Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ethernet+airport=faster connection?

D

dchen720

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 23, 2008
99
4
there are few computers sharing internet connection with me.
so sometimes i lag in games.

my mbp is plugged in with the ethernet cable.
i wonder, if i turn on airport too,,, would that help?

cuz i tried that, it felt like it does speed up a bit, but i m not sure.

can someone clarify this for me.

thanks
 
That wouldn't help - your computer chooses one connection and stays with it - so it's either AirPort or Ethernet.
 
MacGeek7 said:
That wouldn't help - your computer chooses one connection and stays with it - so it's either AirPort or Ethernet.
Click to expand...

Actually, it chooses the faster connection. If you're on AirPort and you plug in an Ethernet cable, it will switch automatically to the Ethernet.
 
ggjstudios said:
Actually, it chooses the faster connection. If you're on AirPort and you plug in an Ethernet cable, it will switch automatically to the Ethernet.
Click to expand...

Either way though, it's only one connection - he can't combine the two
 
nomar383 said:
Actually, it chooses whatever connection you specify higher in the "Service Order" list :)
Click to expand...

If you haven't made custom changes to the Service Order list, open Network Preferences with AirPort active and you'll see AirPort at the top of the list. Plug in an Ethernet cable and you'll see Ethernet automatically move to the top of the list.
 
ggjstudios said:
If you haven't made custom changes to the Service Order list, open Network Preferences with AirPort active and you'll see AirPort at the top of the list. Plug in an Ethernet cable and you'll see Ethernet automatically move to the top of the list.
Click to expand...

True that. Ethernet is higher by default
 
Although if i access a shared drive over wireless (without ethernet connected),
and then plug in ethernet. it will access that drive over wireless until i turn airport off.

as to the original question.
Ethernet (even 100) is much faster than your home internet connection. and in good conditions (good signal with one wireless client connected) an airport connection is also faster than most cable or DSL.
so the ethernet is already able to handle much more data then your modem, You'll just have to tell your roommates to stop torrenting all the pron.

think of
ethernet = fire hose
airport = garden hose
cable or DSL = straw

so you only get a straw's worth of water coming in, no mater how big the hose inside your house
 
Haha, that'd be awesome if you could combine the two :D

And ethernet is always faster than wireless because it's actually physically connected. Wireless is getting pretty close to being the same as ethernet, but it's not quite there yet.
 
nomar383 said:
Faster based purely on internet speed? Or network file transfers?
Click to expand...

if you look at my above post, even wireless G is faster than most home internet connections (unless you're paying a substantial amount for it). So the wired or wireless connection inside your home is not the bottleneck in the system, it's the connection between your house and your ISP.

if you have a car that will only go 20 MPH with the pedal to the floor(your cable/DSL modem), it doesn't matter if you're driving on
  • a 35 MPH city street (wireless connection)
  • a 45 MPH city street (wired 10Mb Ethernet)
  • a 75 MPH interstate (wired 100Mb Ethernet)
  • a 250 MPH race track (wired Gigabit Ethernet)

You're still only going to go 20 MPH. (although i wouldn't recommend driving 20 MPH on the freeway, you'll probably get killed:))

But if you do a network file transfer (Ferrari that will do 150 MPH), you'll definitely notice a difference between the different connections.

And also the same as on a roadway, the more traffic, the slower the speeds on the network
 
waw74 said:
if you look at my above post, even wireless G is faster than most home internet connections (unless you're paying a substantial amount for it). So the wired or wireless connection inside your home is not the bottleneck in the system, it's the connection between your house and your ISP.
Click to expand...

Wireless B @ 11 Mb/s is faster than most home internet connections.

Most cable/DSL connections are 3 - 6 Mb/s. FIOS and other super high speed options are becoming more common but still have a long way to go.
 
waw74 said:
if you look at my above post, even wireless G is faster than most home internet connections (unless you're paying a substantial amount for it). So the wired or wireless connection inside your home is not the bottleneck in the system, it's the connection between your house and your ISP.

if you have a car that will only go 20 MPH with the pedal to the floor(your cable/DSL modem), it doesn't matter if you're driving on
  • a 35 MPH city street (wireless connection)
  • a 45 MPH city street (wired 10Mb Ethernet)
  • a 75 MPH interstate (wired 100Mb Ethernet)
  • a 250 MPH race track (wired Gigabit Ethernet)

You're still only going to go 20 MPH. (although i wouldn't recommend driving 20 MPH on the freeway, you'll probably get killed:))

But if you do a network file transfer (Ferrari that will do 150 MPH), you'll definitely notice a difference between the different connections.

And also the same as on a roadway, the more traffic, the slower the speeds on the network
Click to expand...

I fully understand this, I was just wondering whether the poster I quoted did
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back