What would I need ethernet for? Difference in that and wifi only?

[ssledoux]

I’m not tech savvy with this sort of stuff. I’d like to get Apple TV - had one years ago. I don’t have great wifi, but we are supposed to be upgrading our service with that.

I’m wondering what purpose ethernet serves, and if maybe in my situation it would be helpful.

Also, can I connect homepod mini to Apple TV, and how difficult is that for the non-tech-savvy type?

 

[ScrumpyDaniel]

If you don't have great WiFi then you answered that question yourself. Having ethernet will provide a much more stable connection than WiFi would.

As for the HomePod mini, as long as they are signed in on the same Apple ID as the Apple TV, they will appear in the audio menu of the Apple TV and you can set them as default speakers. If its the 2021 or 2022 Apple TV then you can also use the HomePods as audio for all your other devices/TV via ARC/eARC. This option appears below the home theatre mode option in the audio settings once you connect the HomePods. Just make sure the Apple TV is plugged into the HDMI port on your TV that is labelled ARC/eARC.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT207705

 

[-Gonzo-]

I guess it all depends on what you mean by not great Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is what the router sends out for a wireless connection.
Ethernet is a wired connection from the device to the router.
If what you’re actually meaning is the broadband speed that’s delivered to your property isn’t very good then you more than likely won’t see any improvement regardless of using Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Think of wifi like a whole pie. Each thing you connect via wifi is eating a slice of that pie. Video streaming tends to eat a big(gest) slice of the pie.

Wifi "pie" is limited. There is only so much pie available. When there are high demands on wifi, there is little pie left for anything else that wants to connect and use some wifi.

You reference "we" in your post. So there's at least two of you sharing wifi. Maybe you are a family and there is 3+, all trying to get a slice of the wifi pie at the same time? Since there is only so much pie to go around, some may be disappointed with "our bad/slow wifi" at times when stuff like video streaming is hogging a bunch of your wifi bandwidth.

Remedy: anything you can possibly connect with ethernet instead of wifi is tech that is using ZERO wifi bandwidth: it eats no pie at all because it is getting its internet from a different pool.

So, given a reasonable opportunity to connect via wifi or ethernet, always choose the ethernet option. That would be like saving slices of pie for anyone else who is hungry for it. Each ethernet connection is "saving" free wifi bandwidth for anyone needing to connect that way (phones, tablet, laptop, tech where it's simply impossible to route an ethernet cable, etc).

In addition, in spite of very impressive theoretical speeds of wifi touted in marketing, wired connections will generally be faster and even more stable than wireless. So again, given the option of either- even if you have to go to a little trouble getting an ethernet cable to the right spot- use ethernet.

Else, when the pie is fully consumed, there is no more wifi for anyone/anything else to tap until somebody/something frees up their usage. Let your "we" have a few friends over and each of them jumps on your wifi and the pie pan can very quickly be empty. Then it turns into "something is wrong with our wifi" or "our wifi is way too slow right now." No, all the wifi you have is gobbled up by too much current demand. However, even in that scenario, anything hooked up via ethernet is likely to work as usual.

 

[w5jck]

What @HobeSoundDarryl said.

Plus, Wi-Fi routers use a radio signal to transmit to and from each device it is connected to. I would not be surprised if you have 30 or more devices connected to your router as so many devices these days have Wi-Fi. The router actually routes traffic to and from these devices, and just like rush hour traffic, sometimes speed can come to a crawl. If few devices are currently requesting band width (a slice of the pie), then those that are probably will get it. But if many devices are requesting band width simultaneously, you can get a traffic jam and signal strength can drop so low as to cause temporary disruptions in streaming. Also, since the router uses radio signals, those signals can be interfered with by other devices. So Wi-Fi can be problematic in some cases.

Ethernet on the other hand, is not as susceptible to interference or band width, is much more reliable, and much more stable. If you are currently experiencing a lot of interruptions and problems when streaming TV video, then ethernet might be the solution. It only takes around 25 Mbps of speed to reliably stream 4K TV, but if the speed fluctuates a lot then you can have issues, and ethernet is more likely to keep the fluctuations under control than Wi-Fi. If you have 100+ Mbps internet speed, Wi-Fi might work fine, but a bad or old router can even have trouble with that if the total demand leaves less than 25 Mbps available for your streaming box.

