Wired vs. wireless
A wired connection uses a physical wire to send data. In a school or office, these are normally hidden away, with many access points built into walls. This has many advantages:
- The wired connection is normally more secure
- The wired connection speed is normally faster
Wired connections make use of different wires, each having different data transfer speeds. The options are:
- Fibre optic
- Copper wire
However, there are disadvantages to wired connections, including:
- This could leave many wires trailing round an office
- If the wires are damaged they need to be replaced
- A very large amount of cabling and network hubs may be needed in large premises
A wireless connection can connect devices without any wires needed between them. This has several advantages, such as:
- There are no wires causing clutter or hazards (ie tripping over wires)
- A connection can be made anywhere within the range of the device
However, there are disadvantages, including:
- If the connection is unsecured, other users could access it
- There could be interference with the wireless signal from other devices
