How To Understand a Wired or Wireless Network

To make a decision on whether to install a wired or wireless network in your home, let's consider the aspects of mobility, security, performance and cost as they apply to each type. Hopefully the brief analysis discussed below will shed some light on the matter.

1. Mobility

Wired networks make use of Ethernet cables, so mobility is definitely out of the question. If most or all of the computers in your home are desktops, a wired network would probably be suitable. Pick a good place to permanently position your PCs and install the cables and routers accordingly. Cables can easily get cluttered and can eventually lead to accidents. So a main concern in building a wired home network is a judicious positioning of the cables. Don't let them cross open floor spaces. As much as possible, run the cables along the walls. However, if you or most of the people in your home happen to be laptop users, a wireless network would most likely be more convenient. There's no danger of anybody tripping over lengths of cables, and users have the freedom to move around and settle in any area yet still remain connected as long as they're within range.

2. Security

This is where wireless networks mostly take a hit. Because wireless communication signals travel through radio airwaves, they can easily be intercepted. Leechers or people who steal bandwidth resources are a common problem with wireless home networks. There are, however, solutions that can be applied to make a wireless network practically as secure as a wired one. Some examples are MAC address filtering, WEP encryption and limiting the signal range to within the home area. If you live in a single-detached type of home, this last solution could work well. But in an apartment building where only walls separate residents, you could still be vulnerable. Filtering and encryption will keep you safe even if your signal bleeds into the next apartment unit. But a determined hacker living next door still has a chance to make an intrusion, and he probably doesn't even have to get up from the couch to do so.

3. Performance

Historically, wired networks had better data transfer rates, but new standards of wireless networking are now fast enough to make Internet browsing as comfortable as in wired networks. In terms of Heavy LAN gaming, however, wired networks are still more capable. The latest standards of wireless networking can achieve a speed of 54 Mbps while wired networks offer 100 Mbps. These figures are only theoretical upper limits and are rarely achieved by either type of network.

4. Cost

Currently, wired network hardware devices are still cheaper than those necessary to establish a wireless network. But the price difference is gradually narrowing and may soon be an insignificant issue for those who can afford to stretch their pockets a little more.

So should you go wired or wireless? Regular home users need to carefully consider the pros and cons of both types of networks and make an honest assessment of their resources, needs, habits and environment to make the right choice between the two.