Wireless or Hardwired?

Should I use wireless or hardwired for my “Gig" service?

Short answer, hardwired.

Long answer. Hardwired is the best possible way to experience the full speeds we offer. Best rule of thumb is anything that can be hardwired, should be hardwired.

When compared to wireless, hardwired is much less susceptible to interference and provides a much faster and more reliable connection.

It is important to use the proper cables when connecting with the hardwired method. Cat5e is the minimum ethernet cable type to support gigabit connectivity (not Cat5) and Cat6 is recommended.

Wireless can still be an option, but you will never be able get Gigabit* speeds over it.

See the wireless section for more details here.

Computers (Ethernet or USB Adapter to Ethernet)

• Is your computer capable of gigabit speeds? True for most computers manufactured after 2009.
• Does your computer have an Ethernet connector? Most recent laptops don’t have one; they require USB to Ethernet adapter.
• If your computer requires a USB to Ethernet adapter, is your computer capable of USB 3.0? True for many computers made after 2013.

*Due to ethernet overhead, actual download speeds are limited to around 900 Mbps over a hardwired connection. “Gig” speed is what is being provided to your home and each device on your network may get different speeds depending on various factors including but not limited to: connection type (wired or wireless), the wireless chip in the device, distance from router, number of solid objects between router and the device, the material that those objects are made of, and the device itself.