Wi-Fi Speed vs. Ethernet: Why Your Connection Speed isn’t Your Wi-Fi Speed

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Wi-FiSpeed vs. Ethernet: Why Your Connection Speed isn’t Your Wi-Fi Speed

Have you ever found yourself performing one of those online internet speed tests, only to discover that the results aren’t matching the package you’re paying for? At this point, you might be thinking that you’ve been somehow duped into buying a speed package that doesn’t deliver what it promises, or that there’s some technical issue causing your internet connection to underperform.

You’re probably dreading the prospect of spending hours troubleshooting the “problem” or having a technician come out to inspect the hardware and find the root cause of the mismatch. But you really just need to ask one simple question: is my device connected toWi-Fi or is it hardwired to an ethernet cable?

The Gap Between Connection Speedand Wi-Fi Speed

Here's the reality that surprises most people: your fibre connection speed and your Wi-Fi speed are two different things.

Your fibre connection: The actual speed data travels through your physical fibre cable into your home.This is what you're paying for.

Your Wi-Fi speed: The speed your device receives wirelessly from your router. This is often slower than your connection speed.

Think of it like this: your fibre is a highway with multiple lanes carrying data at full speed. Wi-Fi is a wireless broadcast from your router to your device. That broadcast is powerful,but it's not the same as a direct connection.

Why Wi-Fi Slows Down

Distance from your router

The further your device is from the router, the weaker the signal. A device in the next room might get 80% of your connection speed. A device two rooms away might only get 60%. On the other side of the house? Maybe 40%.

Physical obstacles

Walls, floors, and doors all interfere with Wi-Fi signals. Concrete walls are worse than drywall. Metal objects can disrupt the signal. The more barriers between your device and router, the slower your connection.

Interference

Wi-Fi operates on shared frequencies (2.4GHz and 5GHz). Your neighbours' Wi-Fi, microwave ovens,cordless phones, and smart devices can all cause interference. This isn't your fibre connection failing - it's radio waves competing for space.

Device limitations

Older devices or devices with olderWi-Fi standards (like Wi-Fi 4) can't receive data as fast as newer devices(Wi-Fi 6 or 7). Your 100Mbps fibre connection might be delivering full speed to your router, but your old laptop might only be capable of receiving 50Mbps.

Shared bandwidth

Each device in your home that is connected to your Wi-Fi, shares the bandwidth. If five devices are streaming, gaming, and uploading simultaneously, each one gets a slice of the total bandwidth. Your connection speed is the same, but it's being divided between connected devices.

How to Test and Verify

To test your actual fibre connection speed:

• Connect a device directly to your router with an ethernet cable. (and disconnect all other devices from the Wi-Fi)
• Run a speed test on speedtest.net
• This is your real connection speed - what you're paying for

To test your Wi-Fi speed:

• Connect wirelessly from various locations in your home (only one device should be connected to perform this test)
• Run speed tests at different distances from the router
• You'll likely see varying results depending on location

Most people only test on Wi-Fi,which is why they see slower speeds. They think there's a problem with their fibre, but the fibre is working perfectly - it's the Wi-Fi that's the variable.

How to Optimise Your Wi-Fi

If your speed tests show slower Wi-Fi performance, here's what helps:

✔ Place your router centrally - Not in a corner on the floor or in a closet

✔ Elevate it - Higher placement means better coverage

✔ Use the 5GHz band which is Faster than 2.4GHz, though with shorter range. Most technicians will recommend 2.4GHz for wider coverage.

✔ Reduce interference -Keep it away from microwaves, baby monitors and other electronics that use2.4GHz frequency.

✔ Reboot your router –Routers need a reboot every now and again to automatically update.

✔ Use ethernet when possible - For gaming, streaming, or work that needs high traffic and / or stability.

When to Use Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi

Where possible, use a direct ethernet cable for:

• Gaming (needs low latency and full speed)
• Video conferencing (stability matters)
• Large file uploads/downloads
• Streaming 4K video
• Work-from-home productivity

Wi-Fi is fine for:

• General browsing
• Social media
• Email
• Casual streaming

The Bottom Line

Your MetroFibre connection is delivering exactly what you're paying for. If your Wi-Fi feels slow, there’s a good chance, the issue isn't your fibre - it's the wireless link between your device and router.

Test with ethernet. You'll likely see your full connection speed. Then optimise your Wi-Fi for your actual usage patterns.

MetroFibre Tip

If you're serious about consistent,full-speed performance, an ethernet cable is your friend. Wi-Fi is convenient,but for anything highly demanding, a direct cable connection guarantees you get every Mbps you're paying for.