Desktops/ethernet? Laptops/WiFi??

jro11 · Dec 19, 2023

I received the following message:

"desktop computers are not designed to work over wifi. Their capacities to do so are highly variable and often quite limited. They are designed to be connected via ethernet."

Is this true?

bobkn · Dec 19, 2023

From whom?

IMHO, it's idiocy.

glasskuter · Dec 19, 2023

That's a bunch of marlarkey. Wifi works exactly the same no matter what device you use it on. Just where did that message originate. I will admit I've always been of the mind that ethernet is the best way to go, if it's possible, but it's not for some people. I will also admit that not all wireless adapters are equal, but that's true with any component one has.

idgat · Dec 19, 2023

jro11 said:
I received the following message:

From whom? How was it received? Was it in relation to your 12 year old Dell OptiPlex with a 2.4 GHz wi-fi stick in a USB 2.0 slot?

jro11 · Dec 19, 2023

bobkn said:
IMHO, it's idiocy.

My WiFi provider.

glasskuter said:
That's a bunch of marlarkey.

That's what I thought.

jro11 · Dec 19, 2023

idgat said:
Was it in relation to your 12 year old Dell OptiPlex with a 2.4 GHz wi-fi stick in a USB 2.0 slot?

What made you think this?

jro11 · Dec 19, 2023

It involves an old LinkSys router, a Netscape Nighthawk X4S Model R7800 AC2600 Smart WiFi Router, a Qualcomm Atheros Communications Inc. DW1525 (802.11n) router, and an older router who's name I don't have at my fingertips (but can find...)

glasskuter · Dec 19, 2023

idgat said:
Was it in relation to your 12 year old Dell OptiPlex with a 2.4 GHz wi-fi stick in a USB 2.0 slot?

jro11 said:
What made you think this?

I believe he was looking at my system specs instead of yours @jro11 and throwing a little shade at my backup Windows 10 system because it's so old. Well, that old girl may be old, but so am I. And she's very sensitive about her age. You hurt her feelings @idgat. She's 10, not 12, and holding up very well for a computer geriatric. :plead:

jimbo45 · Dec 19, 2023

jro11 said:
I received the following message:

"desktop computers are not designed to work over wifi. Their capacities to do so are highly variable and often quite limited. They are designed to be connected via ethernet."

Is this true?

I suppose the person who wrote that believes the earth really is flat and the moon is made of Green Cheese. USB2->Wifi has been around since "Pontius was a Pilot". So that's got to be at least back as far as 2004. Ethernet is a better bet usually although on old computers the LAN NIC might be fairly slow speed -- however changing the card for a faster LAN probably would work so long as the computer's bus speed is capable.

Had no trouble with desktop running XP and with a USB->wifi adapter back then.Note though with USB2->wifi your speed might be limited to the 54g standard and probably won't have 5GHZ access. (I assume no probs with ISP and router / cable box depending on what type of Internet you have).

Cheers
jimbo

idgat · Dec 19, 2023

jro11 said:
What made you think this?

Because that could be the only justification for such an errant comment as in your OP

wimorrison · Dec 19, 2023

jro11 said:
I received the following message:

"desktop computers are not designed to work over wifi. Their capacities to do so are highly variable and often quite limited. They are designed to be connected via ethernet."

Is this true?

Absolutely correct, however for most people they will not have the ISP speed to actually notice the difference.

The WiFi signal within a house can often be lower that the actual available speed because the WiFi signal is attenuated by all sorts of things this reducing the speed at the computer whereas an ethernet connection is not attenuated and will deliver 100% of the ISP speed to the computer. This is also why when you call your ISP to complain about the speed they will always require that you test with an ethernet connection and not a WiFi connection.

In practice many people will not notice the difference, however if ethernet is available then that should be used in preference to WiFi.

idgat · Dec 19, 2023

glasskuter said:
I believe he was looking at my system specs instead of yours @jro11 and throwing a little shade at my backup Windows 10 system because it's so old. Well, that old girl may be old, but so am I. And she's very sensitive about her age. You hurt her feelings @idgat. She's 10, not 12, and holding up very well for a computer geriatric.

And I've let my age slip by showing knowledge of such systems ....

abactuon · Dec 19, 2023

Dexktops/ethernet?

Ethernet is more reliable, faster and safer.
Laptops/WiFi??
The Apple MacBook doesn't seem to have ethernet.

wimorrison · Dec 19, 2023

abactuon said:
... The Apple MacBook doesn't seem to have ethernet.

