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I am thinking about buying an router with AC wifi, and I have found several that were missing Gigabit ethernet. I find this strange, as far as I know 10/100 is slower than AC for a close range. Am I right?
If I want to send some files from my wired computer to my phone, the wired part will be the limit, not the wireless. Am I missing something here?

If it is aimed at people who only use wireless devices, why does it have 4 LAN ports?
Most people who use wires do it because they need the speed it offers even over AC wifi. Why would we settle for 100/100?

András
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2 Answers2

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There are many factors at play...

as far as I know 10/100 is slower than AC for a close range. Am I right?

All things being equal, yes. But wireless, even 802.11ac suffers from issues with retransmission, signal strength, etc.

If I want to send some files from my wired computer to my phone, the wired part will be the limit, not the wireless

The limiting factor would most likely be your phone and computer's HDD transfer rates, assuming you are getting 100Mbps at a minimum on your network connectivity.

If it is aimed at people who only use wireless devices, why does it have 4 LAN ports?

Other devices, such as wired printers, VoIP phones, a possible wired computer, cascading switches, etc.

So why not 10/100/1000 wired ports? Choice vs. cost. Most people will never need a gigabit LAN at their home...so choosing the slightly cheaper option makes sense.

Even 802.11ac buyers tend to often be misled. They focus on "wow that's fast" and forget that they bought a 10/1 internet connection or that they never share data between the wireless devices and are only doing "hub/spoke" connectivity to the internet. In those cases, as long as signal strength is still decent enough even an 802.11g router would suffice.

TheCleaner
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    Hmmm. Most computers have SSD now so that won't be the limiting factor here. My phone (iPhone 6s) has many reviews that show consistent throughput around 500MBps. So all my advertised "AC 1350MBps" does is being throttled by the wired interface. What a waste. – pieroxy Jan 22 '17 at 09:33
  • @pieroxy - my answer was from 2014. 802.11ac for home use is a waste for 95% of people. It's a great way to sell routers though! "Look! It's fast! It's got 99000x the range! It will raise your kids!" – TheCleaner Jan 24 '17 at 03:36
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Yes 802.11ac is faster than 100Mbit/s, but it also requires an 802.11ac wireless compatible device. Wireless a,b and g are slower than 100Mbit/s with wireless n being capable of speeds greater than 100Mbit/s.

My guess is those ports were chosen to keep costs down as 802.11ac is relatively new, it is also relatively expensive. Standard users likely won't see much of a difference.

Raystafarian
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