What should be wired vs What should be wifi?

[laxMack]

This may be the dumbest question of the day so bear with me:

What should be wired and what should be on wifi? For example should I use Ethernet for my TV(I stream all my content), Console, and Computer and put the rest on my wifi network? Will this help relieve the strain on my wifi network?

 

Thanks.

[minibois]

Use wired for everything you can, only using WiFi for what needs WiFi (because it either doesn't have a wired option, or running a cable would be highly impracticable).

That would make the WiFi at least more stable. 

[WereCatf]

Just now, laxMack said:

What should be wired and what should be on wifi? For example should I use Ethernet for my TV(I stream all my content), Console, and Computer and put the rest on my wifi network? Will this help relieve the strain on my wifi network?

Nothing should be on WiFi. For best performance, you wouldn't have WiFi in use at all. What you choose to have WiFi for, however, is up to you as long as the device has the option for either wired or wireless.

[Lorant]

Wifi is great for content consumption. I'd use wired for what you game on to minimize lag.

[Bombastinator]

I’m reading this question a “how few wired things can I set up to take the greatest amount of weight off my WiFi?”

 

anything that gets carried around has trouble with cables because cables.  Things in the middle of the room or not next to walls without doors between the base and the device have problems because doors.  Video is relatively high bandwidth but it has nothing on gaming.  Things like printers are considered low bandwidth because they’re not spooling print info most of the time.  They just sit there.  They’re often easier to wire up though.  Desktop gaming computers:  wired if you can arrange it.  All kinds of advantages on lower latency, completely ignoring bandwidth.  Printers, maybe because it’s easy.  Cell Phones? No.  Not because it won’t help, but because they go in pockets.

[Windows7ge]

Does it have an Ethernet port? Yes?

Do you need it to be portable? No?

Could you run an Ethernet cable to it without much hassle? Yes?

 

Wire it. For everything else, Wi-Fi.

 

Laptops may be an exception. For them I'd use both.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

I’m reading this question a “how few wired things can I set up to take the greatest amount of weight off my WiFi?”

 

anything that gets carried around has trouble with cables because cables.  Things in the middle of the room or not next to walls without doors between the base and the device have problems because doors.  Video is relatively high bandwidth but it has nothing on gaming.  Things like printers are considered low bandwidth because they’re not spooling print info most of the time.  They just sit there.  They’re often easier to wire up though.  Desktop gaming computers:  wired if you can arrange it.  All kinds of advantages on lower latency, completely ignoring bandwidth.  Printers, maybe because it’s easy.  Cell Phones? No.  Not because it won’t help, but because they go in pockets.

Cables can be run anywhere, even the middle of a room or past doors, but it sometimes takes a lot of creativity and work (and a router or switch with enough ports) and can get expensive. I prefer wired for everything in my home (Ethernet is almost impossible to hack) but, occasionally, I have to turn on the WiFi if I'm using two notebooks in the bedroom at the same time (I have only two Ethernet cables running there; one is dedicated to the printer and my router is out of ports). I had to run the cables from my router down the wall to underneath my home, then transition to a conduit (in this case, repurposed water hose) to the other side of the mobile home, then back up the wall where the computer and printer are.

 

I've seen cables run behind crown molding, base boards, and door casing. If something in the middle of  room is pretty much there permanently, a cable can be snaked under the floor to a floor receptacle housing with a flip down lid for when the receptacle is not in use. Some Ethernet cables are designed to be snaked underneath carpeting (https://www.amazon.com/SF-Cable-Premium-Ultra-Network/dp/B004ICQNHA for example).