Engadget Says Home Networks Can Use Both Ethernet and Wi-Fi

Engadget says wireless speeds often fall short of what an ISP provides because Wi-Fi has overhead, degrades over distance, struggles through thick obstacles such as metal walls or concrete, and can face interference from microwaves, baby monitors and nearby networks. It adds that older 2.4GHz Wi-Fi is especially vulnerable to interference. Even so, the article says Wi-Fi remains necessary for smart-home devices, cameras, plugs and other products that lack Ethernet ports, as well as for phones, tablets and laptops used for ordinary tasks.

The article says users who simply want to get a device online, especially one that moves around the home, should connect it to Wi-Fi. For broader coverage, it points to mesh Wi-Fi systems as a way to address thick walls that may block a router's signal.

Engadget also outlines wireless standards. It says 2.4GHz reaches farther but is slower and more interference-prone; 5GHz is faster and less prone to interference but does not travel as far; and 6GHz supports faster speeds with the lowest effective range. The article says not all devices work with 6GHz, though compatible devices experience less interference. It says Wi-Fi 5 began rolling out in 2013 and that users still on such a router should consider replacing it. Wi-Fi 6 arrived in 2020-2021 with Wi-Fi 6E; the two are identical except that Wi-Fi 6E supports 6GHz. Wi-Fi 7 uses 6GHz along with other speed and performance improvements. The article says dual-band routers operate at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; tri-band can mean two 5GHz bands on Wi-Fi 6 devices or 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz on Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers. Some high-end routers are quad-band, with two 5GHz bands and 6GHz. It says a second 5GHz band gives mesh nodes a dedicated line and reduces congestion. It notes that the PS5 Pro is the only PS5 model compatible with 6GHz Wi-Fi.

For maximum performance, Engadget says Ethernet avoids most Wi-Fi problems because it is a direct connection that does not suffer from over-the-air interference, producing lower latency and speeds closer to what comes into the home from an ISP. It says Ethernet is full-duplex, able to send and receive information at the same time, while Wi-Fi is half-duplex and can only send or receive data at a given moment. The article says desktop or laptop users doing network-heavy work will appreciate Ethernet for more stable video calls, faster cloud-storage syncing and quicker downloads.

Editor's Summary

Engadget advises households to combine Ethernet and Wi-Fi rather than treat them as alternatives, using wireless connections for convenience and wired links for speed and reliability. It says Wi-Fi remains suitable for most mobile and smart-home devices, while Ethernet is better for bandwidth-heavy work. The article also outlines Wi-Fi band and generation differences and notes that not all devices support 6GHz.