Ethernet beats Wi-Fi where it counts, and you can run cables without drilling a single hole

Published Oct 29, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT After a 7-year corporate stint, Tanveer found his love for writing and tech too much to resist. An MBA in Marketing and the owner of a PC building business, he writes on PC hardware, technology, and Windows. When not scouring the web for ideas, he can be found building PCs, watching anime, or playing Smash Karts on his RTX 3080 (sigh). Wi-Fi is omnipresent in 2026, with Wi-Fi 7 routers and devices hogging much of the conversations around home networking. While modern high-speed internet and Wi-Fi 7 hardware may have solved the speed component of the equation, Ethernet still wins when it comes to reliability. A direct line between the router and a high-priority device doesn't depend on free and unhindered airwaves. That said, running cables is as annoying as they say. Routing them inside the walls or drilling holes isn't the most convenient, but there are simpler alternatives. You can choose flat LAN cables and run them along your walls or ditch them entirely in favor of pre-installed coaxial cables or powerline adapters. These alternatives aren't always inferior in practice, giving you the benefits of a wired connection without the hassle. Wi-Fi has come a long way, but wired is wired Wi-Fi has fundamental drawbacks compared to Ethernet Over the years, successive Wi-Fi standards have tried to make wireless connections as reliable as wired ones. Wi-Fi 6 brought bidirectional MU-MIMO and a significant throughput boost, while Wi-F 6E introduced the 6 GHz band for minimized interference. Then, Wi-Fi 7 brought another massive speed boost along with 320 MHz channels and Multi-Link Operation. Today, high-speed internet is more common than ever and even multi-gig plans aren't rare anymore. While Wi-Fi 7 has removed the limits on peak wireless speeds and reduced congestion and interference, it's still subject to the quirks of wireless networks. Wi-Fi is inherently a shared medium, and competing access points and devices are still a problem. Speed is just one aspect of a decent home network; you also need rock-solid reliability. This is where Ethernet is still king, thanks to the absence of congestion and interference. There are no competing neighbors, dead zones, or legacy 2.4 GHz devices creating interference, range, or airtime issues. Unlike Wi-Fi, Ethernet is a full-duplex medium, allowing simultaneous transmission in both directions. The devices that need 24/7 reliability perform best on a wired connection, so your gaming PC, smart TV, streaming device, or game console benefit greatly from Ethernet. Wherever possible, it's best to arrange LAN cable runs, so you can eliminate wireless shenanigans. CableGeeker Cat6 Flat Ethernet Cable The CableGeeker Cat6 Flat Ethernet cable is a high-performance cable that supports fast and reliable data transfer for gaming. It features a flat design that reduces tangling while also saving you space and a durable structure that combines PVC and twisted cores for durability. This Cat6 cable has a high bandwidth of up to 500 MHz and 10 Gbps. Routing cable through walls isn't always easy, but you don't need to do that Secured cable runs can be just as effective Bringing an Ethernet connection to every room in the house can be a considerable undertaking. You often need to have the skill and time to route cables internally through the walls, which isn't always possible. In rented houses, it's not even a question of time and money; it may not be allowed. The good news is that you have feasible alternatives that can work just as well. Most homes might already have Cat5e cables routed internally to one or more rooms, which are enough for Gigabit connections. You don't need to install new cables just because you moved to a new house. For multi-gig plans, you'll need Cat6 or Cat6a cables, but most people aren't running such high-speed plans. If your house doesn't have pre-installed cables, you could pick a flat Cat6a cable and run it along the baseboards or the ceiling. You can use nail clips to secure the cable and hide it under the carpet or out of sight along the ceiling. Shorter runs to separate access points can reduce eyesore while providing Ethernet as well as reliable Wi-Fi to every room. You don't need to hire anyone for the job either, making the cable run much simpler and cost-effective. Kiwee Broadband KB-M3-03 Weight 0.7 Kilograms Speed Up to 2.5 Gbps Ready to up your network game? Use nothing but existing coaxial cabling and two of these to create an Ethernet-like link between rooms. 2.5GbE and PoE support ensure you have ample features to transform your home LAN. MoCA and powerline adapters can eliminate cable runs entirely Where there's a will, there's a way Depending on your house, you might not even have to install LAN cables. Many homes have pre-installed coaxial cables for TVs. These cables often go unused as people switch to streaming apps. MoCA can provide you with Gigabit Ethernet via these coaxial cables, eliminating the need to invest in and route new cables. Coaxial cables are already there and all you need is a pair of MoCA adapters to get going. MoCA 2.5 adapters are even capable of 2.5 GbE connections, so multi-gig users should also take notice. MoCA can even coexist with your TV signal because they run at different frequencies. MoCA is still half-duplex, so it's not a 1:1 Ethernet replacement, but that's a small drawback considering the convenience. If you don't have coaxial cables inside your walls, you can use a pair of powerline adapters to run Ethernet signals through your power cables. Powerline connections are prone to electrical interference from heavy appliances, so latency can spike when they are turned on. Also, your adapters and the PC need to be on the same electrical phase to avoid speed degradation. Powerline connections offer significantly reduced speeds compared to what your internet plan is rated for, but if your max speeds are high enough, it can be a perfectly serviceable solution. TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Ethernet Adapter Getting Ethernet doesn't always need a ton of effort Running cables through walls is usually the preferred method to route LAN connections to your high-speed devices, but there are always simpler alternatives. You could run flat cables along the walls or use MoCA or powerline adapters to eliminate new cables entirely. Each solution has its downsides, but they can be just what you need in the right scenario.