MSFS users: did going from Wifi to Ethernet make a diff?

[Ixoye 1,821]

When I went from wifi to ethernet I got more reliable connection and faster downloads, but the difference is negligible.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Ixoye

[Fielder 3,680]

If you have a pocket transistor radio, then rotate it and listen to the signal strength vary enormously. In other words, a radio is only as good as the antenna (ask any HAM radio operator). My PC is upstairs on West side of house. Router and big TV is downstairs on South side of house. If I would now walk down and move the ears on the router speeds would decrease enormously to less than half. 

Your milage may vary. 

[Noel 4,503]

19 minutes ago, Ixoye said:

When I went from wifi to ethernet I got more reliable connection and faster downloads, but the difference is negligible.

I can certainly appreciate having kind of marginal bandwidth so there ethernet will clearly make difference but that's not my situation fortunately.  I'm in my first testflight now and 30min into it, "Connection Lost!"  That's a bizarre coincidence hopefully

[BrianW 124]

19 minutes ago, Noel said:

but perhaps stability of signal for lack of a more accurate

Yes this is the main thing, lots of environmental influence mostly outside of your control.  I have very good signal quality here, but still prefer wired for the flightsim PC for the stability.

An analogy I like to use with my other pilot friends is it's very much like CTAF at an uncontrolled airport.  Only one person can talk at a time, and sometimes they talk slow, or over each other causing both to retransmit, and sometimes you even get interference or congestion from someone using the same frequency at another airport that you're close enough to hear.  All making things much more hectic the busier it gets. 

[The Flight Level 2,114]

Hardwired will always outperform wifi! Perhaps in a few years the wifi tech will catch up.

We have 1Gig service to the house. Hard wired speed tests give me 800-900 megs. Wifi tests give me 600-700. So for our setup hardwired outperforms by 200-300 megs

So if you are below 0.5 Gig delivery to your house you definitely want to be hardwired for the sim.

[Bernard Ducret 790]

15 hours ago, Noel said:

It will be a considerable pain to route cable to my PC.

I distribute Internet on my electricity home network through powerplugs on three floors. I have my sim in the basement and thus get Internet through a Powerplug linked to my PC via a short Ethernet cable. I run test with CNLAB speedtest.app  and get the same speed on my sim PC than on my Mac upstairs directly linked to the router with an Ethernet cable.

So I guess you could simply solve your problem with two Powerplugs one from your router to an electricity plug close by, and another at the electricity plug closest to your sim PC. This is not answering your query of Wifi vs Ethernet, it's a third option.

[Noel 4,503]

7 hours ago, Bernard Ducret said:

I distribute Internet on my electricity home network through powerplugs on three floors. I have my sim in the basement and thus get Internet through a Powerplug linked to my PC via a short Ethernet cable. I run test with CNLAB speedtest.app  and get the same speed on my sim PC than on my Mac upstairs directly linked to the router with an Ethernet cable.

So I guess you could simply solve your problem with two Powerplugs one from your router to an electricity plug close by, and another at the electricity plug closest to your sim PC. This is not answering your query of Wifi vs Ethernet, it's a third option.

Cool, I had no idea that was an option.  Thanks Bernard that sounds attractive for sure!  If that is the case, the transmission is the same as with direct ethernet connection, then I think it's a no-brainer.

FWIW, I'm in my 4th test flight with direct connection.  I'm guessing now my main reason for doing this, which was to hopefully get rid of occasional more blurry textures, may not be solved at all w/ direct connection as I'm seeing this again now.  I'm guessing it's just the poor quality of native textures in certain areas that I'm seeing.  I just took off Brasilia and textures look pretty poor, like this:

Coming into Kona, Hawaii:

Strangely I've had two Disconnection notices from MSFS as well during this trial, brief but they happened so these appear to have nothing to do with WiFi as I rarely see them.   

Even so it makes perfect sense to use the direct connection.  I will check out Powerplugs thanks, which are referred to as "Powerline" plugs.  Very cool I hope it works easier peasier!

 

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Noel

[mspencer 432]

Those are an option too, I genuinely don't know how well they work. I've lived in new construction for nearly 10 years now so it's all wired up, and I've never run into them at work.

MSFS has some server issues going on. I have a hard line right into the router, 1Gbps symmetrical fiber, and I got dropped like 3 times last weekend. Try flying into KCOS with no photogrammetry on. Doesn't look good!!!

[Noel 4,503]

Bernard, I've read various reviews on various products and it varies quite a bit as to how well they will work.  Can you give me your brand and model as you've verified they work as good as your direct connect speed wise.

Ugg, I just read a quality review at Tom's Hardware and actual thru put on this is vastly lower than advertised.  Their top of the line recommendation only delivered 101mbps which is fine, but nowhere near what direct ethernet connection here at just under 500mbps, so I'd best bite the bullet and route the cable.

Cheers

Edited July 15, 2023 by Noel

[Noel 4,503]

Well, I lucked out and the cable routing was more doable than first thought and fortunately my test holes were well located.  I was getting some Connection Lost! alerts and deduced the adapter plate that came w/ the motherboard was not laying perfectly flat against the ethernet port on the motherboard and I was having difficulty seating the cable but finally got it I think and no more Connection Lost! alerts. 

All flights have been fully smooth per my method and I think this has reduced some occasional stutters I was getting so great, thanks all for the wisdom it's working I'm pretty sure.  Again, there are just some parts of the world that do not have the best textures.  I'm in an area now w/ great textures, just gorgeous, and perfect Nirvana level smoothness.

[Noel 4,503]

On 7/14/2023 at 7:03 PM, The Flight Level said:

Hardwired will always outperform wifi!

I would have thought so too, but now having done a direct ethernet connection with brand new 50' cable I'm getting Lost Connection! alerts WITH EVERY FLIGHT!  REALLY exasperating!  Right after the alert more often than not it proceeds to let me know it's taken me offline (Bing World Graphics/PG) and it typically is not turning it back on.  I must say:  performance, freedom from any sort of microstutters has disappeared w/ the new hard connection and bandwidth doubled as others mentioned it could but...Lost Connection?$!@(U!@$)!U4

Maybe the brand new cable is defective I have no idea.  Here's a piece that is interesting:  I ran EventViewer EventID 55 to ascertain if the network connection indeed disconnects when these alerts appear, but there is no evidence it is disconnecting locally.  Perhaps trace route takes a slightly different route when coming from my WiFi connection which misses a failing stop somewhere between my PC and MSFS servers when using the new hard connection.  Geez!!!!!!!!!!  I've reconnected WiFi and disconnected the ethernet now to see if these bloody Connection Lost! alerts go away. 

[The Flight Level 2,114]

@Noel Well, that is frustrating! My Ethernet cable only runs about 3 feet from the modem to my computer and perhaps that is why the hard connection outperforms wifi in my house. Fifty feet is a long run and I don’t know if that contributes to the lost connection. 

[Noel 4,503]

1 hour ago, The Flight Level said:

@Noel Well, that is frustrating! My Ethernet cable only runs about 3 feet from the modem to my computer and perhaps that is why the hard connection outperforms wifi in my house. Fifty feet is a long run and I don’t know if that contributes to the lost connection. 

I really doubt it look at the total length of all electrical pathways to the servers--what's another 50'?!?  Anyway, as mentioned bandwidth nearly doubled to almost 500mbps.  I did one flight this morning 2h long and no disconnects and that was w/ the ethernet so who knows maybe the storm is passing we can only hope.

[Luke 782]

Unless the MSFS servers are co-located in your residence, there's a lot of other networks between you and them. They have issues too.

Cheers!