What is the difference between Ethernet and Wi-Fi?

What is the difference between Ethernet and Wi-Fi?

• A. Ethernet is a wired network connection; Wi-Fi is a wireless connection; both provide network access with different characteristics.
• B. Ethernet is wireless and Wi-Fi is wired.
• C. Ethernet uses optical fiber; Wi-Fi uses copper cables.
• D. Ethernet and Wi-Fi are identical in performance and reliability.

Answer: (A)

Ethernet and Wi‑Fi differ mainly in how devices connect to the network. Ethernet is a wired connection, using cables to link devices to a switch or router. That physical link tends to be very stable with low and predictable latency, and it can deliver high, consistent speeds because the path isn’t shared and isn’t affected much by distance or obstacles. Wi‑Fi is a wireless connection, using radio waves to connect devices to a wireless access point. This offers great convenience and mobility, but the signal strength and speed can vary with distance, walls, interference from other devices, and how many devices are sharing the same radio channel. Because of that, performance can be less consistent than Ethernet. So both give you network access, but they rely on different media and bring different characteristics: wired versus wireless, with Ethernet typically offering higher reliability and steadier speeds, and Wi‑Fi offering flexibility and mobility.

Ethernet and Wi‑Fi differ mainly in how devices connect to the network. Ethernet is a wired connection, using cables to link devices to a switch or router. That physical link tends to be very stable with low and predictable latency, and it can deliver high, consistent speeds because the path isn’t shared and isn’t affected much by distance or obstacles.

Wi‑Fi is a wireless connection, using radio waves to connect devices to a wireless access point. This offers great convenience and mobility, but the signal strength and speed can vary with distance, walls, interference from other devices, and how many devices are sharing the same radio channel. Because of that, performance can be less consistent than Ethernet.

So both give you network access, but they rely on different media and bring different characteristics: wired versus wireless, with Ethernet typically offering higher reliability and steadier speeds, and Wi‑Fi offering flexibility and mobility.