In our homes we can connect to the Internet by Wi-Fi and Ethernet cable. Although Wi-Fi networks offer us good connection speed and mobility, they are not the best to take advantage of all the bandwidth in most cases. The one that can do it without problems is the Ethernet network cable, and today it is normal that we have a Gigabit Ethernet network. Thanks to these Gigabit Ethernet networks we will be able to achieve download and upload speeds of 1Gbps simultaneously on the local network. The point is that if you transfer large files, very often it may pay you to buy something better. In this article we are going to talk about whether it is worth buying equipment with Gigabit Ethernet ports or better Multigigabit.
Will it improve my Internet connection with Multigigabit network?
Currently fiber optic internet connections are 300 Mbps or 600 Mbps on average. That means that with a Gigabit Ethernet network equipment we will have more than enough. It must be borne in mind that with this type of network, as we mentioned before, we can obtain a speed of 1 Gbps so that we can take advantage of all the bandwidth of our connection.
On the other hand, 1 Gbps fiber optic connections already go up a lot in price and with our current Gigabit Ethernet equipment we would have enough, in fact, the routers and ONT provided by the operators are capable of providing a maximum theoretical 1Gbps, which is then it is about 940Mbps symmetrical really. In this regard, having a Multigigabit network for the Internet WAN does not make much sense, unless you want to be prepared for the future with connections greater than 1Gbps of fiber optic, however, today few operators are capable of provide these connection modes.
When is Gigabit Ethernet best for us?
Today, if we want to enjoy a minimal Gigabit Ethernet network we would need a category 5e cable. However, as the prices are now, it would be a good idea for it to be a minimum of category 6 and if we think about the future, to have a Multigigabit Ethernet network it would be highly recommended to buy one of category 7. Also when choosing a network cable if it has a shield that protects it from external interference, much better. The reason is that this type of shielded network cable produces fewer errors due to external interference than UTP.
Generally speaking, a Gigabit Ethernet network will suffice for most users. We have already seen that with most of the most used Internet connections at the moment we are well served. Also a piece of information to consider is the traffic we have on our local network between our computers and other equipment. Unless we have enough daily traffic on our LAN, we will not need a Multigigabit network.
Situations where Multigigabit networks are worth it
Just because a Gigabit Ethernet network is convenient for most users does not mean that there is a large group that can take advantage of Multigigabit Ethernet networks. Generally, the people who can best take advantage of them are:
- Those with a connection greater than 1Gbps.
- Those that make a lot of use of the transfer of large files in the LAN, and have network cards, switches or the router with Multigigabit ports.
In those cases, it is best to opt for a category 7 cabling instead of a category 6. The first reason is that they do not go up much in price and the second is that you will be able to enjoy the advantage of the shielding that we discussed earlier.
An example where it could be taken advantage of is those professionals who have a NAS server at home. If you regularly need to transfer large files from your computer to that server, a Multigigabit network can be very beneficial for you. These types of networks are ideal for those who have a lot of traffic on their LAN. Their main advantage is that they will considerably reduce the transfer time of the files and they will be able to dedicate themselves to other things.
On the other hand, the corresponding network equipment that we would need could be a 2.5G Multigigabit switch and generally we would have to buy a 2.5G Multigigabit network card. Finally, here you have explained the necessary elements and how to configure a 2.5G Multigigabit network at home.
