The Ethernet network cable will be the one that best takes advantage of all the bandwidth of the Internet connection, and the one that provides greater stability in the connections of any device. However, Wi-Fi offers us greater mobility, and in some places we have no other option because wiring up to where the device is located can be a complex task. For this reason, on some occasions when we do not have our Smart TV router nearby, we have no choice but to connect it via Wi-Fi. So we wonder what happens if I connect the TV via WiFi, will the rest of the devices work well or not?
The first thing we must comment on is that, in this case, we have three factors that will make the difference between having or not having problems. One of them is the quality of the router that we have at home. Another is that TV via Wi-Fi where it is located and if the signal reaches it well. We should also take into account the number of Wi-Fi devices we have at home and the bandwidth they need.
The router to which we connect the Smart TV
A very important issue when connecting the TV via WiFi are the wireless capabilities that our router must support so that we do not have problems. Today at least we are going to need a dual-band router that supports 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In this case, the minimum standard that it should support is 802.11ac, although with current prices you could think of buying one that Support Wi-Fi 6 and the 802.11ax standard. Currently, the vast majority of mid-range and high-end Smart TVs support both the WiFi 6 standard as well as the possibility of connecting to the 5GHz band, with the aim of having the best possible performance and minimal interference.
Therefore, the first thing to check is the router’s specifications. If we had one with the 802.11n standard, we would only have the 2.4 GHz band and a lower speed and stability. This means that we have a good chance of having performance problems with other devices, especially if the Smart TV is playing streaming content in 4K when consuming a large bandwidth. Here are some tips for choosing a good Wi-Fi router in case you need to change it.
Aspects to consider when connecting the TV via WiFi
After having verified that we have a suitable router to connect the TV via WiFi, it is time to check if we can use it without problems. Here, for example, a factor to take into account is the expectations we have in terms of display quality. It is not the same to want to play content at 4K, 1080P or 720P, the former being the one that requires the most bandwidth.
It will be very important both how we place the router, as well as the distance from that TV via WiFi to the router that we are using. Thus, for the placement of the router it is important that it is in a free space on all four sides and away from other electronic devices that may cause interference. Regarding the distance, if that TV via WiFi is not close to the router and it is difficult for it to receive its signal, we consider adding a Wi-Fi repeater or Wi-Fi Mesh system to improve the wireless coverage of our home. However, before doing anything we also recommend trying to change the Wi-Fi channel.
Regarding the rest of the devices, it should not affect them too much as long as our connection has enough bandwidth. Of course, as long as there are not several devices at the same time making intensive use of the connection via WiFi, otherwise we will have a lot of slowness and even sporadic cuts. Therefore, to perform everyday tasks such as browsing the Internet with several devices at the same time we should not have problems. Here are some tips and tricks for when the Wi-Fi gets bad on the Smart TV.
Finally, the exception that would force us to add additional network equipment, a new router or improve our Internet connection, would be when we want to see high resolution content on our TV via WiFi or we have several devices at the same time that require a large width of band.
