Wired Internet Versus Wi-Fi: Why You Should Be Getting Ethernet Cables Installed ASAP

When it comes to internet connectivity, a lot of people prefer Wi-Fi (which contrary to popular belief, does not stand for “wireless fidelity”) since it is more convenient. After all, having home Wi-Fi means you can connect any device to the internet, no matter where you are in your house (so long as the device can actually connect to Wi-Fi), this is useful for people who use laptops, smartphones, or gaming consoles. However, despite Wi-Fi being a good option, cable internet, delivered through Ethernet cables, still has a lot to offer in terms of advantages and features. This type of internet would not be for those who use smart phones and laptops, but instead use desktop computers, or those who like to stream movies through their television. It should be noted that if you want cables installed, you need to call a licensed electrician. It can be a hassle, but due to the complex work involved in installing cables, it is for the best.

Wired internet is faster

Wi-Fi technology is improving, and Wi-Fi connections are getting faster, but despite that, wired internet connections are still the better option when it comes to speed. It is a simple fact that data gets transferred faster via wire as opposed to being transferred via Wi-Fi. There are also latency concerns that exist with Wi-Fi connections that people using Ethernet cables do not have to be concerned about. How do these speed and latency issues actually manifest themselves?

Improving slow internet

Do you constantly complain about how slow your internet is? Do always read about how abysmal the internet speeds are in your area? If so, then ditching the Wi-Fi and switching over to Ethernet cables may help you out. Because of latency issues and speed issues, using Wi-Fi can make slow internet even slower. Given that Australia has pretty bad internet speeds as a whole (this is especially true in cities like Adelaide), this is advice that many Australians will find useful. This is not to say that switching over to Ethernet will magically solve all your internet problems, since if your ISP’s internet infrastructure is not good, then you will always experience some slowness, but Ethernet cables can go a long way to make your internet speeds more tolerable. In the future, when Australia’s internet infrastructure has improved, this probably will not be true, but for the moment, switching over to Ethernet cables is a great decision.

Better streaming and gaming

Probably the area where people using Ethernet cables notice the most improvement is when it comes to streaming of videos and playing video games online. When it comes to playing video games online, it is all about reacting as quickly and precisely as possible. However, due to the latency issues that tend to pop up with Wi-Fi connections (that were mentioned above), people looking to play games online will find that they are generally slower than people using a wired connection. This is true regardless of if you are playing on a computer or a game console. So, if you enjoy playing video games online, and you want to get the best experience possible, try switching over to Ethernet. If you want to see just how bad the latency is with Wi-Fi, you can run a ping test very easily, just open up the command prompt on your computer and type “ping.”

In terms of video streaming, Wi-Fi is not a bad option by any means, and for a lot of casual streaming (like the occasional Netflix binge), Wi-Fi will be more than adequate. However, for streaming of larger, higher quality images and videos, Ethernet will allow you to stream video faster and in better quality. Another thing to consider is that Wi-Fi is more likely to be interrupted or cut out, there is nothing worse than being in the middle of playing a game or watching a movie, only to have the Wi-Fi signal temporarily drop, which results in the game ending and the movie stuttering. A lot of people have issues with their Wi-Fi cutting out for small periods of time, if this issue affects you, then you may want to investigate whether Ethernet cables would solve your issues.

Alright, I’m interested, how do I go about upgrading to Ethernet Cables?

Well first off, you will want to consider whether your current internet setup and entertainment setup can actually support the use of Ethernet cables. Go to your router, and check if it has ports that would allow you to actually plug in Ethernet cables, if not, then you are going to either have to replace your router (which, depending on the age and quality of your router, might not be a bad idea) or give up on the idea of using Ethernet cables. Next, make sure that you have your entertainment system, computer, etc., set up in such a way that they can actually use Ethernet cables, if not, you are going to have to do some rearranging. Consider which rooms you want Ethernet cables in, and consider what rooms you can do without having them in; less cables means less cost, so choose wisely. Also, consider that the cables will have to be run from the router to the various rooms; if you live in a smaller house, this should not be an issue, but if you live in a larger house, actually running the cables from your router to the various rooms can sometimes present an issue.

Once you are sure you want to make the switch to Ethernet cables, give up a call to a local technician, and start seeing how much it is going to cost, how much time it is going to take, etc., to get the Ethernet cables installed. Remember, it is perfectly fine to connect devices to Ethernet cables, but any actual installation that requires running cables under floors, through the roof, or through walls needs to be done by a licenced electric cabler.

Talk to us today about your options for quicker and more reliable internet.