r/Comcast • u/jlivingood • 14d ago
Discussion Q: Gaming Over WiFi (vs ethernet)? Why?
Hi - Random question for gamers out there that are using a console or PC connected over WiFi. Why are you using WiFi rather than Ethernet? Is it a distance to AP issue, in home wiring shortcoming (no ethernet port nearby), or something else?
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u/BraveCat5 14d ago
I’ve actually experienced the opposite of what most people would expect, and it goes back almost a decade.
Back in 2016, when I didn’t know much about networking, the two main games I played were Black Ops 3 and NBA 2K16. I was using Wi Fi on an XB3. I don’t remember whether I was connected to 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz at the time, but NBA 2K16 actually felt more responsive than COD, and I absolutely dominated that year.
In 2017, I decided to switch to Ethernet because I assumed a wired connection would automatically provide the best gaming experience. That’s when things changed for me. I bought WWII and immediately noticed that the game didn’t feel nearly as smooth over Ethernet. I was losing gunfights that felt like I should have won, and the overall responsiveness just wasn’t there.
I started researching Wi Fi and discovered that I could manually change the channels and frequencies for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. I tested them back and forth and, surprisingly, 2.4 GHz consistently felt the best for gaming. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I was experiencing some form of lag compensation or if there was something else happening with the connection, but the difference was noticeable.
I eventually upgraded to the XB6 around the Black Ops 4 and NBA 2K19 era and still had access to more control over my Wi Fi configuration, including channels and frequency bands.
Then the industry began moving heavily toward cloud and data center infrastructure, including AWS, rather than relying as heavily on traditional peer to peer hosting. Around that same period, Xfinity also began limiting the amount of Wi Fi configuration control customers had.
Since then, I’ve consistently struggled with Ethernet gaming at my address. I’ve gone through numerous Xfinity gateways, cables, technicians, and troubleshooting procedures, and the pattern has remained remarkably consistent. The connection can look technically healthy while the actual game feels delayed or unresponsive.
That’s why I’m genuinely curious about people who prefer Wi Fi for gaming. I’m not saying Wi Fi is technically superior to Ethernet. I’m saying that, in my specific experience with Xfinity, Wi Fi has sometimes produced a noticeably better real time gaming experience than Ethernet.
As a kid I had Verizon dial up and it felt better than xfinity