As much as I fully agree that Wi-Fi is super convenient, not every device should join your Wi-Fi network. Far from. Wi-Fi networks suffer from all kinds of issues, from dead zones to plain old overuse, and you may be harming your network as well as the device in question if you’re forcing too many devices onto the same Wi-Fi connection. (Been there.)
The fix is probably not something you’ll like, but it’s the most logical way around it. Switch some of your devices over to an Ethernet connection. Since I’ve done that in my home, I’ve been super happy with the results, and even devices that technically don’t have an Ethernet port can be connected via a USB to Ethernet adapter.
These are the devices you should move off of your Wi-Fi network ASAP.
Smart bulbs, plugs, and sensors
Ethernet is not the solution here, but there’s a fix
Right, perhaps I should clarify that I’m not suggesting you run an Ethernet cable to every smart bulb in your house. Not only is that impossible, even if you pulled it off, that’d look horrendous.
No, the solution here is something else. If possible, try to avoid Wi-Fi smart home devices where you can, especially for tiny things like bulbs, plugs, sensors, buttons, and switches that only need to send small bits of data. Zigbee, Thread, or Matter-over-Thread devices are often a cleaner fit, because they use a separate low-power smart-home mesh instead of piling more and more tiny clients onto your main Wi-Fi network.
Quiz
Weird WiFi and networking quirks
Trivia challenge
From bizarre range tricks to hidden protocol secrets — how well do you really know your network?
WiFiProtocolsHardwareHistoryFun Facts
In 2012, a small village in Wales was mysteriously losing its broadband every morning at the same time. What was the cause?
Correct! An elderly villager’s old television set was emitting a powerful electrical signal every morning when he turned it on, wiping out broadband for the entire village. Engineers used a spectrum analyzer to track down the source after years of complaints. It’s a perfect example of how everyday electronics can wreak havoc on networking signals.
Not quite! The culprit was an old television set that an elderly resident switched on every morning, sending out a burst of electrical interference that killed broadband for the whole village. Engineers used specialist equipment to track it down after years of frustrating outages.
Why does placing your WiFi router near a fish tank often degrade wireless signal quality?
Correct! Water is a surprisingly effective absorber of 2.4GHz radio waves, which is the same frequency used by most WiFi routers. This is actually the same principle microwave ovens use to heat food — the frequency is tuned to excite water molecules. A large fish tank can create a significant dead zone behind it for WiFi signals.
Not quite! The answer is water absorption. Water molecules absorb 2.4GHz radio waves very efficiently — it’s the same reason microwave ovens cook food at that frequency. A large fish tank can significantly dampen your WiFi signal, creating dead zones on the other side of it.
The term ‘WiFi’ is often believed to stand for ‘Wireless Fidelity’, but what is the actual origin of the name?
Correct! ‘WiFi’ was coined by a branding consultancy called Interbrand in 1999, hired by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. It was designed purely as a marketable, memorable name — not an acronym. The ‘Wireless Fidelity’ backronym was actually invented afterward to give the name a plausible meaning, and even the Wi-Fi Alliance has admitted the term has no real meaning.
Not quite! WiFi was invented by a branding company called Interbrand as a catchy, memorable marketing term with no underlying meaning. The popular explanation that it stands for ‘Wireless Fidelity’ was actually created after the fact as a retronym, and even the Wi-Fi Alliance has acknowledged the name doesn’t technically stand for anything.
What is the maximum theoretical speed of the original 802.11 WiFi standard released in 1997?
Correct! The original 802.11 standard from 1997 topped out at just 2 Mbps — barely enough to stream a low-quality video today. It feels almost laughably slow compared to modern WiFi 6E speeds that can exceed 9 Gbps in ideal conditions. The jump in wireless speeds over just 25 years is one of the most dramatic improvements in consumer technology history.
Not quite! The original 802.11 standard could only manage 2 Mbps — painfully slow by today’s standards. The 11 Mbps speed came with 802.11b in 1999, which was a big deal at the time. Modern WiFi standards have improved speeds by over 4,000 times compared to that humble beginning.
Which common household appliance is most notorious for interfering with 2.4GHz WiFi networks?
Correct! Microwave ovens operate at approximately 2.45GHz, sitting almost exactly on top of the 2.4GHz WiFi band. When running, a microwave leaks enough radio frequency energy to noticeably disrupt nearby WiFi connections. This is one of the main reasons the 5GHz WiFi band became popular — it completely avoids this kitchen interference problem.
Not quite! Microwave ovens are the biggest culprit. They operate at around 2.45GHz, almost identical to the 2.4GHz WiFi frequency band. Even a well-shielded microwave leaks enough signal to cause noticeable interference. Switching to the 5GHz band on your router completely sidesteps this issue.
What unusual material was found to dramatically boost WiFi signal strength in experiments by researchers at Dartmouth College?
Correct! Researchers at Dartmouth College discovered that custom-shaped 3D-printed plastic reflectors, coated in a thin layer of metal, could dramatically focus and redirect WiFi signals throughout a space. The reflectors could boost signal strength in desired areas by up to 55% while simultaneously reducing signal in areas where security or privacy was needed. It’s a remarkably cheap solution using off-the-shelf printing technology.
Not quite! Dartmouth College researchers found that 3D-printed plastic reflectors with a metallic coating could focus WiFi signals like a lens, improving signal strength by up to 55% in targeted areas. The approach also has a useful privacy angle — you can intentionally block signal from going outside your walls without expensive equipment.
What does the ‘ping’ command measure, and where does the name actually come from?
