Access to the Internet in modern devices plays quite a big role. Especially when it comes to your computer or console. Usually, users need a good Internet connection to such devices.
If you use your computer to play online games, you have probably wondered what kind of Internet connection would be best for you.
What are some ways to connect to the Internet
If we are talking about computers or consoles, you have only 2 basic ways to connect to the Internet: by using an Ethernet cable or by using a wireless Wi-Fi connection.
Both of these solutions have their own advantages and disadvantages. If you are wondering which connection is better, there is no definite answer. The fact is that each of them is suitable for different purposes.
If you want to use the Internet to play online games, then you may be important specific parameters of your network. Such as :
- Latency
- Connection Speed
- Usability
Which connection type has less latency
Latency is the time it takes for traffic to get from the device to the destination. In the case of computer video games online, the most commonly used word is Ping
If you play a lot of games online, you will need the lowest latency possible for a fully comfortable gaming experience. In that case, the obvious choice would be to connect to the internet through an Ethernet cable.
Of course, there may be other factors that will affect the latency between your device and the gaming service. However, in this case, you will eliminate the delay time when the information is transmitted to your router.
In fact, if you have a good router that provides minimal delay, there shouldn’t be much difference between a wired and a wireless connection.
To check the latency, you can use the ping command in the terminal or from the command line. You can check the ping through the WiFi connection and the Ethernet cable. That way you can see what the real difference is with your hardware and which one is better for you.
Which type of connection provides faster Internet access speeds
When it comes to data transfer speeds, you just have to accept the fact that the ETHERNET cable will be faster than the WIFI. However, in reality, the difference will not be as big as everyone expects.
Thanks to new technologies and 802.11ac and 802.11n standards, the maximum speed of Wi-Fi today has grown to 866.7 Mbit/s and 150 Mbit/s respectively. This makes the wireless type of connection much faster and allows it to be used safely for most tasks, including online video games.
Of course in reality you can hardly get such maximum speeds on all your wireless devices, but nevertheless today Wi-Fi has become good enough for most tasks.
Of course, the data transfer speed of the Ethernet cable is still significantly faster than the maximum speed of the Wi-Fi network. Since an Ethernet cable can theoretically offer users speeds of up to 10 Gbps. You will need a Cat6 cable for that. In reality, few people will have such connection speeds.
However, even if you choose a Cat5e cable it can provide speeds up to 1 Gbps and unlike WiFi, this speed will be constant.
Regarding video games, you don’t really need 1 Gbps, even 30-50 Mbps is good enough for stable gaming.
However, on top of that, the speed of your Ethernet cable will affect the speed of data transfer between the devices in your network. For example, if you want to transfer files as fast as possible between two computers in the house, Ethernet will be faster than Wi-Fi.
Which type of connection is more convenient for the average gamer
Also, if you’re not an avid gamer, the convenience of using different technologies may play a big role for you. In this case, of course, the Wi-Fi connection will be much more convenient and practical.
For example, if you have a laptop, which you want to carry from place to place or play lying in bed, it will be extremely inconvenient to drag everywhere with a connected wired Ethernet. In this case, a Wi-Fi connection can be a great alternative for you.
However, if you have a large desktop computer that just sits on your desk and you don’t carry it anywhere, it makes sense to consider a more reliable Ethernet cable connection. This adds a little more cable-management hassle, but at least you can always be sure you’re connected to the network and not have to worry about suddenly getting unplugged or having someone close to you accidentally unplugging your router.
In addition, many computers are simply not equipped with a Wi-Fi-adapter on board and you will need to buy a special adapter to connect it to the wireless network. In the case of a game console, it may also be inconvenient to run a cable to the place where your console stands. In this case, it may be more advantageous to use home wifi. The difference in connection will actually be minimal, but you will not be distracted by unnecessary wires. However, if the power outlet is right next to your console, you might want to consider wiring it up for more stability.
