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Comment by metatronscube | Hacker News Reader

I'm a network Engineer and even I have to work hard to remember the last time I used an Ethernet port. Configuring routers and switches and testing scenarios are mostly done remotely via labs (although I do configure and test locally a lot as well)

As far as end user goes and my daily life outside work, I very rarely use Ethernet. I suspect the average user just doesn't have the need for it any more.

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If you use voip or do any online gaming a wired connection is faster and more reliable. I suspect the average user uses one of these.

They should just make a thinner ethernet jack.

Right, and they could give you a dongle that had a proper RJ45 jack on the other end!

Er... hang on...

Yes, could be a converter cable, could be a dumb dongle. Either would be cheaper.

The price is all Apple markup; the actual chip costs pennies.

VOIP? You just identified the _single_ example of an application that has minimal requirements for bandwidth (on the order of 30-40 kbits/sec is fine). I live, eat, breath on Skype, have never had a single Skype call over a wired connection. Ironically, the one persistent flaw in my recent Skype calls have been my comcast line that periodically starts dropping 3-5% of it's packets so I've had to switch over to tethering over my iPad with Verizon's Data (also wireless - so, Wireless WIFI from my MBAir over Wireless LTE) - Rock solid.

Bandwidth isn't the problem, rather dropped packets and increased latency. Neither are fatal, but add to poor experience voip has been compared to a pots connection.

So - I will agree that dropped packets are a problem (I'm having them myself with Comcast Cable - argh!!) - but WiFi connections, except under the most _extreme_ circumstances, don't ever drop packets unless you have a RF/hardware problem that is unusual. (Or Contention - which is why I don't like to share WiFi on a consumer Wireless router) Latency over WiFi is < 1ms - which should be imperceptible to VOIP.

I should set up a Skype call from my MacBook Air tethered to my iPad over Verizon LTE to you - this really is a much worse scenario than WiFi - 35ms latency, about 1% packet loss - than my WiFi connection - but I still bet you would hear stellar voice quality (over my MBAir's Mic, no less!)

Honestly - WiFi really, really is not a problem with VOIP unless you have some contention, RF disturbance or really poor connectivity - something else is going on with you - I've done lots of Voice Tests ahead of important meetings when I'm presenting just to be 100% certain that my call/voice quality was 100% - and it's always been with Skype over WiFi.

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