Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi for Smart Homes: A Guide to Which Devices You Should Hardwire
You've invested in the smart home dream. You have smart speakers, high-resolution security cameras, a brilliant 4K TV, and a powerful gaming console. Yet, your futuristic home often feels frustratingly dumb. Your security feed buffers, your movie night is interrupted by lag, and your voice assistant takes a few seconds too long to respond. The problem isn't your devices. The problem is that you’re asking your Wi-Fi network to do a job it was never designed for. While Wi-Fi is a miracle of convenience for mobile devices, a truly high-performance smart home is built on a powerful hybrid network: a rock-solid wired backbone for your most important devices, which in turn frees up your Wi-Fi to be faster and more reliable for everything else. This guide will walk you through which devices you should always connect with an Ethernet cable to build a truly smart and responsive home. The Golden Rule of Smart Home Networking: If It Doesn't Move, Wire It. This simple...