GoalCompare wired and wireless networks and choose the better one for a job.
New words
wired · using cables plugged into portswireless · without cables; the signal travels through the airWi-Fi · the way most wireless networks send dataport · a small socket in a device where a cable plugs in
Explanation
In a wired network, each device is joined by a cable to a port. In a wireless network, the data travels through the air by Wi-Fi, so there is no cable to plug in. Each type has good points. A cable is steady: walls and distance do not weaken it much. That is good for a computer that stays on one desk. Wi-Fi is easy to move with: you can carry a tablet from room to room. But the signal gets weaker through thick walls and far from the router. Many places use both. Think of a school: the office computers use cables, and the library tablets use Wi-Fi. When you choose, ask two questions. Does the device need to move? Does the job need a very steady connection? Remember also that a wireless network still has wires somewhere: the router itself is plugged in and joined to the modem.
Wired
Wireless
How it connects
cable in a port
signal in the air
Good point
steady
you can move around
Weak point
the device stays near the port
walls and distance weaken the signal
Best for
a computer that stays on a desk
a tablet carried around
Worked examples
Hany’s father works at a desk all day on a video call that must not freeze. The computer is joined to the switch by a cable. A steady connection matters more than moving around.
In the school library, pupils carry tablets between tables and the shelves. Wi-Fi works well because nobody is tied to one port.
Hana’s tablet shows one bar of signal in the back room, far from the router. Her father moves the router to the middle of the house, and the signal gets stronger.
Class activity
Wired or wireless? Draw a table with three places: the school office, the library with tablets, and a football club’s scoreboard computer fixed to a wall. Choose wired or wireless for each. Write one reason for each choice.
Practice
1
Give one good point and one weak point of Wi-Fi.
Good: you can move around. Weak: the signal gets weaker through walls and far from the router.
2
A computer stays on a desk and needs a very steady connection. Wired or wireless?
Wired.
3
In the picture, which tablet will have the stronger signal? Say the letter.
A, the one near the router.
4
Does a wireless network need any cables? Explain.
The devices do not, but the router is still plugged in and linked to the modem.
