VLog #63 – What is the Difference Between Wired and Wireless Connection?

Video – VLog #63

Which is better wired or wireless connection?

What is an advantage of a wired network?

What is the speed difference between wired and wirelsss?

Script – VLog #63

Willie Nicol: Hello, welcome everyone to another edition of The Techno Dinosaur Meets the I.T. Geek. I am Willie Nicol, the Techno Dinosaur, so called because I’m technologically challenged. I’m based here in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, U.K. Oh, and I’m also a personal development life coach.

Willie Nicol: With me today is my usual partner in crime, David Logan, the I.T. Geek. So, David where are you and how are you today?

David Logan: Hi Willie, I’m great. I’m David Logan. I’m based here in Annan, south west of Scotland. I’ve got a new name, I’ve had the name the I.T. Geek from the start of the series. I’ve got named the I.T. King today! How is that for a name?

Willie Nicol: Excellent David! Better than I.T. Emperor, I.T. Dictator. Yes, very good.

David Logan: Should we change the series name? The I.T. King meets the .…

Willie Nicol: I don’t think so, we’ll stick with the Geek I think and the Dinosaur. However, talking of the Techno Dinosaur, my question for you today is this. What’s the difference between wired and wireless connectivity as it affects the home worker with computers, laptops and so on?

David Logan: Fantastic question Willie, and WI-FI is brilliant for the home worker. It can be good for the homeworker and it can be crap for the home worker. Why is it good? Because it’s mobile, you can pick up your laptop like your mobile phone. Why is it called mobile? Because you carry it in your pocket, these can do as much as early day computers nowadays. So, what is the difference? The difference is, you’ve got no cable. That’s the one physical difference, you’ve got no cables, a lot tidier. The downside is …. WI-FI can be slower and can get disrupted.

David Logan: So, in our I.T. world, I.T. world, we always recommend …. some people call us old fashioned but get that computer wired. If you want to be secure have it wired. Why? Wired is physical and it gets no interruptions, nothing can interfere, nothing can break it.

David Logan: So, bear with me, I’ll just give you a quick google here, what we’re looking at here. Yeah, so, it says here, wireless connectivity mobility to represent a new trend for access information, so this is off a website I’ve got right now. There are still many that are sceptical about the security and functionality of wireless networks. Myself because it has to be secure, it has to be encrypted before you can really access it. Does it make sense to migrate to a wireless network or is the wire infrastructure the best way to go? Basically, that is the question we’re looking at in an office environment. My thought is, stick to a wire. It’s faster and it’s secure. Okay?

Willie Nicol: Yeah, I get that. So, the pros and cons are that WI-FI enabled gives you the mobility with no cables and nothing to humph about with you, but security is a question and speed is a question. Have I got that right?

David Logan: Yes. So, basically, we’re talking about reliability and stability. Speed and security, as you say for a wired network.

Willie Nicol: Well, OK. I mean I have my PC wired into my router because they are literally 3 feet apart but obviously when you’re outside or on your business travels or whatever, the capability of WI-FI is obviously preferable. However, how do you ensure that your WI-FI is secure?

David Logan: You need to access your router, your internet router, sometimes called ‘hubs’, and ensure it is encrypted data. So, that means when it travels from the hub to your device, when it travels from the hub to your device the data is encrypted. It’s garbage but when it gets to your device it unravels that message and you can read it right.

Willie Nicol: OK. So, if I’m out and about and had a laptop, which I don’t have. But had I had one, right, how do I ensure that the WI-FI element of that is secure?

David Logan: What you need to have is, make sure when you join that WI-FI network, there is a padlock next to that WI-FI I.D and you’ve got to enter a password. But you’ve got different levels of security that you cannot choose. Now, your routers, your internet hubs which you’re provided with nowadays by internet providers, generally all come with encrypted WI-FI networks, so you’ve got no issue there, but you’ve got to be careful. Like I say, if you go to a coffee shop or the airport, they’re not always encrypted. So, I’m looking and we’re almost over time here.

Willie Nicol: I understand that. I remember in my old job when I use to have to stay in hotels a lot and you would log into the hotel’s WI-FI and there would always be some Mickey Mouse password to keep you secure. Because if you didn’t have it, you couldn’t log into it. But in a public place you’re logging onto ‘Costas WI-FI’ as is everyone else. So, how secure or otherwise is that and do we need to worry about it?

David Logan: I’d be very careful. Now, we talked about this one time on a previous vlog, I’d be very careful. One way to get around that, two ways to get around that, is one, to make sure you’ve got plenty of data on your mobile phone and use that to access the internet. So basically, you’re bypassing the Costa Coffee WI-FI network. Another way to do it which we talked about in the previous video is VPN. Remember when we talked about that?

Willie Nicol: Yes, we did, yes.

David Logan: So, that keeps your details hidden and they can’t get them.

Willie Nicol: David, that’s very helpful, thank you very much. I know now a lot more about WI-FI than I did before, and I’ve got a wee bit more clarity in my head about it. So, thank you again. I hope that’s been useful to you the viewers, the home workers, the home office workers.

Willie Nicol: All that remains for me to say is thanks again David and to all you out there – stay safe, stay well and have some fun. So, it’s bye, bye from me, Willie Nicol.

David Logan: I’ll say the same as you Willie. To you the viewer, have a great week. Any I.T. issues, the I.T. King, oh sorry, the I.T Geek is here. Send us a message down below or a direct message up above. If you’re connected to us on any of our social media accounts, on our social media networks, by all means speak to us, we’ll put each other in touch.

David Logan: So, until next week stay safe, have fun, see you next week everybody.

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