Current situation of the Ethernet ports on your router
Today, for a few years now, the maximum speed you can find on the Ethernet ports on your router it is usually 1 Gbps., that is, we have Gigabit Ethernet ports for the LAN. However, this speed of 1 Gbps may fall short on some occasions if we transfer files massively within our local network, or if we have speeds higher than 1Gbps symmetric, and this interface speed will act as a bottleneck.
If we want to take full advantage of fiber connections higher than 1 Gbps in the future, we will need a router with Multigigabit Ethernet portsGenerally, 2.5G ports would be enough, however, there are also router models that support higher speed such as 10GbE, ideal for the ultra-fast connections of the main operators.
On the other hand, if we want Ethernet ports in your router at speeds of 10GbE, it should be noted that the price is still very high, unless the operator provides it completely free of charge. Regardless, ISPs or Internet providers will try to stretch Gigabit Ethernet technology to the maximum in their current routers. However, if it is locally, we could achieve that speed with a 10G switch and category 7 cables onwards. So you could have your home network with 10 Gbps to transfer files at high speed.
The great advantage of having Ethernet ports on your router is that, indisputably, in the vast majority of cases it will be able to provide us with greater bandwidth. That does not take away the main asset of Wi-Fi, which is the mobility it offers us.
Why WiFi Can’t Replace Ethernet
Network cables and Ethernet ports on home routers have a long way to go until they are no longer used, provided that happens at some point. One of its main advantages is the simplicity of installation. In this case, simply insert the RJ45 connector of your twisted pair cable into one of the Ethernet ports of your router, and then do the same on the equipment you are going to use.
We also find a well-known technology that dominates the market especially in terms of speed. In addition, being very introduced in our homes and companies, it makes the plates and wiring that are used they are mass-produced and we have very competitive prices.
Nor should we forget that if we connect by network cable we will obtain a greater security. In this case we do not have to worry about the vulnerabilities that Wi-Fi has and depending on the encryption used it can be more or less secure.
Its other great asset regarding Wi-Fi is that it is capable of offering higher connection speeds and that gives great value to continue using Ethernet ports on your router. We have already talked about 10Gbps Ethernet ports, which is easily achieved with the right equipment. On the other hand, with Wi-Fi networks, due to interferences with nearby networks, it costs more to increase speed, although little by little it is achieving it, for example, the maximum speed that we have achieved in RedesZone via WiFi 6 with 160MHz of width of channel is around 1.4Gbps real, however, via network cable with 10G networks we have achieved a real speed of 9.8Gbps, which will allow us to squeeze the ultra-fast connections of the operators with XGS-PON.
Lastly, using the Ethernet ports on your router makes you have less ping than by Wi-Fi. This could be especially appreciated for multiplayer online games and tasks that require a quick response.
