As a gamer, you must be aware of the fact that a poor internet connection can ruin your whole gaming experience. Having high ping can completely ruin your online gaming experience and high latency is common in home networks. It is not possible to completely eliminate latency but we can try several things to reduce it and make the gaming experience as smooth as possible.
One of the ways to reduce lag and latency in online gaming is by switching over to ethernet instead of WiFi. An ethernet connection is a better choice for gaming because of the advantages that it has over a wireless connection. If you are a casual gamer who plays games then switching to ethernet isn’t suggested but if you are an intense online gamer then switching over to an ethernet connection is the right option for you to get the best gaming experience. Today, we will be discussing some of the reasons why you should switch over to a wired network for gaming:
Faster Speeds
When you choose a wired network then you are guaranteed to get faster speeds than a wireless network. All the ethernet cables that are available in the market are capable of transferring speeds well over what your ISP provides. Most of the ethernet cables available in the market are category 6 Ethernet cables that are capable of transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps and most gaming PCs have Gigabit ethernet ports nowadays, which means that they can support speeds well over 1 Gbps.
Another reason behind fast speeds is that there is no loss of signal or data through the data as there is with a wireless network. Therefore, a wired network is able to provide faster speeds as compared to a wireless network. To measure the data, you may perform an internet speed test to calculate the difference between wired and wireless connections.
Low Latency
A wired connection or an ethernet cable connection has generally less latency than a wireless network. Latency is the time it takes for the signal to leave your device, reach the request server, and return to you. In online gaming, having low latency means a faster and more stable connection.
With a wireless connection, multiple factors play a role in determining the latency of the network including the signal strength, the distance between your device and wireless router, how many devices are connected, and interference from other wireless devices nearby. Whereas with a wired connection, all of these factors don’t play a role due to which the latency is generally lower than a wireless connection resulting in a smooth gaming experience.
Reliability
An ethernet connection is also more reliable than a wireless network and you will notice the difference yourself. An ethernet connection delivers a constant speed whether you are playing Apex Legends, or watching a movie on Netflix. With a wireless network, you will notice the difference in speeds when you move close to or away from the router. This can be minimized by placing the router in a central position in the house but it is still challenging to achieve constant speeds as an ethernet connection.
No Interference
With an ethernet connection, if you buy a high-quality ethernet cable once then you won’t be having any problems in the future, whereas, with a WiFi network, you are always prone to signal loss and interference regardless if you are using leading broadband provider such as Jio. A wireless network transmits signals through radio waves. Radio waves are always prone to interference and obstructions by other objects nearby. Walls, doors, floors, and wireless devices can interfere with the signals from your WiFi network causing a reduction in the signal quality and strength of the connection, which can ultimately cause packet loss and result in a poor online gaming experience.
With a wired connection, you are not prone to any such problems. The connection is direct from your internet modem to your PC which cannot be disrupted by anything, assuring that you have a smooth gaming experience without any packet loss.
Better Security
An ethernet connection has also better security as compared to a wireless network. An encrypted wireless network can be hacked using different methods such as brute force and the WiFi signals can be intercepted. To be able to connect to an Ethernet network, you will need a physical connection between the device and the modem, which is impossible if you don’t let any strangers in. As a gamer, there is a minute chance that someone might hack into your network but not on a wired connection.