Josh | Social Media & Content Lead
To wire? Or not to wire? With apologies to Shakespeare, that is the question. As we become increasingly dependent on a fast, reliable internet connection at home to work, watch and play, the way we set up our broadband becomes more important than ever.
Should we plug directly into the router with a cable for consistency and security? Or opt for the greater flexibility and convenience of Wi-Fi? Or combine them for the best of both worlds? This handy guide will help you decide.
Wi-Fi (Wireless broadband) uses radio waves which let us connect to the internet from pretty much anywhere in the home. So you can watch Corrie in the kitchen, zap baddies in the bedroom and do status meetings on the stairs. Basically, Wi-Fi is a great way to use as many devices as you like, anywhere you like. And it’s the only type of connection many people use. It’s big benefits:
Flexible 🧘♀️
Get internet access in every corner of your home without the bother of cables. Even those hard to reach places, if you have our eero router with TrueMesh technology
Mobile 📱
Mobile devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones rely on the freedom that only Wi-Fi can give them, to roam around your home while staying connected
Compatible 🏠
These days, all smartphones, tablets and smart home devices (like Nest) need a Wi-Fi internet connection.
Accessible
By sharing the password, visitors can easily connect to your Wi-Fi without needing to plug into the router. Handy for shared spaces or when you’ve invited mates over to snag festival tickets. (We recommend creating guest networks instead of sharing, see why here)
This is all good stuff but Wi-Fi signal does sometimes drop out. And that’s because it’s affected by all kinds of things. The microwave, solid brick walls, a fish tank (seriously). But remember those colourful cables you chucked in your random techy-bits drawer? They could be your secret weapon in the battle for a better connection.
A wired broadband connection simply means plugging your devices directly to the router with a cable (usually an Ethernet cable). It provides a more secure link to the network and typically offers a faster, smoother, more reliable connection than Wi-Fi. It’s big benefits:
Faster 🚄
If you’re online gaming, streaming 4K videos, downloading large files or making multi-person video calls, a wired connection is the best guarantee of a consistently fast speed
Smoother 📏
It also provides a smoother, more responsive online experience. Thanks to a thing called lag (latency), the time it takes data to move from one place to another).
Stronger 💪
Wi-Fi can sometimes b..b..uffer or drop out completely. Plug it in for a much more stable, consistent experience without fluctuations or signal interference.
Safer 🦺
Because it relies on physical access to the network, a wired connection is much less vulnerable to remote hacking.
Of course, the downside of cables is that it’s not practical to plug in everything, everywhere. Not only could it be a trip hazard, your home will look like you’re running an international hacking scam. And nobody needs MI5 knocking at the door.
Many people choose a hybrid setup to get the best of both worlds. Devices that don’t need to roam around, like desktop computers or gaming consoles, are plugged in for better performance. And mobile devices are free to wander on Wi-Fi. As a rule of thumb:
If you need a high speed, reliable, responsive connection for stuff like gaming or streaming, plugging into the router is your best bet
For convenience and a bit more freedom, Wi-Fi lets you connect to as many devices as you like, easy as you like.
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