04 / Home networking
Better connections at home
Find the weak connection before buying faster hardware. Compare routers, mesh and wired options.
Choose your starting point.
Will an Ethernet adapter actually make your connection faster?
A USB Ethernet adapter can make one device stable and wired. Its top speed is only useful when the computer port, adapter, cable, network port, and service can all carry it.
Do you need mesh Wi-Fi, or a better connection to one room?
A second access point can solve a coverage problem. It cannot repair a weak client, a crowded radio channel, or an internet plan that is already the limit.
Is your router the bottleneck?
Router labels describe capability. Your internet plan, client radio, wired port, and placement decide what you experience.