We can surf the Internet through a network cable and also wirelessly. Normally the first option is the best if we are looking for stability and good speed. However, sometimes we connect by Ethernet cable may be a bad idea. We may have problems browsing, connection failures, poor speed… In this article we are going to explain why this may happen and what you should take into account if you want to optimize your wired connection to the maximum.
Using Ethernet cable is sometimes worse
If what you are looking for is to have the maximum speed, you may think about connecting the computer by cable instead of Wi-Fi. Overall, this could make your connection more stable with fewer issues. However, this does not always happen, since it will depend on the type of cable and certain circumstances.
One reason it may be a bad idea to use an Ethernet cable for browsing is when the computer network card is bad. It may be old, may not support more than Fast Ethernet. That means that the speed is going to be limited to 100 Mbps at most. If you have a fiber optic contract of, for example, 500 Mbps, you will not really be able to reach that speed and Wi-Fi would work better for you.
It might also be a bad idea if you’re using a old ethernet cable. For example, if you have a cable from an old ADSL router that you no longer use and you start using it to surf the net with a computer, it is possible that it will not work well and the speed, once again, will be limited. Keep in mind that there are different types of Ethernet cables depending on the category. If it is less than CAT 5e, that cable will be limited to Fast Ethernet and will be a bottleneck, so you will not be able to have more speed.
Another reason it might be a bad idea to use Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi is when you’re connecting from a place where the coverage comes very well, but you don’t have a wired setup. You decide to pass Ethernet cable but really the improvement is not going to be so great as to be worth it. In these cases you should reconsider connecting via Wi-Fi instead of cable.
Tips for Ethernet cable to work well
However, if you decide to use an Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet, it is important that you follow some tips so that it works as well as possible. Something essential is to choose very well which cable to use. Although from CAT 5e you can already take advantage of up to 1 Gbps of speed, our advice is that you use CAT 6 or higher.
You should also make sure that the network card is in good condition And you also have updated drivers. This will help the connection work as well as possible, you will avoid cuts and problems when browsing in a wired way. If you use a bad or misconfigured network card you could have problems.
Another recommendation is to take care of the cable and connectors. Avoid storing it incorrectly, for example folded. Always try to be in a good place, without the connectors ending up damaged. This could affect its operation and it could stop working at the same speed.
In short, as you can see, sometimes it may not be a good idea to use an Ethernet cable. But if you want to connect via cable, you can follow some tips we’ve given to get the speed right. You can even connect a PC via cable if it doesn’t have Ethernet.
