Can't I just use wireless?
Wireless technologies have come a long way in the past few years, but are still not as good as a hard-wired connection for most applications. Some wireless technologies are very mature and work very well. Others are in their infancy and are experiencing some growing pains. The rule of thumb is to use wireless for convenience, but not to rely on it or to expect it to be fool-proof.
Wireless computer networking provides portability and convenience, but is not as secure as a hard-wired network connection. For surfing the internet, or for e-mail, the various wireless security protocols are somewhat sufficient. For online banking or sensitive business applications, you should have a physical connection to the network. If you are using your computer to stream pictures, music, or videos to another device, than a hard-wired connection will give you better transfer speeds and increased reliability. If you are printing photos or large documents, then a hard-wired connection will perform better. In most cases, wireless networking will work, but wired will work better. An ideal network is a hard-wired infrastructure accented with secure wireless for convenience.
For other applications like audio systems, wireless can be a problem solver for remodel situations, but still lags behind far hard-wired connection and often even requires some sort of wiring in order to work. Wireless speakers still require a power wire that should ideally be run back to the equipment location, thus negating the "wireless" claim. Sound quality on wireless audio products is often lower than the wired equivalent while the wireless system costs more.
Sending video wirelessly requires a significant amount of compression to be able to transmit the video from one point to another. High Definition video sources such as BluRay or some downloaded content can have data rates as high as 2.25 Gigabits per second now and up to 10gigabits per second in the future. Consider for a second that your laptop's wireless connection has a maximum data rate of 54 Megabits per second. This means that wireless video transmission needs to work up to 24 times faster than your laptops wireless connection. While wireless video can work, it often produces artifacts, smudges, and significant loss of picture detail. Often, wireless video can only work over short distances and is very susceptible to interference. It is always better to run a wire if that is an option.
While wireless has gotten better in the past few years, interference and reliability are still major factors. Interference from external sources like microwave ovens, portable phones, BlueTooth devices, and even some items like electric shavers and light dimmers can wreak havoc on a wireless system. Before implementing any wireless system, a site survey should be performed to evaluate sources and types of interference. A system should be designed that takes these problems into account and is designed to work with them. Even with a site survey and a well designed system, interference can change over time. You can fix it today and have it return from another source tomorrow. There will always be new sources of interference coming into your home as long as our love affair with wireless devices and electronics increases.
If hard-wiring is an option, it is highly recommended. The wired connection will be more secure, more reliable, and less susceptible to interference. If portability and convenience are desired, then a wired system accented with wireless is the best solution.
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