Ethernet vs Wi-Fi
A wired Ethernet connection beats Wi-Fi on every metric that matters for gaming, calls, and streaming — speed, latency, jitter, and reliability. Here's why and when it matters.
Ethernet wins on every metric
Lower latency, lower jitter, higher throughput, zero wireless interference, no range limitation. The only downside is the cable.
Wi-Fi is good enough for most things
Modern Wi-Fi 6 delivers 500–800 Mbps in the same room as the router. For streaming, browsing, and casual gaming, Wi-Fi is rarely the bottleneck.
Speed comparison
| Connection | Max throughput | Typical home speed | Latency added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat 5e Ethernet | 1 Gbps | Full ISP speed | < 0.5 ms |
| Cat 6 Ethernet | 10 Gbps | Full ISP speed | < 0.5 ms |
| Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) — same room | 9.6 Gbps theoretical | 400–800 Mbps | 2–5 ms |
| Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) — same room | 3.5 Gbps theoretical | 200–400 Mbps | 3–8 ms |
| Wi-Fi 5 — through 2 walls | — | 50–150 Mbps | 5–20 ms |
| Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) — same room | 600 Mbps theoretical | 50–150 Mbps | 5–15 ms |
Why Ethernet has lower latency
Wi-Fi introduces latency through two mechanisms that Ethernet avoids entirely:
- CSMA/CA (Collision Avoidance) — Wi-Fi devices must listen before transmitting and back off if the channel is busy. This adds random delays, especially in congested environments. Ethernet uses collision detection with deterministic backoff, making it more predictable.
- Retransmissions — Radio signals are affected by interference, walls, and distance. When a Wi-Fi frame is corrupted, it must be retransmitted — adding the full round-trip delay again. A well-run wired network has near-zero frame errors.
Why Ethernet has lower jitter
Jitter is the variation in latency over time. Wi-Fi jitter is primarily caused by channel contention — the random delays from other devices accessing the shared wireless medium. On a quiet channel in an empty room, Wi-Fi jitter can approach 1 ms. In a dense flat building during the evening, it can spike to 30–50 ms. Ethernet jitter is consistently under 0.5 ms regardless of how many other wired devices are on the network. Learn more about jitter →
When Wi-Fi is good enough
For most everyday uses, a good Wi-Fi connection is perfectly adequate:
- Streaming video — Netflix 4K needs 25 Mbps; even congested Wi-Fi handles this easily
- Web browsing — page load times depend far more on server response times than local Wi-Fi speed
- Standard video calls — Zoom and Teams need 3–8 Mbps; Wi-Fi delivers this reliably at close range
- Casual gaming — single-player or turn-based online games are unaffected by Wi-Fi jitter
When you should switch to Ethernet
- Competitive gaming — Wi-Fi jitter causes rubber-banding and desync in fast-paced shooters
- Professional video calls — important calls deserve the reliability of wired
- Large file transfers — uploading to cloud storage, backing up to NAS, or downloading large games
- Home server or NAS — network storage needs consistent throughput, not burst speed
- Smart TVs and streaming boxes — 4K HDR streams benefit from the extra headroom
How to switch to Ethernet
- Run an Ethernet cable (Cat 5e or Cat 6) from your router to your device — or to a switch if you need multiple ports in the same area
- For devices without a built-in Ethernet port (modern laptops, some consoles): use a USB-C to Ethernet adapter or USB-A to Ethernet adapter
- For Powerline adapters: plug one unit near the router (connected by Ethernet), another near your device — they use the home's electrical wiring as a network medium. Slower than direct Ethernet but avoids cable runs
- For MoCA adapters: use existing coaxial cable runs (if your home has them) as a network medium — similar performance to Powerline but often faster
Test the difference yourself
Run a Jitter Test on Wi-Fi, then again on Ethernet. The jitter reduction is usually the most dramatic difference — often from 15–40 ms on Wi-Fi to 0.5–2 ms on Ethernet on the same ISP connection.