[ctviggen]

For my and my wife's computer, we've been operating on wireless since we moved about 1.5 years ago.  I finally got around to running cat6 Ethernet cables to my switch.  The difference is shocking.  I use my computer to backup our network attached storage, and I would average less than 10MB/s (usually less than 5MB/s) when backing up using wireless.  Now, I'm averaging 6-7 times higher speeds using Ethernet.  For instance, I'm backing up now at 60MB/s.  That's a huge deal, as sometimes it takes me an entire day to backup by wireless. For instance, the current backup session will take about 10 minutes using Ethernet; with wireless, it would take over an hour. 

It wasn't an easy thing to do, though.  I had to drill through about 30 joists and run wires basically the complete way across our house through our basement.  The wiring isn't too hard, but is time consuming, as is finding where the wall is (so you don't drill through the floor), cutting in a low voltage box, etc.  I also haven't found a good angle drill.  I used a tool that acts as an angle drill (the drill connects to one end, the tool is angled at 90 degrees, and the tool has a chuck to hold a bit).  I used it twice and broke it.  Unfortunately, there was an outside wall to do through, and it's easiest to drill up from the basement through the wall, which requires an angle drill, as the wall is directed above the foundation.

If you have the opportunity to run a wired network, I highly recommend it.  Of course, it doesn't help tablets or phones. 

[Peter J]

I wired a lot of our network after fighting wireless for a while.

I have an light duty angle drill I like

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=PS11-2A

but in the case of drilling near rim joist, I think this is way easier

http://www.lashen.com/vendors/greenlee/hole_making.asp

Cut hole for your low voltage frame and drill down through plate an subfloor. Unchuck bit and leave in hole. Into crawl space, find bit, attach CAT6 and pull back up into room.

[jqp]

In spite of glowing reviews, I feel that wireless is ugly in the areas of reliability, performance and security. To use wireless successfully you need real investment in equipment and real engineering and still not have great reliability, performance and security. In some homes you may get lucky and have fairly reliable performance. Even in a large corporate enterprise you trade convenience for other factors.

I think these issues may limit the success of the 'internet of things' in the long run. If it relies on wireless in homes it will be more of a passive network.

Interesting side note - my brother in law has the Nest thermostat. It quit working after a while, as he was not broadcasting his SSID. Last I heard he was ok as he was broadcasting his SSID.

[ctviggen]

Right now, I'm transferring 470 Gbytes of recorded TV from my HT computer to my network attached storage using Ethernet.  I'm averaging around 70Mbytes/second, which is pretty good.  It'll still take an estimated 5+ hours!  I can't even run the HT computer on wireless.  I can record three HD shows at once and watch one at the same time.  Wireless can't handle that.

On my wife's computer, though, I ran a cable modem downloading test.  She got about twice the value (60mbps) on Ethernet than on wireless (30mpbs).

Personally, I'm afraid of the internet of things -- I can imaging how many people will be hacking into my house. 

I agree with you that wireless tends to be very spotty and doesn't perform as well as advertised in a real environment.  We have a relatively good connection in this house, but that might be because everyone here is on about 5 acres.  There's not a lot of wireless competition around. It's still not at the level of wired, though. 

Wired is a lot harder to install (obviously).

We have two nests, one upstairs and one downstairs.  We haven't had too many problems with the network and them, but one of the Nest's "plate" (to which you attach the Nest) completely failed.  And, my wife is home too much to make them useful.  I wouldn't buy them again.

[ctviggen]

I wired a lot of our network after fighting wireless for a while.

I have an light duty angle drill I like

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=PS11-2A

but in the case of drilling near rim joist, I think this is way easier

http://www.lashen.com/vendors/greenlee/hole_making.asp

Cut hole for your low voltage frame and drill down through plate an subfloor. Unchuck bit and leave in hole. Into crawl space, find bit, attach CAT6 and pull back up into room.

Those are very good ideas.  I have a similar long drill, but I needed a larger hole (I was running 2 cat6 and one cat5 and originally thought I was going to run two cat5, but the printer turned out to be wireless only).  I may have to go buy a long drill bit with a larger bit size, as it is easier to drill down.  If you drill down, you just have to make sure there's nothing in the way under the approximate location of the wall.  If you drill up, you have to carefully measure to ensure you actually hit the wall and you hit the correct "bay" between the studs. 

[Folsom]

[Doublej]

Did you consider using powerline networking adapters instead of hard wiring directly from the router to the computers?

[mcgsxr]

When I finished our basement around 2 years ago, I made sure to take the opportunity to run a series of Cat6e wires, at the suggestion of the smart folks here.

I was able to get hardware to my main floor in2 different places and that has proven very usedul a couple of times.

I have yet to regret any ehternet I ever ran.  Zero networking problems to those spots is awesome.

I still have a wireless adapter running on a PC all the way upstairs, but it has been decent.

One excellent use of one run of Ethernet has been to run a 2nd router on the main floor.   It rebroadcasts the signal of the main router in the basement, and it results in very good signal all over the property.

[Tone Depth]

Do those power line networking adaptors degrade the power by adding the RF signal? We're using a set, and I've wondered.

Did you consider using powerline networking adapters instead of hard wiring directly from the router to the computers?

[lowtech]

It will effect your power lines about as much as if any of your neighbor's use them in their home.