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Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet networking which is best? | Dave’s Computers NJ

Wi Fi vs. Ethernet which is best 300x188 - Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet networking which is best? | Dave’s Computers NJ

There is no doubt that we are gradually becoming more plugged into the internet. The rise of mobile ownership, tablets and the emergence of the Internet of Things has meant most homes now have a wireless network and multiple devices connecting to it. If you want to build a network for your home, which is best, Wi-Fi or Ethernet?

The team at Dave’s Computers has a mixture of both. I have both a wired network and a wireless one and use both for different things. Some devices cannot connect to a wired network. My cellphone doesn’t have an Ethernet port so can only connect through wireless. On the flip side, a PC has no need for wireless if it has a network card.

Benefits of Wi-Fi networking

The single biggest benefit of Wireless or Wi-Fi networking is also the most obvious. It is wireless. That means no running Cat5 or Cat6 around the house, no digging cable through the wall or floor or having to repair plaster as you drill through ceilings or floors. Having no wires is a significant advantage in most situations and it is the primary reason Wi-Fi is so popular.

Other benefits include flexibility in who and where you can connect. If you want to connect to Ethernet (wired networks), you need to be close to an Ethernet port and have the cable to connect to it. With wireless, you can be anywhere within range of the network and need no cable. Friends can quickly connect without having to plug in, which depending on how sociable you are, is a big advantage.

Wi-Fi is now faster and more reliable than ever before too. At one time, wireless networks would drop, slow down, not connect and had all manner of issues. Now with better routers and endpoint devices, wireless is now fairly reliable and enables fast internet connections across a property.

The downsides of W-Fi networking

As always, there are downsides to every technology we use. The main downsides of Wi-Fi are that it is slower than wired networking, less secure and still less reliable. A newer Ethernet router is cable of Gigabit speeds whereas a wireless network will often be limited to 350Mbps or less. If you are close to the router, you may get more but average connection speeds are much slower for wireless.

Security is a big issue with wireless networking. Usernames, network names and passwords are transmitted across the air and can be intercepted easily by someone that knows how. Unless you use a secure, encrypted connection, your data and your network is vulnerable.

Reliability is down to the router and your property. Wireless signals use radio and radio waves do have difficulty penetrating thick walls or complex appliances such as A/C units or boilers. Wireless also has a habit of dropping out, clashing with other networks in the area and is susceptible to interference.

Benefits of Ethernet networking

The main benefits of wired networking are speed, reliability and security. There has to be good reasons to go to all the trouble of cabling a property and these three reasons are just that. A wired network is much, much faster than wireless if connected to a relatively new router.

A router can work up to 1Gbps internally and if you’re lucky to live in a Google Fiber area, 1Gbps externally too. Considering the average sustainable wireless speed, that is many times faster. It is a sustainable speed too as long as there aren’t too many computers on the network. To put that speed into perspective, the average 50Mbps wireless connection will require around 15 minutes to download a movie. A 1Gbps connection can achieve that in less than 30 seconds if the source is fast enough.

Reliability. A wired network is not susceptible to interference, doesn’t care how thick the walls are or what A/C unit you run. It also doesn’t drop out when it feels like it. IPv4 is exceptionally reliable and with more routers playing nicely with IPv6, there is no reason for lost packets or dropped connections. There is also much less latency involved with Ethernet which is a big benefit to gamers or those who stream movies.

Security. The only way someone can compromise your network security is if they physically access your network or compromise a computer connected to it. It is far more difficult to hack a wired network than a wireless one.

Downsides of Ethernet networking

The main downside of Ethernet networking is the expense and hassle of cabling. If the property isn’t already cabled, there is a lot of work involved to cable every room. Apartments are usually fine as you can run a Cat5 or Cat6 cable from one room to another without drilling or plastering.

If you want to run the cables invisibly, the work increases exponentially. Trunking works if you don’t want to drill holes in the property but doesn’t look very attractive. Otherwise, you will be lifting carpet or pulling skirting to hide the cables from view.

So which is best?

Well the title did say ‘Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet which is best?’ The answer to that depends on how you use your network. If you’re all about convenience and flexibility but not so worried about speed, wireless wins. It can be set up in less than an hour and allows anyone to connect from (mostly) anywhere in your property.

If you are more concerned with speed, reliability and security, ethernet wins hands down. It is a hassle to set up but once done, remains in place until you need to move. It is harder to hack, many times faster, has less latency and is very reliable.

Of the two, I would always suggest Ethernet wherever possible. Yes it is a pain to cable a property, but once done, it is done. Then you get gigabit speeds within the property and maximum internet speed too. With a good quality router with built-in firewall, secure passwords and software firewalls on each computer that connects, you have a secure home network that should offer everything you need it to with the minimum of fuss. Plus, if your router has wireless capability, you can have the best of both worlds!

