Benefits of the Ethernet Cable: Why You Should Be Plugging In

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We love Wi-Fi for its convenience. We can now access the Internet from virtually anywhere. In fact, the city of Tel Aviv has its own Wi-Fi network that can be accessed anytime by anyone from anywhere in the city. It’s as if we carry the Internet wherever we go.

But Wi-Fi has its downsides. Everyone has experienced the agony of watching a web page load bit by bit, line by line, for what seems like an eternity. We have all felt the frustration of losing our connection right as something big is about to happen on our favorite Netflix show. But that’s Wi-Fi; it’s unreliable.

What a lot of web users don’t realize, though, is that you can get a faster, more reliable connection just by plugging in with a standard Cat6 Ethernet cable.

Benefits of Ethernet Cables

  1. Speed

    2. The maximum speed of a Wi-Fi connection is 866.7 Mb/s. This is actually pretty fast, but wired Ethernet connections with Cat6 cables can offer up to 10 Gb/s.

  2. Latency

    3. Latency is the delay that occurs when signals travel back and forth from your wireless device to your router. Latency is much lower when using an Ethernet cable, and you will get more of a delay on Wi-Fi.

  3. Interference

    4. An Ethernet cable connection is extremely reliable. Once you are properly set up, it is unlikely you will experience any issues. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is susceptible to interference, which leads to signal loss. More can get in the way of a wireless signal such as neighbors’ networks, other wireless devices, even microwave ovens. A wired connection will not have this problem.

  4. Security

    5. Wi-Fi is not entirely secure, so it is vulnerable to hacking. Even with the most secure system, someone could find a way to connect to your Wi-Fi network. If you use a wired network, however, a person can only connect by physically plugging their device into your router.

  5. Energy-efficient

    6. Connections through Cat6 cables consume less energy than Wi-Fi connections, thus lowering your energy bill and benefiting the environment.

  • What is a Cat6 Cable? Cat6 is short for Category 6. It is the network cabling that is used as the infrastructure for Ethernet networks. The Cat6 cables provide performance of up to 250 MHz, and can be as long as 100 meters, allowing the user more mobility than shorter cables.
  • What is the difference between Cat6 and Cat5 cables? The difference is in the maximum frequency. Both cables are used for networks and multi-line phone systems. Cat6 cables have a maximum frequency of 250 MHz whereas Cat5e cables have a frequency of up to only 100 MHz. There is also the Cat6a, a network Ethernet cable that has a maximum frequency of 500 MHz.

    • Don’t let your temperamental wireless connection give you any more grief. Why stick to Wi-Fi when you could experience the Internet better by just plugging in?

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