Google mesh 5 Ghz vs Ethernet cable

[dyukihiro001]

Hello,

I have a Google mesh network connected to my Xfinity modem. The modem is in bridge mode. I noticed that my Amazon fire TV cube has faster download speeds with wireless 5GHz vs plugging it to one of the access points / pucks with an ethernet cable. The wireless download speed averages 110 Mbps while the ethernet connection averages 95 Mbps. I would prefer to have the wired connection since it's supposed to be a faster and more secure connection, so is there a way to increase the speed or should I just be happy that the 5GHz wireless connection is faster? Thanks.

[MichaelP]

Hello @dyukihiro001 

Many streaming TV devices have a 100Mbps Ethernet interface (for somewhat esoteric reasons). But, since most video streams are far slower than this, it isn't a bottleneck. Ethernet is generally more stable and reliable than WiFi, especially for video streaming, and keeping video streaming traffic off of the WiFi network will preserve more WiFi capacity for mobile devices that can't be connected via Ethernet. In short, I'd still connect it via Ethernet at the (slightly) slower speed.

[dyukihiro001]

Since the Amazon fire TV cube uses a micro USB adapter to connect via Ethernet, does the length and type of cable I use make a difference?

[MichaelP]

Hello @dyukihiro001 

I would keep the existing adapter and connect it to the Amazon Fire TV device directly. Ethernet cables can be pretty long without issues, especially at the 100Mbps speed (100 meters should be possible for a good cable on a single run, though I'd probably try to keep them a bit shorter if possible).

[dyukihiro001]

Ok. Thanks for the help!

[MichaelP]

Hello @dyukihiro001 

For 1Gbps Ethernet, Cat 5e is good enough, and for 100Mbps Ethernet, Cat 5 would be more than good enough. Cat 6 may be easier to find at this point, and it's what I would probably buy if I needed new cabling.

[dyukihiro001]

I do have a 1Gbps plan with my ISP, but since the Amazon fire TV cube is rated 10/ 100, I'm assuming a simple cat 5 cable will do.

[MichaelP]

If the fire TV is the only thing you're connecting via the cable in question, then yes – a Cat 5 cable will be just fine. However, that assumes you already own that cable. If you have to buy a new cable, you'll find Cat 6 cables easier to find, and they should be fairly inexpensive. That's why I'd buy those if I had to (that said, I have a box of Cat 5e cables already, and I'm not in any hurry to get rid of them as I don't expect to upgrade to 10Gbps any time soon).

[EdwardT]

HI folks,

@MichaelP, thanks for the help!

@dyukihiro001, how's it going with your Google Wifi? Still need our help?

Thanks,

Edward

[Jeff]

Hi, dyukihiro001.

I'm following up to see if you still needed some help here or to see if you got everything sorted out. If you still need some input, just let us know.

Thanks.

[Jeff]

Hi, everyone.

Just one quick final check in here since activity has slowed down. We'll be locking the thread in the next 24 hours, but if you still need help, I would be happy to keep it open. If there's more we can do, just let me know.

Thanks,

- Jeff

[dyukihiro001]

Does it matter if I use Cat 5, 5e, or 6 cable?