Is broadband the same as Ethernet

The internet has become an essential part of our daily lives, not only connecting us to the rest of the world but also giving us access to offline services online. Besides communication, it is a primary source of information and covers almost all aspects of our lives including education, healthcare, transport, finance, and many others.

Now, this internet needs a medium to transmit these data – cable, fiber, or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Then, data signals get sent in two ways over a network – broadband and baseband. Baseband sends a single signal at a given point in time while broadband sends multiple signals on separate frequencies. These terminologies can be confusing and a common question asked – is broadband the same as Ethernet?

No, Broadband is not the same as Ethernet. Broadband deals with the internet and applies to high bandwidth that can be transmitted quickly while Ethernet applies to networking between computers in a local area network (LAN). Ethernet technology can also be used to connect a DSL to the internet.

 Broadband

Broadband is a term given to a high-speed & and high-bandwidth technology that connects you to the internet and it’s called broadband because it uses a wide bandwidth that transmits multiple signals on separate frequencies at once. This makes it quicker than a non-broadband connection. A Wi-Fi, Ethernet, microwave, LTE, satellite link, and fiber optic are different types of broadband connection. It uses optical fiber, radio, coaxial cable, or twisted pair as the medium.

Ethernet

Ethernet on the other hand is a standard way of connecting computers on a network using a cable and falls under broadband. A standard Ethernet cable comes with an RJ45 connector on both ends connecting to devices via an Ethernet port. Most devices have replaced Ethernet with wireless networks like Wi-Fi which doesn’t require a cable. Compared to the Gigabit Ethernet, The 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard offers faster maximum data transfer speeds.

Differences between Broadband and Ethernet

Both broadband and Ethernet are 802.11 based technologies using the basic Ethernet frame to transmit data over a network. The difference between broadband and Ethernet is their application. Broadband is all about speed, anything high-speed and high-bandwidth is broadband including a fast Ethernet connection. Ethernet on the other hand is a type of cable plugged directly into your PC that transmits data between the router and your PC. Most of the time, where there is a broadband internet, there’s Ethernet on the end user’s side. In terms of range, broadband covers longer networking distances than the standard Ethernet range of 100 meters. Since most people want high-speed internet in their homes and offices, Ethernet over fiber is used together with Wi-Fi to deliver these speeds. This is because Ethernet has speeds of as high as 800 Gigabit per second.

Conclusion

Though the two terminologies may sound the same since they have something to do with computers and the internet, they aren’t the same. Despite Ethernet being expensive and mainly used in computer networking, you can use it with your broadband to achieve faster internet speeds.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What’s the difference between broadband and baseband?

Both broadband and baseband transmit signals but in different ways. Baseband transmits digital signals using a single code like NRZ while broadband transmits analog signals simultaneously using multiple and unidirectional channels. This makes broadband high-speed and high-bandwidth compared to baseband. Cable TV transmission is an example of broadband connection while Ethernet for LAN can be an example of baseband.

How fast is an Ethernet cable?

There are several Ethernet cables on the market with the latest being Cat7 cables. These cables have a maximum speed of 10 Gigabits per second.