Ethernet might offer better speeds and lower latency, but WiFi is synonymous with portability and convenience. The option you decide to go for when connecting the various devices around your home will largely depend on your individual needs.
Reasons to Use an Ethernet Connection
If you want less ping when you’re gaming, then ethernet is the way to go. Ping, or latency, is the amount of time it takes for you to send a command and for the game to respond. A lot of consoles come with an ethernet port, and they’re rarely moved, which makes them suited for hard-wiring.
If you have a desktop PC, then using an ethernet connection is also a viable option. If you’re just using your PC to listen to music or browse the web, latency won’t matter much, so the decision to hard-wire would be personal preference.
If you like to play or stream video, then you would probably need to look at the types of games you play and the quality of the video you like to stream. 4K content may need an ethernet connection to support stable video quality.
In terms of gaming, intensive titles would benefit from an ethernet connection. Games such as slots or even online chess and solitaire will most likely be fine to play as long as you have a connection that doesn’t cut out intermittently.
The progressive jackpot slot games require you to have an account to play, so if your connection does cut out, you shouldn’t lose your progress or your winnings, as they’ll be saved to the server in real-time.
Reasons to Use a WiFi Connection
If you have a laptop and don’t want to waste time running cables to your devices just to move them again, then WiFi is the way to go. Devices need to have an ethernet port so that a cable can be plugged in, which rules out tablets, smartphones, and most IoT devices unless you go out and buy an adapter.
With a wireless connection, you can connect from anywhere in the home, even to your wireless speaker in the garden. Smart TVs might benefit from an ethernet connection, but this often results in unsightly wires. If you wanted to cast from your phone to your TV, then you’d be out of luck here unless your TV supports WiFi as well.
If you want the best of both worlds, one option would be to invest in fiber optics. The best thing about this connection is that it gives you the chance to connect all of your devices simultaneously while taking advantage of faster speeds and a more stable connection. If fiber optic isn’t available in your area yet, then the next best thing you can do would be to hard-wire your static devices, such as your desktop PC and gaming console, and then use WiFi for everything else. That way, you get fast speeds when it counts without having to run cables throughout your home.
