When you flip your smart TV around and look at the back, you’ll likely find several useful ports, including HDMI, USB, and Ethernet. HDMI is arguably the most important port on any TV, as it lets you connect it to all kinds of devices, such as a console, PC, Blu-ray player, streaming device, or soundbar. USB is just as handy, as it lets you connect your TV to other devices, like USB sticks and hard drives for watching local media or even powering streaming sticks.
That leaves the Ethernet port, which, in my view, is the most controversial port on any smart TV. To be clear, generally I think Ethernet is great. It provides a fast, strong, and reliable connection between whatever device you’re using and your router. The issue I have is with the way Ethernet is implemented on smart TVs specifically.
When you use an Ethernet port on a smart TV, as you would on a PC or console, you’d expect it to provide faster internet speeds than Wi-Fi. But frankly, that’s not always the case. In fact, using your TV’s Ethernet port instead of Wi-Fi could actually slow down your TV’s internet connection rather than speed it up.
Here’s why, and how to know whether it’s actually worth using your TV’s Ethernet port or not.
Ethernet ports on smart TVs have a significant flaw
Speeds are severely limited
The reason why it might be better to use Wi-Fi on your smart TV rather than Ethernet is that the vast majority of smart TVs have Ethernet ports that are severely underpowered.
That’s because most smart TVs use 10/100 Ethernet, or “Fast Ethernet,” which limits the port to speeds of 100 Mbps. Ironically, given the name, that’s not very fast at all.
10/100 Ethernet is much slower than the Ethernet ports you’d find on PCs or consoles, as most of them have Gigabit Ethernet or better, which can reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). That’s 10 times faster than 10/100 Ethernet.
Given how slow the Ethernet port is on most smart TVs, the newer Wi-Fi standards found on many TVs today, such as Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E, can actually handily outperform Ethernet in many situations while still providing a strong, reliable connection.
That said, depending on how fast and stable your Wi-Fi connection is, the Ethernet port on your smart TV may still be useful, even though it’s limited to 100 Mbps.
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth connecting your TV to Ethernet or sticking with Wi-Fi, there’s an easy way to find out.
QuizEthernet cables and ports
Trivia challenge
From Cat5 to Cat8 — see how much you really know about the cables keeping the world connected.
StandardsHardwareHistoryNetworkingConnectors
What is the name of the standard connector used on most ethernet cables?
Correct! The RJ-45 connector is the standard 8-pin modular plug used on ethernet cables. It looks similar to a phone connector but is noticeably wider to accommodate its extra pins.
Not quite. The correct answer is RJ-45. RJ-11 is actually the smaller connector used for telephone lines, which is a common source of confusion given how similar they look.
Which ethernet cable category was the first to officially support Gigabit speeds (1 Gbps)?
Correct! Cat5e — the ‘e’ standing for ‘enhanced’ — was the first category rated to reliably support Gigabit ethernet over 100 metres. It achieved this by reducing crosstalk compared to the original Cat5.
Not quite. The answer is Cat5e. While Cat5 can sometimes handle Gigabit connections, it is not officially rated for it. Cat5e introduced tighter specifications that made 1 Gbps reliable and standardised.
Who is widely credited as the primary inventor of ethernet technology?
Correct! Bob Metcalfe co-invented ethernet at Xerox PARC in 1973 alongside David Boggs. He later founded 3Com and went on to become one of the most influential figures in networking history.
Not quite. The answer is Bob Metcalfe, who developed ethernet at Xerox PARC in the early 1970s. Vint Cerf is known for co-creating TCP/IP, while Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web — both different innovations entirely.
How many individual wires are contained inside a standard Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cable?
Correct! A standard ethernet cable contains 8 wires arranged into 4 twisted pairs. The twisting of each pair is a deliberate design choice that helps cancel out electromagnetic interference and reduce crosstalk between pairs.
Not quite. The answer is 8 wires, grouped into 4 twisted pairs. The twisting isn’t random — each pair is twisted at a slightly different rate to minimise interference between them, which is key to maintaining signal integrity.
What maximum data transfer speed is Cat8 ethernet cable rated to support?
