Is 802.11ac good enough to avoid using ethernet?

Whiffle

Whiffle

Whiffle

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Joined
27 Jul 2009
Posts
386
Hi there.

I had a miserable long weekend trying to tidy up my messy network.

I wanted to put ethernet sockets in all the rooms of my bungalow but they way it is built has meant that it is going to be more trouble than it is worth.

As a general rule, is 802.11ac fast enough that most people can get away without ethernet?

The only things that really need a fast wired connection are my server and my Digibit R1 SAT>IP box and both of those can remain plugged in.

My desktop PC could have a PCIe card and all my Smart TV can continue to use its inbuilt connectivity.

I have lots of Raspberry Pis, on my network, that I use to watch HDTV - if I make sure they all have 802.11ac dongles, I assume that they will operate as before.

What do you think?
 
Define fast enough lol :p

But yes, it's fast enough as a rule of thumb.
What may be a bigger factor is latency. WiFi can have latency spikes due to several factors whereas you don't get this sort of issues with a dedicated ethernet setup.
If you don't play online games then latency isn't so much of a big issue
 
Have you tried using power line adaptors?

I think most of devices can be on wireless without seeing any issues. That obviously depend on coverage. But your house is bungalow so all at one level, the signal reduction caused by walls will be less of a problem when compared with houses.

Streaming TV content over WiFi should not be an issue whatsoever. 802.11ac is the WiFi standard. But within that many manufacture has different bandwidth for instance some will call AC900 and others AC1200 etc etc. You need to find out what your device can operate one either 2.4ghz or 5ghz. Usually the 2.4ghz is limited to max 450mbps so for AC900 for instance that’s would be a 300/600 split for 2.4ghz/5ghz. Also remember those numbers are never achieved. You will be lucky to sync at those speeds even standing next to the wireless AP/router let alone the actual transfer rate. But the 5ghz link assuming you get a decent sync, will be superior than 100mb hardwire line. Which is more than enough for any streaming
 
I don't get an issue what so ever on WiFi or Ethernet or Powerlines. I have a mixed environment.

ISP = Zen Internet (80/20)
> BT Open Reach Modem
Router = Apple Airport Express > 8 Port Switch
Mixed 3 Powerline + WiFi Extenders (TP Link ++ Netgear)
WiFi N from Apple Airport + WiFi Powerline Extenders
+ Direct network to switch from various points.
 
I've used it in the past before i wired up for cat6 around the house. Was fine and i managed to saturate connection. But as pointed out its latency and more so jitter that affects things like gaming. Fine though if you don't intend on playing competitive shooters etc.
 
Speed isn't a problem with WiFi these days (compared to GbE anyway), it's more about latency and reliability. I would always use wired for gaming and streaming, for example.
 
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