On the other hand, a wired (Ethernet) connection from the device straight to the modem will be about the same as the network speed to your home or building. Over a WiFi connection, speed to your device may vary greatly depending on how close your device is to your WiFi point, as well as any obstructions or distance in between. Speed to your device may vary greatly depending on whether you have a wired or WiFi connection. This speed is measured to and from the device you are using to run the test, which means the type of connection has a big impact on the result. How quickly your internet can transfer that data from the network to your device and from your device back to the network determines your download and upload speed. Next, the speed test downloads and uploads a packet of data over that connection. The amount of time it takes for that information to make the trip is your ping. You will see the name in the lower right-hand corner of the testing window.Ī "packet" of information is sent from your device to the server and back. But Ethernet is a great tool to increase responsiveness, especially for gamers who want less lag with online gaming.The internet speed test starts by identifying the network server that is closest to you. Most of us will be better off with Wi-Fi because our homes and apartments are filled with smart devices. Wi-Fi offers mobility and convenience, meaning you can access the internet anywhere in your home, while Ethernet provides faster and more secure connectivity. What’s the bottom line?īoth Wi-Fi and Ethernet have their benefits when it comes to home broadband. Thorough Testing: EarthLinks speed test offers a comprehensive evaluation of your internet connection. My colleague Ry Crist dives into more ways to speed up your Wi-Fi, and you can bet I'll be leaning into his advice. Internet Speed Test In the past 30 days over 10,769,824 people have used speed tests to see their download speeds, upload speeds, and ping. I haven't taken any steps yet to boost my Wi-Fi signals, but I might move my router to a more central area of my apartment or get an extender to help my speeds stay consistent. Based on the drastic difference between the Wi-Fi and Ethernet speed tests, I determined that my Wi-Fi connection was to blame for the slow service, not my ISP throttling my speed. However, testing my internet speeds with an Ethernet cable helped me pinpoint the root cause of my slow connection. iPerf has also added some new features like setting target bandwidth for TCP and UDP, setting IPv6 flow label, getting output in JSON format, and many more. Ethernet limits your mobility, which is unrealistic if you have several people connecting multiple devices. Furthermore, the server can handle multiple connections after the test.
Using Wi-Fi, you can access the internet from anywhere in your house without plugging into a router. Using an Ethernet connection all the time is just not practical. Data transmitted through Wi-Fi can be more easily intercepted by hackers, but if they want to hack you over Ethernet, they need to physically connect to the router. One of Ethernet’s advantages over Wi-Fi: the connection is safer and more secure.
Plus, you won’t have to worry about latency issues, or a lag in connection, that sometimes occur with local network congestion. Since your device is connected directly to the router - compared to wirelessly through Wi-Fi - you can expect faster bandwidth, which is how much data you can transmit through an internet connection.Įthernet also boasts more consistent speeds since wired signals don’t fluctuate as easily as wireless ones do. One of Ethernet’s biggest advantages is speed. To make it worthwhile, you would have to install a switch box or Ethernet jacks around your house to connect multiple devices to the internet. Wi-Fi can handle a lot more devices than regular Ethernet cables can. It might seem like the cost of Wi-Fi and Ethernet would be similar - since you’re paying for the service, not the mode of internet connection - but Wi-Fi is actually significantly cheaper than Ethernet.