You Should Get an Ethernet Adapter
Most laptops and tablets these days do not have an Ethernet adapter built in. Rather, they assume you will use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. But there are times when you will need to connect via Ethernet, if only temporarily, to diagnose issues. And if you stream movies a lot, you also might want one to use every day.
So, I recommend all members have the ability to connect via Ethernet, and a laptop or tablet adapter is one way to do that.
Three Reasons you Should Have Ethernet
- One reason is to enable you to confirm that your internet is working in your house when it appears that it has died. Sometimes a router’s Wi-Fi signal will be unusable, and it will appear your internet is cut off. But if you plug your laptop directly into the router via Ethernet, you might find a good connection. These days LCWA volunteers rarely make house calls, so you testing that narrows the problem down when on the phone with us and could avoid a costly home visit by a paid computer technician.
- The other reason to get an Ethernet adapter for your computer is for giving you a way to run a more accurate internet speed test. We often get calls from people saying they think their internet is slow. We then ask them to plug their laptop directly into their router (with Ethernet) and when they do, they often find that the speed is fine. In this case it’s their Wi-Fi that is slow, not the internet. Wi-Fi performance can suffer greatly due to distance from the router, interference, overloading by other devices, and so on (here’s a tech article on that). Having an Ethernet adapter can allow you to diagnose that, and again, it can avoid a costly home visit by a paid computer technician.
- Related to the previous point, if you watch Netflix or Prime or other video channels on your laptop over Wi-Fi, you might see issues. Connecting directly to your router via Ethernet could eliminate buffering and other video problems. Again, slow, weak, or congested Wi-Fi is pretty common. A wired Ethernet cable eliminates all those issues.
Which Adapter to Buy?
Expect to pay anywhere from $12 to $39 for one of these adapters. Which adapter depends upon the model of your laptop (or tablet), and its age. The main distinction is whether your laptop has the older type A connectors, or the newer type C connectors.
Older laptops have only USB A connections, which are the wide fat ones, so you’ll need an adapter with that on its end. Here’s one that supports USB 3.0 (faster): https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-1000-Gigabit-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B00M77HMU0/
The newest PCs, Macs, Androids, and iOS devices have USB C connectors. They are skinny, are reversible, and tend to be faster. If you have a computer with that, you’ll need an adapter with that on one end. Here’s one I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077KXY71Q/
Older iPads and iPhones can accept an adapter that has a lightning jack at one end. Here’s one example. https://www.amazon.com/Amatage-Lighting-Ethernet-Network-Required/dp/B07NW9HSL7/
Got an Ethernet Patch Cable?
Oh, and of course you’ll need an Ethernet patch cable to plug between this adapter and your router (that would be port 2 or 3 on an airCube btw). If you don’t have one, here is an inexpensive one: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-RJ45-Cat-6-Ethernet-Patch-Cable-3-Feet-0-9-Meters/dp/B00N2VISLW/
Need a USB Hub?
What if all the USB ports are already being used on your laptop? For example, newer Mac laptops are notorious for having very few USB ports. In that case you’ll need to also get a USB hub so you have someplace to plug that adapter into. When you choose a hub, be sure to match it with your USB type. Most hubs assume you are using the older type A connector. If you see a hub saying it supports USB 3.0, then that’s a type A hub—for the older style. These tend to be less expensive.
If you have the newer type C connectors, be sure to find a hub that supports those; but it’s surprisingly hard to find a type-C-only hub, and they are expensive. You normally have to buy a hub that supports both types A and C, and more.
As that last choice shows, some hubs can be useful for multiple purposes, like adding USB ports, Ethernet ports, memory card slots, and even monitor ports. Getting a hub that also has an Ethernet port makes sense if that’s your main reason for getting a hub—one fewer thing to buy. Read this article about selecting USB hubs across the various types.
Again, you should Have an Ethernet option, Our Support Dept will Expect it
So again, you should get one of these adapters and patch cables even if you don’t normally use Ethernet. Reason? If you communicate with one of our support people about bad internet, one of the first things they will ask you is “does it work if you plug directly into the router with Ethernet?” And if you say “I can’t do that” you’ve just greatly limited how much we can help you. So get one of these and have it on hand for those moments you need one.