Ethernet is a way to ensure a stable connection, and for a long time, it guaranteed the fastest speeds for whatever you plug in. That’s still the case for many devices, but there are a handful that have essentially outgrown the need for an Ethernet cable. Coupled with the fact that Wi-Fi has seen numerous improvements over the years, it’s now easier than ever to ditch the cable.
I don’t use an Ethernet cable for much of anything in my house anymore since upgrading to a Fiber internet connection with Wi-Fi 6. I have my work PC plugged in since it doesn’t have a Wi-Fi card, but that’s it as far as Ethernet is concerned. The strange thing is that I don’t miss it at all. There are still plenty of reasons to use a cable, and stability is a big one. However, you might not realize your Ethernet cable is slowing your devices down. That’s right, an Ethernet cable is often slower than Wi-Fi these days. It applies to more things than you’d think.
4/5
- Dimensions
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4.9 x 5.0 x 1.0 inches
- Connective Technology
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Bluetooth® streaming, 802.11ax dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz), 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
- Brand
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Roku
- Audio outputs
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Digital stereo over HDMI, DTS Digital Surround pass through over HDMI, Dolby Atmos decode via HDMI (with compatible speakers)
Your TV doesn’t need Ethernet
There are some niche reasons
If you are having constant buffering issues, an Ethernet cable makes a lot of sense for your TV. In fact, Ethernet cables excel at that, but that’s about it when it comes to your TV. Aside from having to haul a cable downstairs into my living room, a big reason I don’t use an Ethernet cable in my living room is that I’d be capped at 100 Mbps. Don’t get me wrong, that’s more than enough for streaming — Netflix recommends 15 Mbps or higher for 4K — but the reality is that my Wi-Fi is miles faster than that.
When I couple that with the fact that I’m not dealing with any sort of buffering problems, it just doesn’t make any sense for me to use my TV’s Ethernet port. It may have made more sense a decade ago, but Wi-Fi has advanced quite a bit in that time, and I just don’t see any reason to have your TV plugged in anymore. To be honest, I never had my TV plugged in, and it’s never been an issue.
Your streaming box doesn’t need it either
Same reason as the TV
Low-end streaming devices like Fire TV Sticks and Roku Streaming Sticks have nothing to worry about here since there isn’t an Ethernet port in sight. Sadly, that does mean that if you have connection problems, you’re pretty much out of luck as there’s nothing you can do. However, as you go up in the tiers, you’ll run into your Apple TV 4Ks and Roku Ultras of the world offering an Ethernet port. The unfortunate part about this is that these ports suffer from the same problems as your TV does. These Ethernet ports don’t give you the most speed, so you could theoretically find yourself in a situation where your Wi-Fi is faster. In my case, my Wi-Fi is far faster than what my Roku Ultra offers.
The same tips apply to your streaming box as they do your TV. If you have buffering problems, you should consider plugging in your Ethernet cable to see if it fixes your problems. Not to sound like a broken record, but these Ethernet cables offer plenty of speed for streaming, so it’s not like you’ll be greatly missing the speed of your Wi-Fi. Stability matters far more in this situation, so figure that out before anything. I just hope you don’t have to run a cable across your house like I would if I wanted to plug in my streaming devices.
Laptops are fine without it
Controversial, but true
As I sit here writing this article from my Acer Chromebook Plus 515, I’m doing so without being tethered to an Ethernet cable. That might be a controversial thing to say, but let me explain myself. It’s actually quite simple — this laptop doesn’t have an Ethernet port and I don’t want to plug in a hub that gives it one. I also don’t notice a single issue with speed or stability. To be fair, the only thing I do with this laptop is open up a few Chrome tabs and type. I don’t need this laptop to do much else.
I believe the main draw of a laptop is its portability, and if I want to be plugged in somewhere, I’d rather sit down at my desktop. I like that my laptop can go anywhere I want, and if it had to be plugged into an Ethernet cable, I’d get far less use out of it. To me, a laptop doesn’t really lend itself well to being tethered. I’d need to grab a mouse, a mousepad, and I’d probably look for a better way to use a keyboard. When it’s in my lap, it feels a lot more intuitive, and I don’t mind having a small, single screen. It’s not like you’re left with much choice these days with more and more laptops ditching the Ethernet port in an effort to get slimmer these days. I guess that’s what those USB-C hubs are for.
Some game consoles don’t need it
Another controversial topic
When I said I only have my PC plugged in with Ethernet, I meant it. I have a PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and a Switch 2 all plugged into TVs without having an Ethernet cable accompanying them. Now, I don’t play a lot of online games, so stability isn’t really a big deal for me. If my internet connection is choppy, it doesn’t really affect anything unless I’m downloading a big game. Much of this list is based on my own personal experience of not having connectivity issues, so I don’t feel the need to be hardwired. All modern consoles have Wi-Fi chips, so it’s not like you need a cable to be connected anymore like you did in the past with the original Xbox.
I fully understand having your Xbox or PlayStation plugged in if you play online, and you probably should be using a cable in that scenario. On the other end of the spectrum is the Switch and Switch 2. Sure, the docks have Ethernet ports on them, a very welcome addition, but I couldn’t ever imagine using that. I play Switch exclusive in handheld mode, so I wouldn’t get any use out of the dock being plugged in other than downloads. Plugging it in would require moving it upstairs, and that’s not something I’m willing to consider, so it goes completely unused. Given that consoles are largely stationary, excluding the Switch, I don’t see a downside to plugging yours in if you want.
