Ethernet

Even if you're not plugging an Ethernet cable into the wall, somewhere along the chain you're still relying on that technology to get online. You've got Bob Metcalfe and the late David Boggs to thank for that. Together at Xerox's renowned Palo Alto Research Institute (better known as Xerox PARC), the pair developed Ethernet and set the stage for a networking revolution. Yesterday, Metcalfe received the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) A.M. Turing Award, which is often pegged the "Nobel Prize of computing." Thanks…

The vast majority of routers have four usable Ethenet ports, with a fifth usually reserved for connecting a modem. Mesh Wi-Fi routers rarely have this many, with just one or two ports on each device. If your router or mesh Wi-Fi device doesn’t have enough ports to connect all the wired network devices you have, an Ethernet hub is the answer. A hub is an inexpensive device which has a number of Ethernet ports (typically five or eight) and connects to an Ethernet port on your router. You don’t have to…

Take a deep breath. It's not as scary as it looks...I promise. Michael Gariffo/ZDNETIf you're not already familiar with it, coaxial cable (seen above) is that round, usually white, sorta stiff cable that once carried all forms of pay TV services, including cable and satellite-based subscriptions. The cabling was run throughout just about every home that ever had a pay TV or internet connection for several decades. Think of these adapters as endpoints for a run of Ethernet. With their help, that's exactly what any old…

Pros Far cheaper than professionally installed Ethernet Easy setup that takes minutes Includes everything but the coax in your walls Cons Max speed is slower than Gigabit Ethernet Multiple kits may be needed for some installations Won't work if you still have active cable TVIt's no secret that most cable and satellite TV services are losing customers to cord cutting as people move to streaming services. Because of that, there's a good chance your home has hundreds of feet of coaxial cable that used to be needed for…

Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology allows a twisted-pair Ethernet cable to provide power to electric devices, in addition to data. This is most commonly found in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, like IP security cameras, and greatly simplifies the wiring of any such setup, as it means only one cable is necessary for almost everything. When such devices can be placed in hard-to-reach locations, where running any cabling is cumbersome, it is really handy, not to mention cheaper. That’s not everything that makes PoE…

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge: Google Nest Wifi Pro review: easy to use, inexpensive, no subscriptions, and nice design, but Ethernet limited to 1Gbps, no Assistant, and few parental options — A big upgrade over its predecessors, Google's Nest Wifi Pro adds Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, bringing faster speeds, and improved reliability. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge: Google Nest Wifi Pro review: easy to use, inexpensive, no subscriptions, and nice design, but Ethernet limited to 1Gbps, no Assistant,…

Apple has launched an updated version of the Apple TV 4K media player. The new model features a faster processor, improved HDR support, and better connectivity. The new Apple TV 4K features the A15 Bionic SoC. Apple does not mention the core counts or clock speeds, which makes it difficult to ascertain if it is identical to the one on the iPhone 14 models or a cut down version. The company claims it has 50% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance compared to the A12 Bionic on the previous generation model. The new…

ASRock has quietly released revision 2.0 of its WRX80 Creator motherboard for AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro processor that costs more than $350 less than the revision 1.0 of the same mainboard, which was released this August. The only difference between the two boards? The new model uses Marvell's Aquantia 10GbE controller instead of an Intel 10GbE controller.Other than 10GbE controllers, ASRock's WRX80 Creator motherboards are absolutely identical. Both use a 14-layer printed circuit board (something that is hardly ever…

The first, and often most difficult, step in this process is locating the coaxial cable line you want to adapt to Ethernet. Since most cable runs are within walls, it's hugely helpful if the cable is labeled at both endpoints. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.This is a great time to have a friend or family member on the phone with you to help this process. If you have a bare coaxial line emerging from the wall, it may be as simple as having them jiggle one end while you watch the other for movement. Or, if…

The first, and often most difficult, step in this process is locating the coaxial cable line you want to adapt to Ethernet. Since most cable runs are within walls, it's hugely helpful if the cable is labeled at both endpoints. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.This is a great time to have a friend or family member on the phone with you to help this process. If you have a bare coaxial line emerging from the wall, it may be as simple as having them jiggle one end while you watch the other for movement. Or, if…