What’s the Difference Between Wi-Fi and Ethernet? What I Found When I Tested Them at Home
Let’s be honest: Before joining CNET, all I cared about was whether my Wi-Fi signal was strong. When I joined the Broadband team and started writing about home internet every day, I realized I had thrown away the term Wifi People around don’t really understand it. What exactly is Wi-Fi? Is it better than those ugly ethernet cables?
The answer is subjective and depends on your specific broadband needs and setup. knowing What internet speed do you need The speeds you actually get are crucial to creating an optimized home internet network and finding the right one best internet provider For your family.
So after more than nine months of covering broadband for CNET, I finally decided to test Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections at home myself. This is what I learned.
Read more: Home Wi-Fi issues? Here are four simple steps to boost Wi-Fi performance
My home internet experiment
First, let’s clarify something: Wi-Fi is a wireless way to connect to the Internet. Whether you’re cooking in the kitchen or sitting on the couch, Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to connect your devices to the internet without having to plug them into your device. modem or router. Ethernet is the opposite. It’s a wired connection that requires a coaxial or fiber optic cable to be plugged directly into your router, which can be inconvenient but usually results in a more reliable and faster internet connection.
use Ookla speed test, CNET’s Best Speed ​​TestsI conducted my own tests comparing the internet speeds of Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections to see which was faster. (Ookla and CNET are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.) You might be surprised by the difference; I certainly was.
Over Wi-Fi, I received download speeds of approximately 126 megabits per second. With Ethernet, my download speeds immediately shot up to 395Mbps—just 5Mbps off what I was actually paying per month.
I never noticed much lag when streaming over Wi-Fi, but using an Ethernet cable made a noticeable difference in streaming and gaming. Movies, shows, and live TV load faster Hulu, HBO Max and Netflix. To maximize response time, I decided to plug an ethernet cable into my Playstation 5 indefinitely.
Then I wondered, why is Ethernet faster than my Wi-Fi connection?
This is what it looks like when you connect your device to your router using Wi-Fi.
What is Wi-Fi?
Let’s explore some of the technical details of Wi-Fi. 1997, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Developed, released and patented the first version of Wi-Fi. Since the release of this version, Wireless Network Alliance (now owns the Wi-Fi trademark) developed evolved versions of Wi-Fi—including the current generation, wireless network 7 – Provides stronger, faster connections.
Most routers come with Wi-Fi 6 or 6E, and although the connection may be stronger the closer you are to the router, you should be able to access the internet no matter where you are in your home.
Although you may pay a monthly fee, certain areas of your house may create Wi-Fi “dead spots” with laggy speeds. My CNET colleague Trisha Jandoc discovered this experimentally Increase her gigabit speed at home. Dead zones are often unavoidable with Wi-Fi because the frequency band can’t reach every room in the home without some kind of suppression.
It might help to buy one Wi-Fi extender Broadcasts the signal to every room, reducing dead zones and providing a more reliable internet connection throughout the house. this TP-Link RE605X It was voted the best Wi-Fi extender by CNET due to its affordability, support for Wi-Fi 6 speeds, and easy-to-use features.
Ethernet cable connected to router.
What is Ethernet?
Before there was Wi-Fi, there was Ethernet. Ethernet is the primary way to connect devices together and to the internet via a cable that plugs directly into your router.
A wired connection means you have to be close to your devices if you want to get online, but it’s possible to wire your house using Ethernet cables, similar to cable routing, although the process can be expensive.
What is the future of Ethernet?
This diagram shows that artificial intelligence has the potential to increase Ethernet speeds to 800Gbps and beyond.
In the past ten years, A lot has changed in Ethernetand even more so with the increase in artificial intelligence.
According to the Ethereum AllianceDue to the rise and demand of artificial intelligence, Ethernet connection speeds are constantly evolving and are expected to increase to 800 gigabits or (8,000 megabits per second) and beyond. As it becomes easier to incorporate Ethernet cables into your work or gaming setup, customers naturally want to make sure they’re getting the fastest speeds in a space that consumes more bandwidth than others.
Compare Wi-Fi and Ethernet
Wi-Fi and Ethernet each have their pros and cons, depending on your personal needs. Here’s what you need to know.
Wifi
advantage
- convenient
- Mobility
- Affordability
shortcoming
- congestion
- Limited scope
- security risk
Ethernet
advantage
- reliability
- faster
- Secure connection
shortcoming
- Reduced mobility
- Limited number of connected devices
- cost
Which one is cheaper?
