We often take for granted the everyday necessity called WiFi. But do you ever remember what we had to go through before that? Before we had the insane idea of having “internet through the air”, we all had to use ethernet cable.
While WiFi is great and all, there are still a lot of aspects it lacks when compared to good ol’ ethernet.
Updated on 4 November 2024
Ethernet vs WiFi
WiFi is great! It allows us to use the internet freely while moving around without any restrictions. You can even connect an unlimited number of devices if you’d like.
So why use ethernet cable? There are always times when WiFi won’t be enough. It can’t push through thick walls and objects made out of metal can easily interfere with the connection. In addition, it’s very prone to signal drops. Gamers who love to play online games will definitely agree with me on this. And the last thing you are probably already aware of is that connection speed on WiFi will always be slower compared to when you always use ethernet cable.
Why use ethernet cable?
If you’re not doing many activities online, then you probably don’t need to always use ethernet cable. Casually searching for stuff through Google, or quickly browsing a YouTube video or two shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Yes, it will still have its occasional drawbacks, but it definitely won’t be a huge problem.
However, if you’re one that loves to have 4K streaming, then I’d say it is definitely a must to always use ethernet cable. The same goes for people that download large files online. Usually, downloading large files takes a long time on WiFi and your connection eventually drops. And like I said earlier, gamers should definitely hook up their PC’s to with a wire in order to avoid unwanted connection drops.
But the most important aspect of why an ethernet cable is better is because unlike WiFi, it doesn’t bring down the connection for everyone else. Have you ever tried streaming a movie and having your siblings complain about how slow the WiFi is getting? That’s because a wireless connection has its limits on device connectivity. So, you should definitely consider hooking up an ethernet cable to any stationary device. You should put it on your PC and use your phone or laptop with WiFi.
What about 5G instead of use ethernet cable?
First of all, while 5G is said to be released everywhere very soon, it’s still quite sparse at the moment. It’s only available in a few certain areas and nobody still knows when it’ll be released to the rest of the population.
Let’s Wrap Up
While I admit, it’s easier said than done to connect all your devices to an ethernet cable. After all, nowadays, almost all devices don’t give you the option to manually connect them anymore. Usually, people don’t even bother because they can deal with the times when the WiFi drops.
However, when it comes to ethernet vs WiFi, I would always highly recommend using an ethernet cable. You can always simply connect a cable on your devices that you don’t move a lot. Let’s say your desktop, Apple TV, or Kodi.
