Wireless technology, known as "Wi-Fi," has surpassed Ethernet cables as the main technology for wiring home networks, according to a new research report.
The survey, by research firms Parks Associates, found that 52 percent of U.S. households with a home network were using wireless technology, compared with 50 percent for Ethernet and about 5 percent for power line networking via electrical wires. (The numbers don't add up to 100 because some homes use a combination of technologies.)
It's the first time Wi-Fi has outpaced Ethernet, which the report attributes to growing Wi-Fi support among broadband providers. Most major broadband companies offer to help you hook up a new account via Wi-Fi equipment, an attractive option for those who haven't set up a home network yet or want to do more than the Ethernet setup allows.
This may become more significant in the future as companies from Intel to Whirlpool are pushing media gadgets, appliances and other devices that require a connection to the Internet, a central PC or both. Having wireless makes these products far more attractive since you don't have to run more wire throughout your house.
Our home uses both Ethernet and wireless technology for connecting computers to each other and to the Internet. The main reason we chose Ethernet was we were wired long before wireless was available at a reasonable price. Adding wireless technology has allowed me to use my laptop anywhere inside the house or on the patio during warmer times...and it allows our guests to connect to the Internet. I think if I were going to start over today, I would use wireless only, as it is so much easier to setup ( I hate crawling under my house to run wire).
If you want to consider a wireless network for your home, you might consider one of these three routers. We use the Netgear and it has performed flawlessly.
No comments:
Post a Comment