Whether you’ve been working at home for decades or are new to the world of remote work, you could probably benefit from a faster internet connection. Commonly used applications, like Zoom and Slack can take up a lot of bandwidth. As most households have multiple devices all drawing from the same connection, snags and slowdowns are inevitable.
Ethernet vs Wi-Fi Connections
There are many ways to boost your internet speed, but one of the easiest is to move to an ethernet connection. Ethernet connection is much stronger and more reliable than Wi-Fi, as data transfer directly between the router and the computer. This type of connection also prevents outsiders from logging onto your internet network.
Beyond these advantages, people may prefer ethernet to Wi-Fi for other reasons. Maybe you’ve checked your internet speed and you’ve determined that an ethernet connection would give you a stronger signal. Some companies also require their remote workers to have a direct connection to their modem. This is only possible through Ethernet cabling.
Setting Up an Ethernet Connection
If you have a computer and a modem, all you need is an Ethernet cable to switch to an Ethernet internet connection. Ethernet cables come in several sizes and specifications. The length of an Ethernet cable tends to have an effect on data transmission speed. This speed difference is indicated as a rating on the cable package.
Ethernet cables also come in several categories that indicate speed capacity and frequency limits. The most common is the Cat 5e cable, which is cheap, widely available, and compatible with a myriad of devices. Other popular Ethernet cable categories include Cat 6 and Cat 6a. There are more powerful cables on the market, but these tend to be unnecessary for home office use.
You can purchase connection-ready ethernet cables at nearly any big box retailer or computer hardware shop. There are some cases where you may want to wire your own. For example, if you need a cable of an unusual length, you can wire your own to ensure that the Ethernet cable works perfectly for your setup.
Knowing how to wire an ethernet connection is also handy just in case the cabling breaks or tears. Replacing a part of the cable is much cheaper than buying a brand new one.
How to Wire an Ethernet Cable
If you go the do-it-yourself route, you will need several items. First, you will need an Ethernet cable in the category of your choosing. You will also need a Suntsu RJ45 Ethernet connector.
These small, see-through plugs are reminiscent of the connectors used in landline phones. The plug contains 8 small pins and fits into an RJ45 port. Most devices will have this port. If not, you can use an adapter or external port to connect an Ethernet cable through a USB port.
