wired from my iMac, wireless (of course) for the air.
I prefer the speed and security of wired when I can get it
I prefer the speed and security of wired when I can get it
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Do the majority of iMac owners use the "Ethernet cable" or connect wireless?
- Thread starter bobright
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Wired. I tell my customers that I don't use wireless, so I don't use wireless. I wouldn't be surprised, though, that the next generation of Macs will forgo the ethernet port.
(wish i could have zero)
Everything around by desk is wired; even my Apple TV. Primary because of other "server" and NAS but also to keep the bandwidth for the real mobile devices and the MBP of my wife.
Plus Internet is faster this way as I enjoy 200MB downstream and 100MB up; if the partner on the other side can deliver the same way.
So: cable when ever possible (for now; open to change)
Plus Internet is faster this way as I enjoy 200MB downstream and 100MB up; if the partner on the other side can deliver the same way.
So: cable when ever possible (for now; open to change)
Wired!
Wireless is handy but it drops packets much more, especially if you are in a noisy area (like an apartment in a city). Just ask online gamers (high-connectivity applications where packet loss can mean disconnection) which one they are always told to avoid.
Wireless is handy but it drops packets much more, especially if you are in a noisy area (like an apartment in a city). Just ask online gamers (high-connectivity applications where packet loss can mean disconnection) which one they are always told to avoid.
Wired for my iMac, running over a Netgear XAVB5101 Powerline Nano500.
I do a lot of work using Remote Desktop to a Windows Server in the basement, so a consistent, fast connection is important. For the most part, the responsiveness is the same as if I was working locally on the iMac.
I do a lot of work using Remote Desktop to a Windows Server in the basement, so a consistent, fast connection is important. For the most part, the responsiveness is the same as if I was working locally on the iMac.
Apple would be shooting themselves in the foot. Wireless and wired are not the same in how they communicate. For some applications wireless is not even a choice.
While dropping the optical drive was an annoyance of one more thing to go on the desk a ethernet to thunderbolt (or some other interface) adapter would be needed. However with moving the drive you are just moving it. With using a different network adapter you can actually cause some applications to fail (just like some apps do not work well with some routers but others do) so you have one more point of failure.
This
300mbps wifi is going to give you 180mbps real world performance. You'd be hard pressed to find a broadband connection or application that this limits you in. And there is faster N than that.
Mark my words, it's coming.
802.11AC 1.3mbps that should push 780mbps which alines perfectly with wired gigabit. Apple will feel justified in saying hardwired as antiquated.
Times my wired ethernet has gone down in last 10 years = 0
Time my wireless connection has gone down in last 10 year = more than 0
If you game then latency is better with a wired connection.
I can't think of a single reason why one would choose wireless over a wired ethernet connection other than "it is one less wire"
To be honest with you I don't much care for how many wires run into my PC - I care about whether it does what I want it to.
Wired - it's simply better
Wireless does not have a single technical advantage over wired. If one is the sort of person who would goes for form over function - go wireless. If one wants things to work at their best first and foremost use a wired connection.
Times my wireless network has gone down = 0
Times my ISP's service has gone down = too many to count
Unless you're in an area with significant interference or you have hardware problems, your wireless network should be as stable as a wired network. The only unstable factor I've ever experienced is my ISP, which affects both wired and wireless internet connectivity. As for my wireless network apart from the internet, it's never failed to deliver consistent high-speed performance.
To be fair, running CAT5 through a house, on multiple floors can be a big pain. I used wireless until powerline had reached the point I felt comfortable using it.
Everything wireless in my home. Have 2 Airport Extremes & Exprees to make sure wireless works in the house everywhere. Large 3 story home so needed to extend. Wireless slightly slower but not enough to make me wire anything.
I use HomeplugAV plugs around my home.
I also use wireless for my iPad and my other portable devices. I have 3 desktop PCs (1 iMac and 2 Windows devices) and I use wired connections for all of them. None of them ever go down. My wireless network suffers intermittent interference - hey I live in a city so I know it will be congested.
I stream media across my home network so wireless doesn't cut the mustard. I also game online so latency is a plus.
Even if one doesn't do either of those things the reliability of a wired connection is a benefit. You can rest assured the one time your wireless connection goes down will be when you really need it.
Thanks for the theory, but in practice wired is much snappier.
Big files of speed-checking sites give a very distorted image.
Try a big Pinterest page with 1000+ HTTP requests and time the difference.
And if you have like me, an area with 40 networks under the wifi-symbol available with many in the 5Ghz area too, the speed is more like 10:1 in favour of wired. But my ISP delivers 100/70 down up, so that is some serious bandwidth too.
