No need to run a wire if your Wi-Fi signal is strong.
No need to run a wire if your Wi-Fi signal is strong.
Your laptop connects well on Wi-Fi, and you're only paying for a modest rate. You're using Plex mainly on your TV, not streaming large files over the network. Blu-ray rips don’t require a full gigabit connection either. With your current setup, it makes sense to keep the connection strong for streaming and media use.
The main reason to choose Ethernet instead of WiFi is the consistent performance of a physical connection compared to the fluctuating nature of wireless signals.
There are three good reasons to use a wired connection. First, it ensures consistent performance and stability. Second, bandwidth becomes more efficient with a wired setup. Third, latency drops significantly compared to Wi-Fi, making it ideal for tasks like streaming or online gaming.
My gaming PC is wired now. I moved from my bedroom computer to a laptop. I’m using Chrome. My old internet connection had 20ms latency and 50mbps speed. I still have coax, so I might test those adapters even though it’s not too tough to run the cable. I also have a 100-foot cable, which lets me place the AP wherever I like or even use MOCA to move it. So far everything seems fine.
You might consider a short-term setup where you connect the cable straight to the laptop for a day. Continue using Wi-Fi if it works smoothly. Beyond stability, 5.0GHz Wi-Fi offers a response time that's impressively similar to wired connections (compared to 2.4GHz). Even apps that need low latency should remain unaffected as long as the signal stays strong.