I recommend running ethernet to all streaming boxes if possible. Alternatively, get a newer router that can handle traffic more efficiently. Also make sure you internet speed is high enough to support your devices.

 

[Juicy Box]

I agree with what everyone else said, but will add latency as a benefit to Ethernet.

Wired connection tends to have lower latency, which is different than bandwidth. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred in a particular set of time. Latency is the amount of time it takes for data to travel from one point to another and then (sometimes) back again.

People usually refer to bandwidth as their network or internet "speed", but latency can also be important, sometimes more important than bandwidth, depending on the task.

Think of it this way using a truck analogy:

Two trucks traveling between two identical locations. One truck can hold up to 100 bricks in the bed, the other hold up to 1000 bricks. The amount of bricks would be similar to bandwidth and the amount of data that be transferred. More "bricks" is better.

The time it takes for the truck to get from one point to another, and then return to where it started would be similar to latency. Lower travel time is better.

Your network connection would be like a convoy of trucks containing bricks going to different locations.

Not a perfect analogy, but it is easy to relate to.

Having lower latency would be beneficial for many tasks on the ATV, but especially for anything happening in realtime, such as using AirPlay, FaceTime displaying on the ATV, online games, and services like Steamlink.

Wifi tends to have higher latency than a wired connection, meaning that it doesn't work as well for realtime tasks.

Streaming services like Netflix and ATV+, latency really doesn't matter, and if some parts of the data is lost along the way, or takes too long to to travel to your device from the streaming servers, your device communicates with the source and sends it again. This gives you a good stream of data even if your latency isn't great.

If the stream was in realtime, it could matter, like live TV, as their isn't always two-way communication on if all the data is getting to your device in time.

 

[NewUsername]

I’m not tech savvy with this sort of stuff. I’d like to get Apple TV - had one years ago. I don’t have great wifi, but we are supposed to be upgrading our service with that.

I’m wondering what purpose ethernet serves, and if maybe in my situation it would be helpful.

Also, can I connect homepod mini to Apple TV, and how difficult is that for the non-tech-savvy type?

If it’s easy to just plug in an Ethernet cable, Ethernet is the better option. If it’s too much trouble or requires investment, just stick with wifi. If your wifi isn’t great, first improve the wifi.

 

[Juicy Box]

If it’s easy to just plug in an Ethernet cable, Ethernet is the better option. If it’s too much trouble or requires investment, just stick with wifi. If your wifi isn’t great, first improve the wifi.

Yeah, this is a simple, but effective response.

If using Ethernet is inconvenient, Wi-Fi will probably be fine.

’d like to get Apple TV

If you are decided between the Ethernet or non-Ethernet ATV4K3 models, there are some other benefits if the Ethernet model, double the storage and Thread support.

IIRC, I think I saw you post in another thread about your grandson playing game, (sorry if I am mistaken).

Double the 64GB storage for only $20 is pretty rare from Apple, I would just the 128GB if there is any chance of using it for games.

Also, if you have access to a Veteran discount, the Veteran Apple Store has the new ATVs for $116 for the 64GB, and $134 for the 128GB model.

The education store probably has similar discounts.

 

[Fpmtngal]

Yeah, this is a simple, but effective response.

If using Ethernet is inconvenient, Wi-Fi will probably be fine.


If you are decided between the Ethernet or non-Ethernet ATV4K3 models, there are some other benefits if the Ethernet model, double the storage and Thread support.

IIRC, I think I saw you post in another thread about your grandson playing game, (sorry if I am mistaken).

Double the 64GB storage for only $20 is pretty rare from Apple, I would just the 128GB if there is any chance of using it for games.

Also, if you have access to a Veteran discount, the Veteran Apple Store has the new ATVs for $116 for the 64GB, and $134 for the 128GB model.

The education store probably has similar discounts.

Thanks for the information about the Veteran Apple Store - somehow I managed to miss that. Or maybe I shouldn’t thank you - I ended up ordering the new AppleTV with Ethernet. My situation might not benefit from it, but at least the Veteran discount made it more affordable, enough so that I’m willing to see if it would make a difference.

From the discussion here, I’m assuming that it might be better to use an Ethernet cable to the closest device - I have both a cable modem and a WiFi router. The cable modem has 4 Ethernet ports, so I’ll use a second one for the AppleTV, rather than plug it into one of the WiFi router’s Ethernet output ports?