Correct! Cat8 is rated for speeds up to 40 Gbps over distances of up to 30 metres. It was designed primarily for data centre environments where extremely high-speed, short-range connections are essential.
Not quite. Cat8 supports up to 40 Gbps, making it the fastest standardised ethernet cable category available. It operates over shorter distances than older categories and is mostly used in professional data centre settings rather than homes.
What does the term ‘PoE’ mean in the context of ethernet networking?
Correct! Power over Ethernet (PoE) allows ethernet cables to carry electrical power alongside data. This is widely used to power devices like IP cameras, VoIP phones, and wireless access points without needing a separate power cable.
Not quite. PoE stands for Power over Ethernet. It is a genuinely useful technology that lets a single cable deliver both data and electricity to a connected device, simplifying installation and reducing cable clutter significantly.
In what decade was ethernet first commercially introduced to the market?
Correct! Although ethernet was invented in the early 1970s at Xerox PARC, it was first commercialised in the 1980s. The IEEE 802.3 standard was published in 1983, which paved the way for widespread commercial adoption.
Not quite. Ethernet was commercially introduced in the 1980s. While Bob Metcalfe’s original ethernet memo dates back to 1973, it took until the early 1980s and the publication of the IEEE 802.3 standard for it to reach the commercial market.
What wiring standard is most commonly used for ethernet patch cables in home and office environments?
Correct! T568B is the most widely used wiring standard for ethernet patch cables in North America and most of the world. While T568A is also a valid standard and preferred in some government installations, T568B dominates in homes and offices.
Not quite. The answer is T568B, which is the dominant wiring standard for ethernet cables globally. T568A and T568B differ only in the arrangement of the orange and green wire pairs — as long as both ends of a cable use the same standard, the cable will work correctly.
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
How to find out if you should use Wi-Fi or Ethernet on your smart TV
You can test your TV’s connection speed
The best way to determine whether you should use Ethernet or Wi-Fi on your smart TV is by running an internet speed test over Wi-Fi. There are a couple of ways to do this, such as using your TV’s built-in web browser and going to a website like fast.com, but I actually think the easiest way is to use the Netflix app.
Netflix’s app for smart TVs includes a built-in internet speed test, which you can access for free and without an account by going to Get Help > Check your network. From there, the Netflix app will test your Wi-Fi connection for you. I’d recommend running a couple of tests to get a good idea of your average speed.
If the speed tests consistently show that your TV is getting more than 100 Mbps over Wi-Fi and your connection is strong and stable, then sticking with Wi-Fi is probably your best bet. If you switch to Ethernet, your connection speed will be limited to 100 Mbps or potentially even a little slower.
On the flip side, if you run a couple of speed tests over Wi-Fi and find that your connection is consistently much slower than 100 Mbps, this is where using your TV’s Ethernet port makes more sense. You’ll likely get a faster and more reliable connection than you would over Wi-Fi.
When I ran a speed test on my LG C5 TV using the Netflix app (as you can see in the image above), I was getting an average speed of around 220 Mbps, and I wasn’t experiencing any connection issues either. So, I decided to stick with Wi-Fi on my TV rather than connect it to Ethernet.
As for why smart TVs have such slow Ethernet in the first place, it’s probably because most streaming services recommend only about 20 Mbps for 4K streaming. TV manufacturers likely look at that recommendation and decide there’s little reason to include a faster Ethernet port, so they stick with 10/100 Ethernet and cut costs. This is unfortunate, because if TV makers upgraded to Gigabit Ethernet instead, it would be much more beneficial for many users, not just for streaming Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and other services, but also for streaming local media from Plex or Jellyfin, cloud gaming, and, of course, faster download and loading times.
All things considered, before you use your TV’s Ethernet port, I’d recommend running an internet speed test first. If you’re consistently getting more than 100 Mbps over Wi-Fi and your connection is strong and stable, there’s really not much reason to use your TV’s Ethernet port at all. But if your speed is below 100 Mbps and your Wi-Fi connection is finicky, that’s a situation where your TV’s Ethernet port is worth using.
In other words, don’t assume Ethernet is automatically the better option just because it’s a wired connection. On many smart TVs, Wi-Fi can actually be faster due to the limitations of 10/100 Ethernet.
