CPL : A simple solution that can solve WiFi issues in old French apartments and houses with thick walls

How CPL Can Solve WiFi Problems in French Apartments With Thick Walls

If you live in a typical French apartment or house with thick stone or concrete walls, you know the struggle: WiFi signals just don’t pass through effectively. Even a high-end MESH WiFi system can sometimes leave dead zones in your home.

We recently experienced this firsthand and found a surprisingly simple solution: CPL (Courant Porteur en Ligne, or Powerline Networking).

What is CPL?

CPL uses your existing electrical wiring to transmit your internet signal. Instead of relying solely on WiFi, the internet travels through the power lines in your walls, which can bypass obstacles like thick walls that block wireless signals. Essentially, every power socket in your home becomes a potential network access point.

Our CPL Setup

In our apartment, we set up a 3-unit CPL network from STRONG (without WiFi built-in), and it completely solved the connectivity issues that a MESH system couldn’t handle. We connected one CPL unit to the router, one CPL unit to a PC via ethernet, and the last CPL unit to a wifi extended that was provided to us as part of our free telecoms internet plan.

• Where we bought it: PC Componentes — they had the best pricing at 69 euros for a 3-unit kit.

• Result: Stable, fast connections in every room, including those behind thick walls.

Bonus Savings with Cashback

We even got cashback thanks to Poulpeo, a cashback platform that gives money back on online purchases. If you sign up for Poulpeo using my referral link, you’ll get a 5 euro bonus on your first cashback-eligible purchase:

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Why CPL Might Be Better Than WiFi for Some Homes

1. Thick walls don’t matter — signal travels through electricity lines.

2. Simple setup — plug in the units, connect, and you’re done.

3. Reliable speeds — less interference compared to wireless-only solutions.

4. Cost-effective — a 3-unit system from STRONG was only 69 euros, cheaper than some MESH kits.