If you need help configuring a network or setting it up, contact Dave’s Computers in Hillsborough, New Jersey. We would be happy to help!

The beginners guide to setting up a home network

The beginners guide to setting up a home network - The beginners guide to setting up a home networkLittle happens in tech that doesn’t require an internet connection to make it happen. Whether you’re investing in a smart home, buying into Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or just want multiple devices to have access to the internet. You need a home network to make it happen.

While easier than ever before, there is still something of a learning curve to creating and configuring a home network. I hope this guide will east that curve somewhat.

What you need to make a home net work

So what do you need to get a home network up and running? Two things, an internet connection and a wireless router. You will also need Ethernet cable (Cat 5 or 6) to connect the router to the modem but that’s it. Some ISPs provide a half decent wireless router/modem combo which makes life easier. To begin with anyway.

While you certainly don’t have to buy an extra router if your ISP provides one, you should if you can afford it. ISP routers are basic, don’t always have a good Wi-Fi signal and offer few configuration options. If you’re brand new to networking, this is a good place to start, otherwise, invest in a good router.

Check out this page and this page for router reviews.

Setting up your home network

A basic network requires a physical connection at least up to the Wi-Fi router in order to work. So in order, your ISP router or modem should connect to the wall outlet the ISP provided. From there, use an Ethernet cable to connect the ISP device to your own router. Use another Ethernet cable to connect a computer to an Ethernet port on your own router.

Plug everything into the mains and let it all boot, including the computer. Even if later you want to connect that computer via Wi-Fi, you will first need a cable connection to set it up. You can go wireless after that.

Log into your router (from now on, any mention of your router will be the one you bought, not the one provided by your ISP). Usually this is through your web browser. Type ‘http://192.168.1.1’ into the browser unless the user manual says something else. The username and password will usually be ‘admin’ and ‘admin’. Again, your manual may say different.

If you see a web screen of the router, you’re golden. If you don’t you may need to check your network settings.

  1. Right click the Windows Start button and select Network Connections.
  2. Right click your Ethernet connection and select Properties.
  3. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 and click the Properties button just underneath.
  4. Make sure Obtain IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically are selected. Change them if you need to.
  5. Click OK and Close.

You should now be able to access your router login screen as above.

Router configuration

Routers are now more clever than ever and do much of the hard work for you. Many of the default settings are good enough to get you started. However, you will need to do each of the following.

  1. Change the default username and password of the router.
  2. Change the SSID (the broadcast network name of your Wi-Fi). Change it to something meaningful but that doesn’t identify you or your family.
  3. Make sure security is on. Most routers default to WPA2-PSK, which is good. Leave it alone if that is enabled. Change the key, which is the password you enter to join the Wi-Fi network. Then make a note of it as you will need it to log in.
  4. Make sure the router firewall is activated if your router has one.
  5. If you can scan for busy Wi-Fi channels, do so. Then choose a channel with the least traffic from your neighbors. Not all routers can do this but it will give you a faster, more reliable signal if you can do it.

Once you have done all those things, try connecting a computer via Wi-Fi. Scan for available networks on the computer and look for the SSID you set in step 2. Click connect, enter the key from step 3 and connect. After a few seconds, your computer should be able to surf the net.

Changing the default router username and password increases your security hugely. Check out this page for ideas on generating secure passwords. The more secure you can make it while keeping it memorable, the better. Hackers know most of the default logins and passwords for most ISP routers so even if yours isn’t ‘admin’ ‘admin’ hackers will likely know what it is. Changing it is your first order of business.

The same for the SSID. This is the name that is broadcast to allow you to connect to the right network. Changing the name is useful. Making sure it doesn’t identify you or your family is essential. It’s no good calling your SSID ‘TheSmithsNetwork’ as any hacker could use social engineering to get in.

The Network password is the final ‘must do’ on the list. Like the default router login, the Network Key or password is the only thing a hacker needs to be able to access your network. Change it immediately and to something complicated. See the link above for ideas on generating passwords.

For a more detailed guide to setting up a home network, try this.

Not too long ago, setting up a network involved quite a lot of work. Manufacturers quickly got the idea that most home users didn’t have the knowledge or desire to spend hours setting up a network. So the router manufacturers built in the defaults that would work in the majority of cases.

This allows you to get things up and running in the shortest possible time. You can always tinker when you have more time and knowledge. You can easily return your router to factory defaults should anything drastic go wrong. It is usually a push button on the rear in case you need to know.