The ability to just click a button and connect to WiFi on almost any modern device is hard to pass up. On the other hand, ethernet is still around after years of WiFi so surely it has its advantages. The truth is that both options have ups and downs. Your priorities as a user will be the ultimate deciding factor for determining which is better.

Wired Connections - Ethernet

Ethernet is older and better tested than WiFi, maintaining a number of benefits. Physical connections are faster and provide greater reliability, control, and security.

  • A signal with a cable to guide it will always be faster than the wireless equivalent, making tasks like file sharing quicker.
  • Ethernet signals are much less prone to becoming unstable and/or dropping.
  • It is easier to control who is connected to a network, ensuring a network will not be bogged down by too many users.
  • Wired networks cannot be seen by anyone with a wireless device, making hacking much harder.

Being older may make ethernet more of a tamed animal, but its age does show with a few disadvantages.

  • All machines must be physically connected to the same wired network to communicate.
  • Connections will be limited by the length of the cables being used.
  • Cables tangle and can be tricky to manage.
  • Some devices (cell phones, tablets, etc.) do not have ethernet ports as an
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