 

[Mellofello808]

Just FYI

I have had issues on multiple different apple TVs when running them on Ethernet. The older one once completely crashed my network, and even my 2021 has had issues.

I run them on wifi, and would discourage using Ethernet, unless it is not possible to get a strong wifi signal in the room.

 

[lostPod]

The best part IMO of pairing homepods to apple tv (besides the sound) is the ability for her to pause, play, skip, etc the media playing on the tv.

 

[Juicy Box]

I have had issues on multiple different apple TVs when running them on Ethernet. The older one once completely crashed my network, and even my 2021 has had issues.

Just an educated guess, but I think that your experience is probably not the norm. Maybe something up with your network, or maybe you were extremely unlucky and got two ATVs with HW issues?

There are plenty of people that use Ethernet on their ATVs and never have issues by doing so. If this was a widespread issue, I am sure that there would be many complaints on the forums.

At least for me, I have used Ethernet on every ATV generation, and no issues for me.


Anyone else have their network crashed due to using Ethernet on their ATV?

 

[Mellofello808]

Just an educated guess, but I think that your experience is probably not the norm. Maybe something up with your network, or maybe you were extremely unlucky and got two ATVs with HW issues?

There are plenty of people that use Ethernet on their ATVs and never have issues by doing so. If this was a widespread issue, I am sure that there would be many complaints on the forums.

At least for me, I have used Ethernet on every ATV generation, and no issues for me.


Anyone else have their network crashed due to using Ethernet on their ATV?

If you search Ethernet apple TV issues you will find that it is a widespread issue, and has been for years.

Just because it has not happened to you personally (yet), does not mean that it isn't an issue for others.

My network is all enterprise grade, and I am an IT professional, so I doubt that the issue is on my side.

 

[belvdr]

Just FYI

I have had issues on multiple different apple TVs when running them on Ethernet. The older one once completely crashed my network, and even my 2021 has had issues.

I run them on wifi, and would discourage using Ethernet, unless it is not possible to get a strong wifi signal in the room.

Crashed your network? In what way?

 

[Juicy Box]

Just because it has not happened to you personally (yet), does not mean that it isn't an issue for others.

I never said it isn't an issue for others, which is why I asked in the thread if other were having issues.

The same could be said about you having issues, doesn't mean that it is widespread.

I have seen more people complain about Wifi issues than Ethernet issues on their ATV on the forum, at least what I can remember.

If you search Ethernet apple TV issues you will find that it is a widespread issue, and has been for years.

No luck for widespread Ethernet issues with the ATV.

I searched google and the MR Forum. The Google results were not anything out of the norm. The MR forum, after a few pages in, nothing remarkable. Some saying that the Ethernet link speed is only 100Mbps from what I found in the search. I think I participated on some of those threads. I remember at least one, someone was using the ATV4, which was only 100Mbps max.

Nothing about ATVs causing networks to crash with using Ethernet. Maybe there are, if you know where they are at, maybe you could post them here.

The older one once completely crashed my network

I am an IT professional

Can you explain what you mean by "completely crashed" your network?

As someone that is not an IT professional, I genuinely what to know.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Just FYI

I have had issues on multiple different apple TVs when running them on Ethernet. The older one once completely crashed my network, and even my 2021 has had issues.

I run them on wifi, and would discourage using Ethernet, unless it is not possible to get a strong wifi signal in the room.

Getting a strong wifi signal is generally NOT a problem. The problem is consistently keeping it.

As you know, wifi is dynamic demand. You may be streaming something on TV and doing things on a phone or tablet too. Others at your place may be coming and going and eating wifi bandwidth when there. Ethernet bypasses all that dynamic demand and tends to be much more reliable and stable.

You had some bad experiences but that must be atypical. The general rule of thumb is when one can use ethernet vs. wifi, they should use ethernet. As an IT Professional, I would be very surprised to learn that whoever you work for is leaning heavily on wifi instead of ethernet for corporate networking. That bet is not saying your company probably doesn't use wifi at all- just assuming on a wild guess that there is an enormous amount of cat-X cable running through the corporate network to link it all together... and wifi is just some connection/convenience icing on top of that more stable cake.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

If you search Ethernet apple TV issues you will find that it is a widespread issue, and has been for years.

