Wired vs Wireless Communication Network

Wired and wireless networks are two primary methods of connecting devices for data communication. Wired networks use physical cables where as wireless networks use radio waves for communication. Let us compare wired vs wireless network based on their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Wired Communication Network

As we know "wired" is the term refers to any physical medium consisting of cables. The cables can be copper wire, twisted pair or fiber optic. Wired network is used to carry different forms of electrical signals from one end to the other. It allows single internet connection to be shared among multiple devices over wired network.

10 EXAMPLEs of wired network are as follows.
1. Ethernet LAN (Local Area Network): This network consists of ethernet cards housed in PCs or laptops. These cards are connected using ethernet cables. The data flows between these cards. For small wired network, router is used to connect few number of desktop or laptop computers. In order to increase the network coverage, multiple ethernet switches and routers are used. The figure-1 depicts LAN with the help of ethernet cables and other networking devices.
2. Fiber optic network : This wired network type uses fiber optic cables which carry light signals to transport data over long distances with high speed and reliability. They are commonly used for internet backbones and high speed data connections.
3.Coaxial cable network : Coaxial cables are used for cable television (CATV) networks and some broadband internet connections.
4.Telephone line network : Traditional telephone lines made of twisted pair cables can be used for data transmission. They are used for DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) internet connections.
5. Powerline Communication (PLC) : It uses electrical wiring to carry data signals, allowing devices to communicate through power outlets.
6. USB (Universal Serial Bus) : USB cables are commonly used to connect various peripherals like printers, external hard drives, keyboards and mouse to computers.
7. HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) : HDMI cables transmit high definition audio and video signals between devices such as computers, TVs and gaming consoles.
8. Thunderbolt interface : These cables are used to connect high speed peripherals and monitors to computers, often found on Macintosh devices.
9. Serial cable : Serial cables are used for connecting older devices like serial printers, modems and some industrial equipments.
10. RS232 : These interface cables are a type of serial cable used for asynchronous communication between computers and peripheral devices.

Wireless Network

As we know "Wireless" is the term refers to medium made of electromagnetic waves (i.e. EM Waves) or infrared waves. All the wireless devices require antennas for transmitting and receiving EM wave to and from the air. Typical wireless devices include cellular mobile, wireless sensors, TV remote, satellite disc receiver, laptops with wifi card etc. Wireless network does not use wires for data or voice communication. It uses EM waves at various frequencies for transmission and reception.

10 EXAMPLES of wireless network are as follows.
1. 4G LTE and 5G cellular networks : These mobile networks provide wireless internet access to smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. 5G NR (New Radio) network offers fast speeds and lower latency compared to 4G LTE. The other cellular networks are 2G GSM, CDMA, Mobile Wimax and so on. The figure-2 depicts typical cellular network.
2. WiFi network : The router or AP (Access Point) is required to establish Wireless LAN network. It follows IEEE 802.11 specifications. It allows various devices such as smartphones, laptops and smart home devices to connect with internet via wifi AP or router.
3. Bluetooth ( IEEE 802.15.1 ): It is a short range wireless technology. It allows bluetooth compliant devices to connect with each other or to a computer. The commonly used devices are headphones, mice, keyboards and smartphones.
4. Zigbee : It is a wireless communication protocol used in smart home devices and IoT (Internet of Things) applications for home automation and wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It follows IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.
5. Zwave : Z-Wave is a wireless communication protocol primarily used for home automation and the Internet of Things (IoT).
6. NFC (Near Field Communication) : It is short range wireless technology used for contactless payments, mobile ticketing and data transfer between smartphones and other NFC enabled devices.
7. Satellite Internet : It uses satellite communication to provide high speed internet access in remote or rural areas where traditional wired networks are not available. The satellite network uses various frequency bands for communications between satellites and ground stations.
8. Infrared (IR) network : It is used for short range communication between devices for example, TV and remote control. It was used in older data transfer methods such as IrDA.
9. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) : RFID is used for tracking and identifying objects or people through radio waves commonly used in inventory management and access control systems.
10. Microwave links : Microwave backhaul utilizes network of point to point microwave antennas to link cellular towers and core network. Microwave system uses various frequency bands such as 2.4 GHz, 18 GHz and so on for communication.

Difference between wired and wireless network

Let us compare Wired network vs Wireless network and mentions 10 + difference between wired and wireless network types used for communication.

Conclusion : Wired networks offer high reliability, faster data transfer speeds and enhanced security but are stationary and require careful installation and maintenance. In contrast, Wireless networks offer greater mobility and easier setup but are susceptible to interference. The choice between the two depends on specific requirements and constaints including speed, mobility, reliability and other factors. In many cases, a combination of both wired and wireless technologies is used to create a hybrid network that leverages the benefits of each.

Tutorials on wired and wireless technologies

What is Difference between

RF and Wireless Terminologies