More years ago than it seems, our televisions were devices that we only used to watch television channels or enjoy some connected device. As technology has evolved, this type of television gave way to Smart TVs, devices that expanded this concept to the point that they are capable of many things without the need for anything else. Well, nothing else. These Smart TVs have to be connected to the Internet, and if you have yours on WiFi, we give you compelling reasons to switch to cable.
All Smart TVs practically have the possibility of connecting them via WiFi to our router, as well as an Ethernet port in case we use cable. Many people opt for WiFi because it really is much more comfortable , but this can be a serious mistake, especially if you have the television next to the router. Whatever your case, here are 6 reasons to remove WiFi from your TV.
The stability of your connection will be worse
We have no thought to criticize WiFi networks as it is a great solution for many cases . However, the characteristics of these mean that, in general terms, they are far below cable connections, and one of the points where there is the most difference is in connection stability.
It is true that these stability problems are solved a lot if our devices are compatible with WiFi 6, but to date only the most recent models are. Also, if we have many devices connected to our WiFi network, it is almost certain that we are going to have stability problems , not only on the Smart TV, but also on the others.
If we also talk about latency, there is also no color between WiFi and cable. Both ways of connecting to the Internet are going to have latency, but the one we will have through WiFi will be greater than that of the cable 100% of the time .
The cable is always faster
Another point to keep in mind between both ways of connecting our televisions is another great difference between them. We are talking about the connection speed , and the fact is that the cable is really the only way we have to take advantage of 100% of our connection.
Keep in mind that many operators are already offering very powerful connections such as 1 GB, and to be able to take advantage of the full connection, we will need our TV to have a Gigabit port . Despite this, there is no color between WiFi and cable when it comes to connection.
Ethernet connected to a router.
Taking advantage of the speed we have becomes increasingly important. Streaming platforms already broadcast their content (or at least part of it) in 4K, and for this we need to have a fast or stable connection, since otherwise we will suffer cuts from time to time .
Watch out! Your WiFi might not be secure
One of the biggest problems for router manufacturers is always to protect their creations as much as possible from any type of attack. This, almost in 100% of the cases, focuses on WiFi, since it is the easiest way for cybercriminals to attack our network .
The most modern routers already have the WPA3 security protocol (which is much more secure than the previous ones), but even this one has security flaws. If we have our TV connected by WiFi to the router, there will be more chances of suffering attacks on it.
WPA3 is the most secure WiFi protocol.
The cable, on the other hand, is much more secure. Obviously, it cannot be said that it is impregnable, but it can be stated without a doubt that there is a security gap between both connections that cannot be ignored.
Higher chance of interference
Another problem you may have when using your TV over WiFi is suffering from interference of all kinds. WiFi connections depend on a series of channels that your router has, and these, in addition to accepting a certain number of connections , can also cause interference.
Although this can happen to you in a single-family home, the real problem can be if you live in a block of flats . If in your vicinity there are many devices emitting a WiFi signal, it will be very likely that you will have interference from time to time, and it is something that you can hardly solve.
Wireless solutions are more expensive
As we’ve said before, it’s quite likely that your main TV is in your living room next to your router, so cable connection should be your number one option. But what if you have one or more other televisions at home ?
Here it can be admitted that when having the television away from the router, the number one option should always be WiFi, but it does not have to. Generally, when we have the television far away, we need some solution to extend the coverage, be it WiFi repeaters or a mesh network. If we talk about utility, it is clear that there is no color, although if we are looking for a quality product it may be very expensive .
A mesh network (or Mesh).
A good Internet cable is always going to be much cheaper than any quality solution you can buy. It is true that it depends on the distribution of your house or the installation you have, it can be a hassle, but even by calling an installer you may save money by gaining connection quality for your TV.