Just because it has not happened to you personally (yet), does not mean that it isn't an issue for others.

My network is all enterprise grade, and I am an IT professional, so I doubt that the issue is on my side.

Yes but if you search wifi issues appleTV, you can find that it also has "widespread issues, and has for years." In fact, you can search for about any topic- pro or con- and find examples of others experiencing the same.

While I'm just ONE user, I've had every AppleTV from the first generation. Ethernet has worked great with all of them. So if we cancel each other out over this issue, I suspect the rest of the AppleTV crowd able to use both will generally find that ethernet works better than wifi... especially in homes where there is competition for wifi bandwidth.

OP says they don't have great wifi. It sounds like they intend to try to improve that (presumably with a router upgrade). It also reads like there is at least potential for a new AppleTV to get an ethernet connection. If she has that capability, I strongly believe she should connect that way. If they "don't have great wifi" because they have a bunch of wifi demands in the house, ethernet to new AppleTV will bypass all that.

 

[dukebound85]

I’m not tech savvy with this sort of stuff. I’d like to get Apple TV - had one years ago. I don’t have great wifi, but we are supposed to be upgrading our service with that.

I’m wondering what purpose ethernet serves, and if maybe in my situation it would be helpful.

Also, can I connect homepod mini to Apple TV, and how difficult is that for the non-tech-savvy type?

buy them both

 

[ssledoux]

I guess it all depends on what you mean by not great Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is what the router sends out for a wireless connection.
Ethernet is a wired connection from the device to the router.
If what you’re actually meaning is the broadband speed that’s delivered to your property isn’t very good then you more than likely won’t see any improvement regardless of using Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

Well that’s what I meant. My wifi signal is actually really great when the weather isn’t terrible. We just don’t get great speeds, although my husband is working on getting a business account set up here, so we should see big improvements there.

 

[ssledoux]

Think of wifi like a whole pie. Each thing you connect via wifi is eating a slice of that pie. Video streaming tends to eat a big(gest) slice of the pie.

Wifi "pie" is limited. There is only so much pie available. When there are high demands on wifi, there is little pie left for anything else that wants to connect and use some wifi.

You reference "we" in your post. So there's at least two of you sharing wifi. Maybe you are a family and there is 3+, all trying to get a slice of the wifi pie at the same time? Since there is only so much pie to go around, some may be disappointed with "our bad/slow wifi" at times when stuff like video streaming is hogging a bunch of your wifi bandwidth.

Remedy: anything you can possibly connect with ethernet instead of wifi is tech that is using ZERO wifi bandwidth: it eats no pie at all because it is getting its internet from a different pool.

So, given a reasonable opportunity to connect via wifi or ethernet, always choose the ethernet option. That would be like saving slices of pie for anyone else who is hungry for it. Each ethernet connection is "saving" free wifi bandwidth for anyone needing to connect that way (phones, tablet, laptop, tech where it's simply impossible to route an ethernet cable, etc).

In addition, in spite of very impressive theoretical speeds of wifi touted in marketing, wired connections will generally be faster and even more stable than wireless. So again, given the option of either- even if you have to go to a little trouble getting an ethernet cable to the right spot- use ethernet.

Else, when the pie is fully consumed, there is no more wifi for anyone/anything else to tap until somebody/something frees up their usage. Let your "we" have a few friends over and each of them jumps on your wifi and the pie pan can very quickly be empty. Then it turns into "something is wrong with our wifi" or "our wifi is way too slow right now." No, all the wifi you have is gobbled up by too much current demand. However, even in that scenario, anything hooked up via ethernet is likely to work as usual.

That’s a great explanation. I say we because it’s my husband and me, although he rarely uses any wifi here, and we never stream, although we may be able to when we upgrade our internet.

The only issue is, where my modem sits is in one room, and cannot move, and where I want the Apple TV is in another room, so Ethernet seems like it’s not gonna do much for me.

 

[ssledoux]

What @HobeSoundDarryl said.

