To use wired or wireless?

[MG_3989]

Ok I know everyone is gonna jump the gun and say wired but just wait. I tested my connection on both wired and wireless and on wired my download is 21.0mbps and upload is 9.4mbps and on wireless for some reason my download is 42.3Mbps download and 18.5Mbps upload. I completely don’t understand this. My question is should I run wireless internet since it’s faster? Why is this happening? Wired should always be faster right?

 

[Sean²]

Some newer routers offer very high wireless transmission speed. So if your console is in close proximity to a higher end router, it may technically be a better speed. What’s probably limiting you on the wired end is your hardware. Whether it be your adapter or just the switch itself limiting this. A cat6 cable with a compatible usb3.0 10/100/1000 Ethernet adapter plugged into the usb3.0 port on the back of the dock, plugged directly into a higher end router would probably give you the best wired connection you can get, but it’s still possible that due to hardware limitations that wireless looks better for you. The thing you’ll get more from a wired connection versus a wireless connection is more stability. So when someone in your house starts watching YouTube or turns on the microwave you don’t start dropping packets left and right and lagging all over the place.

 

[MG_3989]

Some newer routers offer very high wireless transmission speed. So if your console is in close proximity to a higher end router, it may technically be a better speed. What’s probably limiting you on the wired end is your hardware. Whether it be your adapter or just the switch itself limiting this. A cat6 cable with a compatible usb3.0 10/100/1000 Ethernet adapter plugged into the usb3.0 port on the back of the dock, plugged directly into a higher end router would probably give you the best wired connection you can get, but it’s still possible that due to hardware limitations that wireless looks better for you. The thing you’ll get more from a wired connection versus a wireless connection is more stability. So when someone in your house starts watching YouTube or turns on the microwave you don’t start dropping packets left and right and lagging all over the place.

I think I’m just gonna keep wired because 20mbps is more than enough for this game. I have a high end gaming router. I just don’t know if my Ethernet cord+adapter are optimized and maybe this is just how the Switch works. Regardless I’m not lagging I just thought WiFi might be better because it’s so fast but I don’t wanna drop frames

 

[Sean²]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it’s your adapter then. The Nintendo branded ones (the new Switch version or one of the older gray Wii/Wii U versions) are workable but not optimal. A compatible 3rd party usb 3.0 Ethernet adapter with gigabit capabilities will probably be the best you can get. I got mine on Amazon from a company called “Plugable” and it seems to work great. My connection speed doubled versus when I was using my old Wii usb 2.0 adapter.

 

[MG_3989]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it’s your adapter then. The Nintendo branded ones (the new Switch version or one of the older gray Wii/Wii U versions) are workable but not optimal. A compatible 3rd party usb 3.0 Ethernet adapter with gigabit capabilities will probably be the best you can get. I got mine on Amazon from a company called “Plugable” and it seems to work great. My connection speed doubled versus when I was using my old Wii usb 2.0 adapter.

Oh awesome, I’m using the Nintendo one. I’m ordering it right now

 

[Sean²]

Just make sure it’s the switch compatible one, I think they sell a few different ones

 

[MG_3989]

Just make sure it’s the switch compatible one, I think they sell a few different ones

You have a link by any chance?

 

[Sean²]

Here’s the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQM8586/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_i_rs8wCbYWTJ72J

 

[MG_3989]

Here’s the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQM8586/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_i_rs8wCbYWTJ72J

Thanks a lot!

 

[Mischiiii]

Online games don’t send and receive huge amounts of data while playing so a stable connection is more important than a fast one. And the wire will always be mor stable than a signal transfered over the air. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a perfect connection with wifi but you need a good connection with very few walls between you and your router. I would always use wired connection if possible.

I use the original hori adapter licensed by Nintendo. Works just fine.

 

[lucasla]

My experience with this is: I bought a Lan adapter to try to make the online less laggy, specially in games with 3 or 4 players. My Nintendo Switch is just at the side of my router (30 cm of distance). I bought the Ugreen Lan Adapter. It solved nothing, and I feel that the connection is worse, cause when I use the lan adapter, I have more lagged matches than before. I can play the game properly, in most of the matches of 1v1 using wireless connection or the lan adapter. But I feel that with wireless connection, I have less lagged matches even in 1v1.
My internet connection is great in any online PC game that I play a lot (Overwatch, Rainbow Six, Counter Strike, Modern Warfare...).
So, I was disappointed with the results of playing with the lan adapter, it helped nothing and I usually leave it disconected when playing Smash.
It may help people with Switches that are far from their router or have more oscilation on the connection, but not for me.

 

[Oneiros5321]

Having the same issue for the DL speed on WiFi vs Wired. That being said, you could probably have a stable match with just a 5mbps. It's really not about speed but about stability.
WiFi will suffer from being affected by interference, leading to sending and receiving information at a discontinued rate and ending up having a chance to get some micro freeze here and there or worse.

Regardless of speed, LAN adapter would fix that and your DL and UP speed are more than enough on wired.

If you're right next to your router and don't have anything interfering between the router and the Switch, it should be alright. But at the same time, if you are indeed right next to the router, it doesn't cost much to go the extra step and spend 10$ on a LAN adapter, just to be sure.