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Using ethernet cable

carregwen — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:01:20 GMT

I'm on BT 900 broadband and have new EE router located downstairs and extender which is located upstairs. Plugging my smartphone in the router using an ethernet cable I get 850 download speed and about 450 when using wifi in the same room near the router. Upstairs if I use wifi I get the same 450, but if I use the ethernet cable I get 850 as I do downstairs in the router. Does that mean the speed between router and extender is the same (850) in which case why do I not get that higher speed when using wifi from the extender and have to use cable?

Re: Using ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:18:58 GMT

Well, I could sit up half the night answering this but I need to go to bed so let’s keep it short.

WiFi and Ethernet are two completely different transmission systems. WiFi, by its very nature, has a whole lot going on behind the scenes that ethernet does not. For a start, one is half-duplex and the other is full duplex. One uses CSMA CA the other CSMA CD for contention management. As its unbound media, WiFi has to encrypt at one end and decrypt at the other and ethernet doesn’t etc. I could go on but, as I said, it’s getting late.

Suffice it to say, any techie of my generation will tell you if you want a proper network you use wires. Wireless is only used where you can’t put wires in.

Re: Using ethernet cable

carregwen — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:29:31 GMT

I agree about using wires - same with music systems.

Sleep well!💤💤💤