WiFi vs Cabled LANs : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary

Nowadays you can hook up your LAN (Local Area Network) with Ethernet cables or with WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) radio waves, or a combination of both. Which kind of router should you pick?

Advantages of WiFi

• There are no cables to connect incorrectly.
• There is no concern with plain vs crossover cables.
• There are no cables to buy. Cables, especially ones that snake from room to room can be quite expensive.
• There are no connectors to get damaged, dirty or loose. I have always had trouble with poor connections. I have tried taping them up in various ways, but I can never get them fully reliable. The tiniest bump with my foot on a cable breaks the connection.
• If you have a laptop that you take away and bring back, there is nothing to disconnect and connect.

Disadvantages of WiFi

• The transmissions are slower than with cables.
• If you are not careful, other people in your apartment building can snoop on your transmissions or rack up bills on your Internet connection.
• Some people don’t like exposing themselves to radio waves, no matter how low the dose.

Advantages of Cabled

• With Ethernet cables you can get get 10, 100 and even 1000 megabits per second. With WiFi N standard, in theory you can get 300 megabits per second, but actuality, you get a small fraction of that.
• With cabling, you have greater privacy. People driving by on the street cannot snoop on your transmissions, even if they know your passwords.
• If you want extra speed you can install two Ethernet cards in one computer and two cables.

Disadvantages of Cabled

• If you add another computer, or want to host a guest, you need an extra cable. You may also run out of slots on the router.  There is always room for one more with WiFi.