Correct! Ping measures the round-trip time for a data packet to travel to a host and back, measured in milliseconds. The name is inspired by sonar technology used in submarines — when sonar emits a pulse and ‘hears’ it bounce back, operators call that a ping. The networking tool was written by Mike Muuss in 1983, and he explicitly confirmed the sonar analogy was intentional.
Not quite! Ping measures round-trip latency — how long it takes for a packet to go to a destination and come back. The name comes from submarine sonar, where a sound pulse sent out and detected returning is called a ‘ping.’ Creator Mike Muuss confirmed this analogy in 1983 when he wrote the tool, though the ‘Packet InterNet Groper’ backronym was invented later.
What phenomenon causes WiFi speeds to mysteriously slow down when many neighbors are using their networks simultaneously, even if you’re not sharing bandwidth with them?
Correct! WiFi operates on shared radio frequency channels, and nearby routers broadcasting on the same channel compete for airtime even between separate networks. This is called co-channel interference, and it causes routers to ‘take turns’ transmitting more often, reducing effective throughput. Using a WiFi analyzer app to find the least congested channel — or switching to the less crowded 5GHz or 6GHz bands — can significantly improve speeds in dense neighborhoods.
Not quite! The culprit is channel congestion. WiFi channels are shared radio spectrum, and when many nearby networks use the same channel, they all have to take turns broadcasting — slowing everyone down even though no one is stealing your bandwidth. A WiFi analyzer can help you find a quieter channel, and moving to 5GHz or 6GHz usually helps escape the congestion.
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Printers
If you still own one
Let’s face it, if you still own a printer, that thing is probably sitting in a corner somewhere, collecting dust on a daily basis. So if it’s stationary 99% of the time, why not plug it in via Ethernet instead?
After I spent a good three hours fighting my so-called wireless printer and trying to get it to actually reliably connect, I threw in the towel and switched to Ethernet. That did the trick.
If your printer has an Ethernet port, congratulations, you’re all set. If not, USB is often a better option than Wi-Fi, especially if you only print from one main PC.
Smart TVs and streaming boxes/sticks
Your TV isn’t going anywhere, is it?
Your TV, streaming box, or streaming stick is probably another device that hasn’t moved in months, if not years. It sits in one place, streams large amounts of video, and then gets blamed when your Netflix is stuck on buffering for too long. The reality can be quite different; simply switching that device over to Ethernet can be monumental.
The annoying caveat is that some smart TVs still come with 100Mbps Ethernet ports, so Ethernet may not necessarily be faster than Wi-Fi on those models. But it’ll be more stable, which can be a bigger deal if your connection is acting up.
Game consoles
Gaming is always better off on cable
Game consoles are perfectly capable of running on Wi-Fi, but that doesn’t mean you should make them do that. Between massive game downloads, constant updates, cloud saves, and multiplayer, you’re really better off giving that console a more stable home than your Wi-Fi network.
The Nintendo Switch is a rare exception for me, as you can just pull the console out of the dock and get moving. But the PlayStation and the Xbox? Plug them in and enjoy the stability of Ethernet.
Don’t trash your old router: Turn it into a wired workhorse instead
Wi-Fi standards moved on, but your old router can still do something useful
Desktop PCs
This one almost goes without saying
Desktop PCs have to be the easiest devices to move off of Wi-Fi, because unless you’re frequently rearranging your setup and moving your desk all over the house, then your desktop is a one-and-done kind of thing. Set it up, connect it, and leave it there for the foreseeable future.
It’s also one of the devices that can benefit the most from Ethernet, especially if you play games or work on your PC. I do both, and I’ve never connected via Wi-Fi even once.
NAS boxes, home servers, and Plex/Jellyfin machines
Your storage should get the most stable connection available
Using a NAS and connecting it to Wi-Fi is counterproductive. Whether it’s a NAS, a home server, or anything you’re using to run Plex or Jellyfin, these are the kinds of devices that might be handling backups, streaming, downloads, and transfers. They’re also often juggling multiple devices at a time.
Putting all of that on Wi-Fi is just asking for bottlenecks. Self-hosting and Wi-Fi don’t mix to the point where many NAS owners will tell you to upgrade to 2.5GbE.
Security cameras and video doorbells
The devices you truly rely on
Security cameras and doorbells are a little trickier, because plenty of them are designed around W-Fi and battery power, so Ethernet won’t always be an option. But if you can go wired, especially with PoE cameras, you absolutely should.
These are devices you actually rely on, and they’re often lurking at the very outskirts of your Wi-Fi range. Keeping them on a stable Ethernet connection where dropouts happen far less is just the smart thing to do.
Mesh nodes and Wi-Fi extenders
Your Wi-Fi fix shouldn’t result in more Wi-Fi traffic
Mesh nodes and Wi-Fi extenders exist to “fix your Wi-Fi,” but the reality is that they do much better when you connect them via Ethernet. That’s where they do some of their best work.
If your mesh nodes are using wireless backhaul, they still have to talk to the main router over Wi-Fi, which means using some of that same wireless capacity you’re trying to free up. That’s not always bad, and a good mesh system can still be a massive improvement, but Ethernet backhaul is the dream scenario.
Less is more when it comes to Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is great, but only until a certain point. If you keep it too busy, you’ll gradually see the connection quality drop more and more across your entire household, and no amount of troubleshooting will fix the problem.
Instead of scratching your head and wondering what went wrong, start by moving some devices to Ethernet. Eight times out of ten, that alone should help your connection. You might as well do it before you start fighting your ISP, as I guarantee they’ll ask you to do the same thing, too.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