Wi-Fi and Ethernet seem to cost similarly—because you’re paying for the service, not the device. Internet connection method — But Wi-Fi is actually much cheaper Than Ethernet. This largely depends on the cost of installation and the complexity of setting up a wired Ethernet connection for your home or office. For example, installing an Ethernet setup often requires specific Ethernet port, cost between $100 and $200. On the other hand, Wi-Fi installation costs average $45 to $100. Additionally, Wi-Fi can handle many more devices than a regular Ethernet cable. To make it worthwhile, you’ll have to install switches or Ethernet jacks around the house to connect multiple devices to the internet.
Which one is faster?
The main advantage of Ethernet is speed. Since your device is connected directly to the router (versus connecting wirelessly via Wi-Fi), you can expect faster bandwidthwhich is the amount of data you can transfer over your Internet connection. According to WOW Internetalthough Wi-Fi 6 technology Speeds up to 9,600Mbps can be supported, with average speeds typically around 1,600Mbps, while Ethernet connections can deliver speeds up to 10,000Mbps. Those speeds do look promising, but in reality, your home may not need it at all. Openvault Q1 2024 The report highlights that the average American household uses 567Mbps downstream speeds and 31Mbps upstream speeds. Gigabit speeds (1,000Mbps) should be enough for your home. Additionally, if you’re looking to achieve multi-gigabit speeds using the latest Wi-Fi technology, you should Make sure your router is compatible First.
Ethernet also has more stable speeds because wired signals don’t fluctuate as easily as wireless signals. You also don’t have to worry about latency issues or connection delays that sometimes occur due to local network congestion. since Lower latency improves online gamingEthernet provides a smoother experience for online gamers.
Which one is safer?
One of the advantages of Ethernet over Wi-Fi: the connection is more secure and reliable. Hackers can more easily intercept data transmitted over Wi-Fibut if they want to attack you over Ethernet, they need to be physically connected to the router.
Which one is better overall?
We recommend using Wi-Fi as it is convenient and works anywhere. It is impractical to use an Ethernet connection all the time. With Wi-Fi, you can access the internet from anywhere in your home without having to plug into a router. Ethernet limits your mobility and is impractical if you have multiple people connecting multiple devices.
Testing my internet speed using an Ethernet cable really helped me pinpoint the root cause of my slow connection. Based on the huge difference between the Wi-Fi and Ethernet speed tests, I determined that it was my Wi-Fi connection that was causing the slow service, rather than my ISP throttling my speeds. By plugging an Ethernet cable into my PlayStation 5, I can use faster speeds and lower latency for an optimized gaming experience.
I haven’t done anything to boost my Wi-Fi signal yet, but I might move the router to a more central area of ​​the apartment or use an extender to help me maintain consistent speeds. My former colleague Ray Crist investigated More ways to speed up Wi-Fiyou can bet I’ll take his advice.
What’s the bottom line?
When it comes to home broadband, both Wi-Fi and Ethernet have their advantages. Wi-Fi offers mobility and convenience, meaning you can access the internet from anywhere in your home, while Ethernet offers a faster, more secure connection.
Most of us are better off with Wi-Fi because our homes and apartments are filled with smart devices. Ethernet is a great tool for improving responsiveness, especially for gamers looking to reduce lag in online gaming.
Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet FAQs
Can I use Wi-Fi and Ethernet at the same time?
Many homes use Ethernet cables to connect certain devices, such as game consoles or TVs, that are installed in one place and require a fast connection. For mobile devices, Wi-Fi is a better choice – this way, you can take your phone or tablet anywhere without having to plug it in.
What are the different types of Ethernet cables?
Ethernet cables can be coaxial cables, twisted pair cables, or fiber optic cables. There are seven different types of Ethernet cables on the market: CAT5, CAT5E, CAT6, CAT6A, CAT7, CAT7A, and CAT8. Each has different uses, costs, and coverage distances, so do your research before purchasing one for your home.
How to establish an Ethernet connection?
Setting up an Ethernet connection is a very simple process. Most cables require you to plug one end into your router and the other end into your device. Once you change the adapter settings to an Ethernet connection, you will be able to access the internet.
Which is faster, Ethernet or Wi-Fi?
Ethernet offers faster speeds than Wi-Fi because your devices will connect directly to the router. Wi-Fi is still the more convenient option because you can use it anywhere in your home.
