以太网（Ethernet）由Robert Metcalfe与David Boggs在1973年于Xerox PARC提出，1983年由IEEE制定IEEE 802.3标准后成为主流，因为规范开放且多厂商可互通，同时支援向下相容，促使其快速扩展：起始速率10 Mbps，1995年升至100 Mbps，1999年达到1 Gbps（1,000 Mbps），2002年到10 Gbps（10,000 Mbps），2010年可到40 Gbps（40,000 Mbps）并同年再提升到100 Gbps（100,000 Mbps），但目前家庭端可用上限仍以40 Gbps为主。与Wi‑Fi相比，有线连线通常更快、更稳定且更安全，因为每条以太网路采独立实体通道而非共享无线空中时间；但缺点是布线较麻烦且必须有线缆。

在家庭布线中，Wi‑Fi 6/6E/7虽可达高速度，仍易受干扰、缓冲膨胀与讯号竞争影响。网路实际表现取决于最慢环节（网路线、连接埠或交换器）。家用常见路由标准为：Cat 5（350 MHz，100 Mbps）、5e（350 MHz，1 Gbps）、6（550 MHz，1 Gbps）、6a（550 MHz，10 Gbps）、7（600 MHz，10 Gbps）、7a（1 GHz，40 Gbps）、8（2 GHz，25–40 Gbps）；一般住宅采用5e或6即可支援1 Gbps，而路由主干路段建议使用6a（10,000 Mbps）以因应未来扩充。受损的网路线可能被设备识别为较低类别，造成速率下滑，例如10 Gbps等级线材可能只剩100 Mbps。

乙太网路连接埠多为Gigabit（1 Gbps/1,000 Mbps），部分路由器提供2.5 Gbps（2,500 Mbps）或10 Gbps（10,000 Mbps）版本。交换器可用一条上行链路分发到多个房间，受管理交换器适合进阶设定与安全控制，非受管理交换器对一般家庭通常已足够。PoE最新IEEE 802.3bt可提供最高90 W，四种可用等级为PoE 15 W、PoE+ 30 W、PoE++ 60 W、4PPoE 90 W，可供摄影机、智慧门铃、智慧窗帘等单线供电。若网路孔位受限，仍可用Powerline或MoCA作为替代，但在大多情境下，Wi‑Fi操作最便捷；当追求接近理论峰值与抗干扰稳定性时，有线仍是更佳选择。

Ethernet, created by Robert Metcalfe and David Boggs at Xerox PARC in 1973, became dominant after IEEE standardized it as IEEE 802.3 in 1983, largely because it was open, multi-vendor, and backward compatible, enabling rapid scaling: from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps in 1995, 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) in 1999, 10 Gbps (10,000 Mbps) in 2002, then 40 Gbps (40,000 Mbps) and 100 Gbps (100,000 Mbps) in 2010, while residential availability remains around 40 Gbps today. Compared with Wi‑Fi, wired links are generally faster, more stable, and more secure because each link uses a dedicated physical channel instead of shared airtime, but deployment is complex and requires cables.

In home networking, Wi‑Fi 6/6E/7 can be very fast yet remains sensitive to interference, bufferbloat, and contention. Performance is ultimately limited by the weakest component in the chain (cable, port, or switch). Home cable classes in common use are: Cat 5 (350 MHz, 100 Mbps), 5e (350 MHz, 1 Gbps), 6 (550 MHz, 1 Gbps), 6a (550 MHz, 10 Gbps), 7 (600 MHz, 10 Gbps), 7a (1 GHz, 40 Gbps), and 8 (2 GHz, 25–40 Gbps). For typical houses, Cat 5e or 6 is sufficient for 1 Gbps, while Cat 6a (10,000 Mbps) is a low-cost future-proof upgrade for backbone runs. Damaged cables can downgrade negotiation and reduce throughput, as with a 10 Gbps-rated cable that falls back to 100 Mbps.

Ethernet ports are usually Gigabit (1,000 Mbps), with some routers offering 2.5 Gbps (2,500 Mbps) and a small set offering 10 Gbps (10,000 Mbps). Switches provide a cost-effective way to split one uplink into multiple rooms; managed switches help with optimization, traffic control, and security, while unmanaged ones are often enough for most households. Power over Ethernet has reached up to 90 W in IEEE 802.3bt, with levels PoE (15 W), PoE+ (30 W), PoE++ (60 W), and 4PPoE (90 W), enabling single-cable power for cameras, smart doorbells, and similar devices. For multi-story or large homes, wired backhaul between main router and nodes often preserves bandwidth best; where drilling is impossible, Powerline or MoCA can help, but Wi‑Fi remains easiest for most users, with Ethernet usually outperforming for stability and near line-rate throughput.