Do wired networks have faster transmission speeds than wireless networks?
Short answer: Wired networks are typically faster than wireless
networks. Taking factors into consideration such as reception and
interference, wired networks are almost always faster than wireless
networks. It should be noted that in almost all situations, either
will be fast enough for your needs: when dealing with the internet,
it is your connection to the world (DSL, Cable, Dialup) that
provides the chokepoint. A faster local network will not speed up
the time that it takes to load web pages or download files from the
internet.
Wired Networks: 1Gbps networks are faster than any standard
wireless networks to date (6/3/2009). However, they aren't all that
common outside of a corporate setting, as they are expensive. Most
computers today only have 10/100Mbps wired network cards, and
almost always run at 100Mbps. They are also considered more
reliable and easier to work with from a user standpoint (though
running cable everywhere can be a headache), making them perfect
for company use or people requiring high bandwidth from their local
network such as a LAN party for video games.
Wireless Networks: A newer technology called Wireless-N is
actually slightly faster than the standard 100Mbps wired
connection. Many new computers in the past year or two have come
with the hardware needed to connect to a Wireless-N network. They
often connect at speeds of around 130Mbps (which is not that much
of an improvement over the wired 100Mbps), but are capable of doing
300Mbps if placed into a mode which can be very flaky as well as
disruptive to nearby wireless networks. Wireless-G networks, the
standard that most people think of when they think "wireless", can
only reach 54Mbps.
It should be noted that although the Wireless-N connection
claims higher speeds, wireless networks do not always perform at
their advertised rate. If signal strength is poor, it will actually
slow down to improve the success rate of the communications. To
understand this concept, imagine speaking to someone who is hard of
hearing without being able to raise your voice: you would speak
slowly so they could understand. Wired communication doesn't suffer
such problems, as wires are less susceptible to interference and
CAT-5 cabling, typical on wired networks, is specially designed to
defeat interference.
If you are trying to decide which network is right for you, each
offers benefits. Wired networks supply speed and reliability and
avoid many headaches of wireless networks: connection requires that
you be able to physically attach to the network, preventing
neighbors from stealing your internet and eliminating the passwords
necessary for wireless networks. Wireless networks provide
convenience, typically to owners of laptop computers, but
especially to people who will have guests/friends over who will be
bringing a laptop, and eliminate the need for wires running
everywhere.