Not long ago, you also had to choose a wired or wireless setup for home internet, online gaming, and all other web-based activities. But now it's clear: Wi-Fi was the obvious choice.

Is that really the case? Is Ethernet really dead? Or do good old fashioned cable connections still have a place in the modern tech world? Let's find out.

Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi: The Key Differences

Until a few years ago, the choice between Ethernet and Wi-Fi was simple.

Ethernet is much faster, but because it requires wiring, it's extremely limited in where you can place your computer in relation to the router. Once you choose a location, you can no longer move.

Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is a little slower, but can be easily used within 150 feet of the router. Wi-Fi hotspots can be found in many places. It works on a wider range of devices, including phones and tablets.

That's the choice: speed and convenience. As such, the two are often seen as complementary rather than antagonistic technologies. But Wi-Fi continued to improve, becoming faster and more reliable, and the result was that Ethernet was further squeezed out of the market.

speed

When Wi-Fi first became mainstream, it was largely based on the 802.11g standard (which would be known as Wi-Fi 3 under modern naming conventions). This provides a maximum theoretical speed of 54Mbps (megabits per second), and much lower in practice.

It's good enough to access the internet on a mobile device, but nowhere near the performance offered by Ethernet, which has speeds between 100Mbps and 1000Mbps up to 10Gb/s.

The latest Wi-Fi standard is Wi-Fi 6, which offers theoretical speeds of up to 10Gbps (actual speeds are about half that). That's somewhat more than most typical home broadband connections -- the average U.S. home internet speed is said to be just over 100Mbps.

Assuming you have hardware that supports this standard (your router and all your devices need it), this means your broadband speed will be the bottleneck, not your Wi-Fi speed. Even if you're using slightly older technology, it's still fast -- Wi-Fi 5 offers theoretical speeds of up to 3.5Gbps.

In both cases, they have less latency (lower latency or ping rates) than wireless technologies of the past, making it increasingly suitable for gaming.

The main advantage of Ethernet is now gone, and you can even test it yourself. Go to a site like speedtest.net and test your internet speed using Wi-Fi then Ethernet (make sure to turn off Wi-Fi before taking the second test) and compare the results.

If the results aren't what you'd like, there are even some easy steps you can take to improve your Wi-Fi speed.

reliability

However, all speeds are theoretical.

Fixed Ethernet connections are likely to be fast, stable, and provide consistent speeds. If you download large files or stream a lot of 4K video, you'll notice the benefits.

Wi-Fi is susceptible to a myriad of environmental factors. Radio waves can be blocked by walls and floors. Other wireless devices can interfere with the signal, including things you wouldn't expect such as microwave ovens and cordless phones, as well as nearby routers using the same channel. Even the atmosphere can cause problems.

Newer standards have less interference, but you can still get inconsistent performance on Wi-Fi. As you move around your home, you can see the strength of your Wi-Fi network connection drop and rise, affecting speed accordingly. You might even have dead spots in your home where the Wi-Fi signal simply can't reach.

You can minimize this by making sure you place your router in the best spot in your home, but you're unlikely to achieve the same level of consistent performance as you would with Ethernet.

Equipment Quantity

While Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 offer top speeds comparable to what you get from Ethernet, they're unlikely to deliver significantly faster speeds on a single device. The main benefit of increased performance is that you can connect more devices without slowing down any of them.

Of course, you can do the same with Ethernet, but even most laptops don't have built-in Ethernet ports these days. In most cases, you'll be limited to desktop PCs and gaming consoles, both of which require wiring. Or you can set up a powerline network to help.

Safety

Security is another important factor when comparing Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Here, there is no comparison.

Data on Ethernet can only be accessed by devices physically connected to the network. These devices, including a PC on one end and a router on the other, require firewalls to protect them, but the data itself cannot be intercepted on the network.

With Wi-Fi, data is in the air. If you're using the open web in a public place (and you shouldn't), then all data you send and receive can be intercepted, including personal information and login details.

Most Wi-Fi networks are secure, so your data is encrypted. But encryption strength depends on the security method you use. Most routers offer a range of security modes.

WEP is the least secure and should be avoided if possible. WPA3 is the most secure wireless security option, and WPA2 is good enough if you have a router that offers it.

For added security, you should also change the default Wi-Fi username and password for the admin panel on your wireless router. Default settings can be easily found online and can allow others to access your network without your knowledge.

Making the Right Choice: Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi

So, when should you choose Ethernet over Wi-Fi?

For most people and most use cases, there's no reason not to use Wi-Fi. If you're using fairly modern hardware, you'll get good speeds and solid performance, and the convenience of wireless will far outweigh any remaining advantages of a wired connection.

The main reason you should opt for a wired connection is if you're a serious gamer and your console or PC isn't getting a consistently fast connection, or the latency is too high.

Of course, you don't have to choose either. There are usually Ethernet ports on wireless routers, so you can decide whether to connect them wired or not, depending on your device.