Is a connection via wireless slower than though a cord?

[imported_myst]

Im getting a router tomorrow...
it has wireless access as well as ports for wired plugins..
if i use wireless, will it be slower than if i have my computer plugged into the router? or is there no difference?

 

[ValuedCustomer]

It depends on the router. They're not all the same y'know..

 

[imported_myst]

NetGear Wireless G router

 

[mechBgon]

If you use the wireless part, enable the strongest encryption that it supports. If you don't use the wireless part... enable the strongest encryption that it supports anyway or else disable the wireless capability. Assuming you live near other people.

 

[amdskip]

Surfing the internet, no. File transfer, yes but unless you are moving large files its really not that bad.

 

[Pabster]

Yes. A wireless connection is always slower than a wired one.

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: Pabster
Yes. A wireless connection is always slower than a wired one.

In actually bandwidth, they usually are. However, in virtually all situations, the connection won't be using full bandwidth.

 

[phisrow]

Wireless is considerably slower than wired; but your connection to the internet is likely a good bit slower than either. For browsing you won't notice, for gaming the slightly higher ping might bother you, for intranet type tasks it may well be noticably worse. Don't bother for routine file transfers and stuff; but 802.11G isn't exactly going to replace your switched gigabit backbone anytime soon.

 

[Djhazzard]

Depends.

A 802.11b wirless connection is slower than a 802.11g. An 802.11G only has a MAX transfer rate of 50MB a sec...you only get that if you are within 50 feet of the router. In my opinion, if you can live with out the wireless i would go with wired. With wired, and you have your router configured right, you have unlimited transfer rates.

Wired is better!

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Djhazzard
Depends.

A 802.11b wirless connection is slower than a 802.11g. An 802.11G only has a MAX transfer rate of 50MB a sec...you only get that if you are within 50 feet of the router. In my opinion, if you can live with out the wireless i would go with wired. With wired, and you have your router configured right, you have unlimited transfer rates.

Wired is better!

Consumer wireless cannot get 50MB a second.

100mb is not unlimited.

 

[Leros]

I have 802.1G setup. My main computer is wired and I can get up to 4.5Mbps internet (max of my conection). The computer in the next room, which is one the wirless) only gets 1.3Mbps.

Same source for download:
wired = 500kbps
wireless = 350kbps

 

[yosuke188]

Wired is definitely better. Especially if wireless means going through walls (I get so much packetloss in games it's not even funny).

 

[samgau]

Also for wireless you have to consider the overhead of encryption, if you have a very fast pc, then it is less noticable, but if your pc is on the older side then you will feel it especially when transfering large amount of data over the wlan.

btw, the bandwidth for regular G is 54 Mbits ie less than 7 MBytes per second... but realistically, between 10% and 30% of that is what you get.... esp when using windows file sharing...