Technical reliability audits for the TPL-406E indicate a hardware architecture based on the Qualcomm Atheros AR7420 reference design. This legacy device utilizes the HomePlug AV standard and features a "Fast Ethernet" physical port, which establishes a hard hardware bottleneck of 100 Mbps.
Operational monitoring identifies potential capacitor degradation over extended service life due to thermal cycling within the ultra-compact chassis. The device operates at a low power draw of 2.2 Watts but lacks integrated EMI filtering, increasing susceptibility to interference from LED bulb transformers and other local electrical noise sources.
Performance metrics show that the "500 Mbps" specification refers to theoretical PHY rates, while actual data throughput is constrained by the 10/100 Mbps physical interface. The unit is compatible with standardized HomePlug AV pairing protocols across different manufacturers.
To overcome the 100 Mbps physical port limitation and improve noise immunity, the TP-Link AV1000 provides a full Gigabit interface and superior signal processing.
Comparative technical data for legacy and modern units is available in the powerline adapters classification.
