We tend to forget that mobile phone can not only connect to the Internet via wireless WiFi networks, but also supports wired Ethernet connection. Of course you need a USB C to RJ-45 connector adapter: Once you try playing in wired mode, you won’t do it any other way. And it’s not expensive at all.
Coming home and letting your phone pair with the hotspot for instant internet connection is dead simple. We don’t even have to do anything, everything is automatic. The problem is this: does WiFi make the most of the capabilities of a fiber tariff? Depending on the subscribed speed, the truth is no: as long as you have 1 Gbps or more it’s going to cost you a lot to download so fast.
Cable will always be faster than WiFi. And with less interference
The above is under normal conditions and in relation to the limits of the technology, since wireless networks are affected by much more interference than wired networks. I suffered from this when I increased my fiber speed to 1 Gbps: until I managed to touch the border above, I had to run a lot of tests.
On a theoretical level, WiFi 5, WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E connectivity offer sufficient bandwidth and transfer rate to take advantage of all the advantages of a contracted fiber network with a speed of 1 Gbps. In practice, it’s almost impossibleeven performed speed tests a few meters from the router. WiFi 6E is more up to par, but it’s not as widespread.
After many attempts, having configured the WiFi 6 network, I once expanded the channel bandwidth to 160 MHz and tested with the latest devices compatible with the most modern wireless networks, I achieved download speeds that reached 75% Gbps. So there was only one step left for me to find out if I could achieve the speed I had contracted.
Taking advantage of the fact that I have a USB C docking station for the laptop which, in addition to the USB A and HDMI ports, also includes an RJ-45 connector, I plugged in the Google Pixel 8 Pro which I analysis directly on the router and via cable. And I immediately appreciated the huge difference between the two types of connection: as I already mentioned, interference reduces the effectiveness of radio frequency; interference which They do not affect the wiring.
A cable Internet connection is more stable, faster, offers greater bandwidth and experiences less interference. The cable used is decisive
Even though the results are more than visible, connecting a mobile phone to the Internet using a network cable is not really the most comfortable solution. However, there are certain situations in which this comes in extremely handy. And since it has a dock with multiple ports, I can dock the wired connection to the cell phone via the RJ-45 connector, plug it into the TV via the HDMI port, I power the mobile with USB C from the dock and I have the option to add a mouse and keyboard via USB A to the set. You may have imagined it: the perfect combo for mobile games.
Situations in which it is worth connecting the mobile phone to the router via cable
Yes, mobile data can also be shared via Ethernet cable
Through testing, I refined the configuration until I found the situations that best benefit from the Ethernet connection. Having a cable in the middle of the dining room isn’t worth it, and it’s not always worth connecting the phone that way. However, it can be operated in the following environments:
- As a gaming machine. I already mentioned it: the assembly is perfect for those who use the cell phone in games like PUBG or Genshin Impact. Also to take advantage of services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: marvelous, I can attest to that.
- As a media player. Do you have an old Android at home? Turn it into a streaming and local content player; making sure you have the best internet connection possible.
- As a mobile modem. This doesn’t work on all phones, but yours may support it: as in my case, Android supports tethering via the Ethernet port. So all you need to do is connect the mobile phone via cable to the router and configure the WAN there. It is perfect for covering your holiday home with WiFi for example.
Cover image | Ivan Linares
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