Plus, Wi-Fi routers use a radio signal to transmit to and from each device it is connected to. I would not be surprised if you have 30 or more devices connected to your router as so many devices these days have Wi-Fi. The router actually routes traffic to and from these devices, and just like rush hour traffic, sometimes speed can come to a crawl. If few devices are currently requesting band width (a slice of the pie), then those that are probably will get it. But if many devices are requesting band width simultaneously, you can get a traffic jam and signal strength can drop so low as to cause temporary disruptions in streaming. Also, since the router uses radio signals, those signals can be interfered with by other devices. So Wi-Fi can be problematic in some cases.

Ethernet on the other hand, is not as susceptible to interference or band width, is much more reliable, and much more stable. If you are currently experiencing a lot of interruptions and problems when streaming TV video, then ethernet might be the solution. It only takes around 25 Mbps of speed to reliably stream 4K TV, but if the speed fluctuates a lot then you can have issues, and ethernet is more likely to keep the fluctuations under control than Wi-Fi. If you have 100+ Mbps internet speed, Wi-Fi might work fine, but a bad or old router can even have trouble with that if the total demand leaves less than 25 Mbps available for your streaming box.

I recommend running ethernet to all streaming boxes if possible. Alternatively, get a newer router that can handle traffic more efficiently. Also make sure you internet speed is high enough to support your devices.

Well, we are rural and our wifi is password protected, so not a lot of random traffic.

As mentioned above, my Apple TV wouldn’t be near my router, so Ethernet doesn’t seem like an option for me.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

That’s a great explanation. I say we because it’s my husband and me, although he rarely uses any wifi here, and we never stream, although we may be able to when we upgrade our internet.

The only issue is, where my modem sits is in one room, and cannot move, and where I want the Apple TV is in another room, so Ethernet seems like it’s not gonna do much for me.

Ahhh,the great adventure of HOW to get some ethernet cable where you want it. Up and through the Attic? Basement? Etc. Sometimes “where there is a will…” applies to this one.

Option 2: if you try wifi and it’s not quite delivering, there’s this other option called Powerline ethernet,which can sometimes get you an ethernet link through existing power lines in your home. The plug at modem and plug at AppleTV locations might be able to work with ethernet.

So try improved wifi first and if it is insufficient, maybe order 2 Powerline boxes and try that kind of Ethernet connection. That worked very well for some of my relatives with no good way to route an Ethernet cable between router and their AppleTV.

Option 3: I’m guessing you are buying a new router to try to get better wifi vs what you have now. There’s an option there called mesh wifi which basically gives you “nodes” to spread wifi around a home. Some of those come with a few ethernet ports on them. Router makes a wifi 6 or 6e link to a mesh node you put near your AppleTV. Use ethernet cable to connect node to AppleTV. This is like running a virtual ethernet cable from router to that node.

 

[Prorege1]

If you aren't tech savvy and need better WiFi coverage then Google Nest WiFi is an easy way to extend the wireless coverage in your home. Just plug one unit in your router and place the 2nd/3rd unit in other places around your house and set it up using your phone.

Google Nest WiFi Router 3 Pack ( One Router & Two extenders) 2ndGEneration 4x4 AC2200 Mesh Wi-Fi Routers with 6600 Sq Ft Coverage (Renewed)

Intelligently works behind the scenes to make sure your Wi-Fi remains fast. 3 Walk from room to room on a video call with an uninterrupted signal Nest Wifi automatically updates itself to get new features and help your network stay safe and sound

www.amazon.com

 

[ssledoux]

If you aren't tech savvy and need better WiFi coverage then Google Nest WiFi is an easy way to extend the wireless coverage in your home. Just plug one unit in your router and place the 2nd/3rd unit in other places around your house and set it up using your phone.

Google Nest WiFi Router 3 Pack ( One Router & Two extenders) 2ndGEneration 4x4 AC2200 Mesh Wi-Fi Routers with 6600 Sq Ft Coverage (Renewed)

Intelligently works behind the scenes to make sure your Wi-Fi remains fast. 3 Walk from room to room on a video call with an uninterrupted signal Nest Wifi automatically updates itself to get new features and help your network stay safe and sound

www.amazon.com

The coverage isn’t an issue around the house - signal is fine. It’s my service in general. We are rural, and at the mercy of satellite.

 

[belvdr]

The coverage isn’t an issue around the house - signal is fine. It’s my service in general. We are rural, and at the mercy of satellite.

I wouldn't consider hard wiring anything, based on what you describe.