Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet

THE SHORT ANSWER: IS ETHERNET BETTER THAN WI-FI?

For fixed devices, Ethernet is usually better. It is not always dramatically faster, but it is more consistent. In this M500 setup, Ethernet gave the best all-round result: 535 Mbps down, 52 Mbps up and 10 ms ping.

Wi-Fi is not “bad” though. Close to the router, Wi-Fi 6 reached 498 Mbps down, which is more than enough for streaming, browsing, downloads and most work. The trade-off is that Wi-Fi depends on distance, walls, floors, interference and the device you are using.

WHAT I TESTED

I wanted this to be a normal home test, not a perfect lab setup. The line, router and house are the kind of combination many UK broadband customers will recognise.

I tested three everyday connection types: Ethernet cable, Wi-Fi 6 close range and Wi-Fi 6 upstairs from the router. The upstairs result matters because a lot of real homes have the router downstairs and the office or bedroom upstairs.

ETHERNET VS WI-FI SPEED: WHAT HAPPENED?

Ethernet was the fastest connection, but close-range Wi-Fi 6 was not far behind. The wired result came in at 535 Mbps down, which is slightly above the advertised average for Virgin Media M500. Close-range Wi-Fi 6 reached 498 Mbps down, so in the same room it still felt very quick.

The bigger difference appeared upstairs. Wi-Fi 6 from the upper floor still produced a strong download result at 431.3 Mbps, but upload dipped to 41.9 Mbps and latency rose to 27 ms. That is the part you are more likely to notice in games, video calls and anything sensitive to delay.

Your own numbers will depend on the router, device, house layout and interference nearby, but the pattern is the important bit: Ethernet is the most predictable, Wi-Fi close to the router can be excellent, and Wi-Fi further away is where performance starts to move around.

The wired result was slightly above the plan's advertised average of 516 Mbps, which is normal for a healthy cable broadband line that has some overhead room. Close-range Wi-Fi 6 reached about 93% of the Ethernet download speed, so it felt very similar for browsing, streaming and large downloads. The upper-floor Wi-Fi result was still usable, but it was still well below the wired download speed and produced much more variable ping.

If your Ethernet is slower than Wi-Fi, something is wrong or limited: the Ethernet cable may be damaged, the device might only be connecting at 100 Mbps, the router port may be limited, or the network adapter driver may need attention. In a normal Gigabit Ethernet vs Wi-Fi setup, Ethernet should not be the bottleneck on an M500-style broadband plan.

PING, JITTER AND GAMING

For gaming, download speed is only part of the story. A connection can look fast in a speed test and still feel rough if the ping jumps around. That is why Ethernet is usually the better choice for a gaming PC, PS5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch dock.

In this setup, Ethernet measured 10 ms ping and 1.1 ms jitter. Close-range Wi-Fi 6 was close at 12 ms ping and 2.8 ms jitter. Upstairs from the router, Wi-Fi 6 rose to 27 ms latency and 7.4 ms jitter, with small packet-loss spikes.

That does not mean upstairs Wi-Fi is unusable. It means Ethernet gives you fewer surprises. If you play competitive games, use voice chat or stream through cloud gaming, the steadier connection is usually the one you want.

STREAMING, VIDEO CALLS AND WORKING FROM HOME

For streaming, the issue is not usually whether your line is “fast enough”. It is whether the connection stays steady. When Wi-Fi wobbles, you see buffering, lower picture quality or a stream that takes longer to start.

The same applies to work calls. Ethernet is worth using for Zoom, Teams, remote desktop, VPNs, file uploads and cloud software. In this test, Ethernet held 52 Mbps upload with low jitter. Upstairs Wi-Fi 6 still managed 41.9 Mbps upload, but the higher 27 ms latency makes it less ideal for a permanent home office.

RELIABILITY, SECURITY AND INTERFERENCE

Ethernet has one boring advantage that matters: it does not care about the neighbour’s Wi-Fi, microwave interference, Bluetooth congestion, thick walls or where you happen to be sitting. If the cable and port are good, the link is normally steady.

Wi-Fi gives you freedom, but it has more things working against it. Distance, floors, furniture and solid walls all weaken the signal. In this 1930s semi-detached house, upstairs Wi-Fi was still usable, but it could not match the wired connection for latency and consistency.

Security is more balanced. Modern Wi-Fi with a strong password and current encryption is fine for normal home use. Ethernet simply removes the wireless part of the connection, which can be useful for work devices, office desktops and anything you want to keep as predictable as possible.

HOW TO SWITCH FROM WI-FI TO ETHERNET

Switching is usually just a case of plugging one end of an Ethernet cable into a LAN port on the router and the other end into your PC, console, TV or laptop adapter. Most devices will automatically prefer the wired connection.

1. Use a Cat5e, Cat6 or better Ethernet cable for gigabit home broadband.
2. Plug the cable into a LAN port on the router, not the broadband input port.
3. Plug the other end into the device's Ethernet port or USB Ethernet adapter.
4. Check the device shows a wired connection and, if needed, disconnect Wi-Fi.
5. Run a speed test and compare Ethernet vs Wi-Fi speed, ping and upload stability.

IF ETHERNET IS SLOWER THAN WI-FI

If your Ethernet speed is slower than Wi-Fi, check for a 100 Mbps link speed, try another cable, restart the router, update the network adapter driver and test another router port. Ethernet connected but no internet can also point to a disabled adapter, wrong IP settings, a damaged cable or a router issue.

IF WI-FI WORKS BUT ETHERNET DOESN'T

When Wi-Fi works but Ethernet doesn't, the broadband line itself is probably working. Focus on the cable, the device's Ethernet port, the router LAN port, Windows or macOS network settings, and whether the device is still prioritising Wi-Fi instead of the wired connection.

WHICH SHOULD YOU USE: WI-FI OR ETHERNET?

The best home setup is usually both. Use Ethernet where the device stays put and Wi-Fi where the device moves. That gives you the convenience of wireless without making your most demanding devices fight for signal.

If running Ethernet everywhere is not realistic, mesh Wi-Fi with Ethernet backhaul is a good middle ground. The mesh nodes talk to each other over cable, while phones and laptops still connect wirelessly.

FINAL VERDICT

Ethernet wins if you care about the most stable connection. In this test it was the fastest and cleanest option, with 535 Mbps down, 52 Mbps up and 10 ms ping.

Wi-Fi 6 is still very good when the signal is strong. Close range, it reached 498 Mbps down, which is plenty for most households. Upstairs from the router, it still managed 431.3 Mbps down and 41.9 Mbps up, but latency rose to 27 ms.

So the practical answer is simple: cable the devices that matter most, and leave Wi-Fi for everything else.

SOURCES

These are the standards and regulator resources used for background checks, alongside the home test results listed in the article.

1. IEEE 802.3-2022 — Ethernet standard information.
2. IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group — Ethernet standards working group.
3. Cisco: What is Wi-Fi 6? — overview of Wi-Fi 6 and IEEE 802.11ax terminology.
4. Ofcom: Improving your Wi-Fi experience — UK regulator advice on home Wi-Fi.
5. Ofcom: Practical tips for improving your broadband speed — advice on testing and improving broadband performance.