AI overlords!

My setup: four Deco E4 units in a 4 bedroom condo with a very un mesh friendly layout. The building has a dedicated utilities closet where the ISP line and circuit board are located. It is basically the worst possible location, surrounded by thick concrete walls. Also worth mentioning: we have a very curious toddler who pulls on anything she can grab, so relocating hardware is difficult.

Performance right now:

In the living room, with the main node in the closet about 10 meters away and a second node about 3 meters from me, I get around 83 Mbps down and 90 Mbps up even with Netflix running.

Walk 8 meters down the hallway through four concrete walls and the speed collapses to around 3 Mbps.

GPT’s idea was: buy a Powerline system, plug in an E4 there, and the node will magically use the Powerline as wired backhaul. So I stayed loyal to TP Link and bought a PA7017 kit.

Good news: the Powerline adapters do work. I confirmed this by plugging my laptop into the bedroom adapter and getting close to 100 Mbps on the speed test. So the electrical circuit is fine.

Bad news: when I connect that same Powerline Ethernet to the Deco E4 in the bedroom, absolutely nothing happens. It refuses to use it. GPT then did the classic GPT thing:

1. Do this, it will work.

2. It fails.

3. Actually this is a known limitation and cannot be done.

Which is why I am here.

So, my questions in order:

1. Can the Deco E4 actually use Ethernet backhaul via Powerline adapters, or is GPT simply wrong?

2. If it can, is there some hidden setting that forces the node to ignore the wireless link and use the cable instead?

3. If it cannot, is there a Deco model that will use wired backhaul over Powerline reliably in a layout like mine? 

4. Forget Powerline for a moment. Is there a more concrete proof node I should replace the bedroom E4 with?

5. Since I cannot return the Powerline kit the shop policy is that it works, therefore no refund, can I hook up an old router to the Powerline in the bedroom and run a separate Wi Fi network there?

6. Worst case scenario. Do I simply accept awful bedroom Wi Fi and use the Powerline only to hard wire the bedroom TV?

Any guidance appreciated. I am just trying to work out whether the limitation is the E4, the Powerline kit, or simply my bunker like apartment layout. 

As a side note, the store said I can't return the Powerline system on the grounds that it is working and has been opened from its packaging - essentially buyer beware and this buyer wasn't wary enough!