Will cat5 increase my download speed?

[watrhous]

This might be a simplistic dumb /eyeroll question but i have to ask:
If i plug in a cat5 while my wifi is downloading a major download will this speed up the download or does it not affect it since its already started?

 

[ThatVietGuy]

It wouldn't affect anything since the bandwidth wouldn't be additive.

Think of it this way - lets say you have a hose that puts out 1L per min and then you split it into two each putting out 0.5L per min. If you combine those two 0.5L you'd just end up with 1L anyway.

Your bandwidth would work the same way - you're still only getting data from one source and using both wifi and ethernet (if that were even possible) from the same source won't increase anything.

 

[Orcrone]

It wouldn't affect anything since the bandwidth wouldn't be additive.

Think of it this way - lets say you have a hose that puts out 1L per min and then you split it into two each putting out 0.5L per min. If you combine those two 0.5L you'd just end up with 1L anyway.

Your bandwidth would work the same way - you're still only getting data from one source and using both wifi and ethernet (if that were even possible) from the same source won't increase anything.

But I would expect that a wired connection would be faster than a wifi connection. Wouldn't that cause the speed to increase.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Yes, but only by using the ethernet ONLY. What the OP is asking is if his speed would increase if he used both wifi and ethernet at the same time.

 

[USAFRet]

It wouldn't affect anything since the bandwidth wouldn't be additive.

Think of it this way - lets say you have a hose that puts out 1L per min and then you split it into two each putting out 0.5L per min. If you combine those two 0.5L you'd just end up with 1L anyway.

Your bandwidth would work the same way - you're still only getting data from one source and using both wifi and ethernet (if that were even possible) from the same source won't increase anything.

But I would expect that a wired connection would be faster than a wifi connection. Wouldn't that cause the speed to increase.

You use one or the other.
Not both at the same time.

And trying to switch from WiFi to Cat5 in the middle of the operation may or may not change things.
If the opportunity is there to use Cat5e, do that from the beginning.

 

[watrhous]

Yes, but only by using the ethernet ONLY. What the OP is asking is if his speed would increase if he used both wifi and ethernet at the same time.

well im wondering if the ADDED avenue of transfer will be picked up and used yb the current download process. So, is it worth plugging in the cat5 mid-download or not?

btw, i realize it is best just to use cat5 hardwired as opposed to the wifi, Im asking for the circumstance and functionality, just so i understand how it works for future reference and consideration.

 

[bill001g]

As stated in the previous post you can not use both at the same time. There is no method defined to combine the wifi and ethernet connections.

What will happen is it will stop using the wifi and start using the ethernet. If you are very very lucky it might do that without terminating any ongoing download. What is much more likely to happen is everything will get terminated and you must restart.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Yes, but only by using the ethernet ONLY. What the OP is asking is if his speed would increase if he used both wifi and ethernet at the same time.

well im wondering if the ADDED avenue of transfer will be picked up and used yb the current download process. So, is it worth plugging in the cat5 mid-download or not?

No, you will not experience much a change if any, especially if your wireless connection was already decent (since you'd be getting most of the speed already).