Macbook Ethernet

Lots of others are available :wink:

jro11 · Dec 19, 2023

Oh boy...here's the story
Home Situation
The story behind this whole thing is that my WiFi network was running fine (11 - 12+ Mbps) using my old/outdated Netscape Nighthawk X4S Model R7800 AC2600 Smart WiFi Router extrended to a Netgear 5 port 10/100 Mbps Switch FS605 v3 and (and plugging it in the back of the 4-port SmallIspRouter--I'll get the name in a few hours--it's 0343 right now) and another old/outdated LinkSys router (100 ft away) in the art studio. Then I started getting messages telling me something to the effect that the security protocols on those routers were not going to be supported... These supported 2 cell phones (1/iphone & 1 Samsung Galaxy--no cell towers in the area); a desktop and laptop in the computer room; TV in living room; THIS abominable Win11 laptop I'm trying to tame in Living Room (WiFi); Diane's desktop in the open-loft bedroom (WiFi); and long ethernet connection to the art studio 100 ft away to a laptop and cellphones.
Called my isp
So being (foolishly?) responsible--I didn’t want my setup to break down or my computer be hacked because I was using unprotected routers--I called my isp and mentioned this asking what routers they would recommend I get. They suggested I might want to upgrade to a better router of theirs. They also said that they noticed my signal had gotten worse and I might need to have my dish checked out (expensive affair since it requires hiring a 'properly certified tree climber'.
ISP router replacement
They came over and replaced their SmallIspRouter with their 4-port Qualcomm Atheros Communications Inc. DW1525 (802.11n), removed the Netgear switch, and suggested (since we were down on ports) I run the Win10 desktop and Win10 laptop on WiFi (they are only about 5 & 7 ft away from their router) and run the 15-18 ft away desktop using Ethernet stretched across the computer room ceiling to under the rug in the loft. I was also running another ethernet cable to the TV & Ethernet underground to the art studio. Our two phones required WiFi - no towers in the area, and our solar setup (just installed) required a WiFi connection. Immediately I lost speed slightly and totally lost the WiFi signal to the solar setup (which our contractor monitors); and experienced problems with all WiFi.
ISP Dish realignment
A week later the ISP Dish was realigned to a reading better than it had been previously (although there was a bit of variation - not wind produced - in the signal). The next day signal strength immediately dropped to from less than 1 Mbps to 5 - 8 Mbps --totally unacceptable. It was then that I got the message "desktop computers are not designed to work over wifi. Their capacities to do so are highly variable and often quite limited. They are designed to be connected via ethernet. We suspect that most of these problems will be solved by connecting them via ethernet."
Back to yours truly making speed checks and reintroducing the old router...
IMMEDIATELY by reconnecting my original/old / (a category I fall into also!) Netgear router to the back of their Qualcom I was able to get all my browser tabs to be active (they all were reading "you have no Internet connection" and increase signal speed a bit, but we're still struggling with getting signal strength to 10 - 12 Mbps. I don't know exactly what putting a router in series with a router does but I'm wondering if I was much better off when I had the machines configured using my depreciated old routers and not messing around with the "better" ISP Qualcomm router. Also, I'm thinking the tree's going to need to be climbed again...

wimorrison · Dec 19, 2023

The only router that you need to worry about with secure protocols is the one between you home network and the ISP network i.e. the one the supply.

All the internal traffic within your house can use whatever it wants, Your computers will use your internal network to the ISP router which NAT out to the internet and provide the secure comms over the internet. Nowt wrong with using old routers inside the house, as long as you do not expose them to the internet i.e. they are always behind the ISP router

Berton · Dec 19, 2023

My two cents worth, if the first post were correct why oh why have OEMs been including a Wireless/Wi-Fi adapter in Desktops not-so-lately. Mine from '22 and a rehabbed from '19 have it along with Bluetooth, an ASUS business machine I got in '16 had it. On the opposite side, I got a cheap Notebook couple weeks ago only because it included a full year of Office 365, worth about half the cost of the Notebook, and it has no Ethernet port on it.

wimorrison · Dec 19, 2023

Berton said:
why oh why have OEMs been including a Wireless/Wi-Fi adapter in Desktops not-so-lately

it's cheaper ...

MisterEd · Dec 19, 2023

Berton said:
why have OEMs been including a Wireless/Wi-Fi adapter in Desktops not-so-lately.

It is because it is easier for the average person to connect to their home network using wireless connection. However, in most cases an Ethernet connection would be faster but connecting the desktop computer that way would take some effort.

jro11 · Dec 19, 2023

wimorrison said:
The only router that you need to worry about with secure protocols is the one between you home network and the ISP network i.e. the one the supply.

All the internal traffic within your house can use whatever it wants, Your computers will use your internal network to the ISP router which NAT out to the internet and provide the secure comms over the internet. Nowt wrong with using old routers inside the house, as long as you do not expose them to the internet i.e. they are always behind the ISP router

Thank you from me also!

Can you tell me why it is that the inclusion of my Netscape router between the ISP's router and the computers...
1) significantly increases signal speed?
2) significantly increases WiFi strength?