Why is Wired Ethernet Better than Wi-Fi?

Today, almost all electronic devices, from simple mobile phones to 70 inch TVs, can connect to Wi-Fi. When setting up a new device, most people will pull up the Wi-Fi menu and connect Wi-Fi. While this is usually the obvious choice, it is not always the best choice. For small electronic products, such as mobile phones, tablets, etc., they can only connect to wireless networks. But for larger electronics, using wired Ethernet can offer more advantages than Wi-Fi.

What Weakens Wi-Fi Signals?

Wi-Fi is one of the most common wireless network technologies, because it is very convenient. At first, wireless technology was used almost exclusively in pagers. After decades of development, almost all electronic devices now have wireless technology. Not limited by the fiber optic patch cable distance is the main factor for many devices equipped with wireless technology, but this does not mean that the potential of Wi-Fi is unlimited. 

All Wi-Fi signals must be generated by some kind of machine, such as a modem / router or wireless access point. As users move further away from the signal source, these signals become weaker and weaker. In addition, obstacles between the user and the signal source can weaken the signal. Lighter materials, such as glass and wood, hardly block Wi-Fi signals. And denser materials, such as brick and concrete, are hard to be penetrated by Wi-Fi signals. Even people can block Wi-Fi signals in crowded areas because the dense water can moderately destroy Wi-Fi signals, and there is a lot of water in the human body.

Advantages of Wired Ethernet

Ethernet multimode fiber patch cables are made of fibers, called conductors. Conductors transmit electrical energy between devices, as well as data. These data are composed of binary code and can be recognized by computers or other devices. These devices can then translate the code into web browsers, photos, videos, games, and other applications. Although Wi-Fi follows a similar principle, some of the code may be interrupted when the Wi-Fi signal is weak. Wired Ethernet can provide stronger and more direct connection to avoid this problem.

Different types of Ethernet outdoor fiber patch cables can support different Internet speeds. The maximum speed available will also depend on what your modem / router is capable of supporting as well as what kind of maximum speed your ISP's plan supports. Although the standard Ethernet fiber optic patch cord that comes with most devices is CAT5e, most people can get faster network speed by upgrading the fiber optic cable patch cord to CAT6 (10 times faster than CAT5e). There are other types of Ethernet armored fiber patch cables that are better than CAT6, but if your device doesn't support them, you don't have to use them.

What Kind of Ethernet Should You Use?

Ethernet duplex patch cords should be selected according to the uses. For home use, CAT5e lc sc patch cables should be adequate for basic tasks such as checking social media or online shopping. Frequent activities consume more data, such as video streaming and online games, and often require CAT6 or better st sc fiber patch cables. In the business world, it might be a good idea to upgrade the lc lc single mode fiber cable directly to CAT6 or better. The speed of Ethernet also depends on the number of people using it. If many people use the network at the same time, the network speed will become slower.