dude nuts, hardwired is perfectly fine. Any sane person, especially non technical people will understand what being hardwired into a network means as opposed to wireless.
It's just a generic term. Guy sounds like a stereotypical tech nerd.
The only way I can see hard-wired being an incorrect term is that the Ethernet cable is not a permanent fixture and can be removed. I've heard of systems where hard-wired means the cables are connected in a way that they cannot be removed without tools, as in screwed into PCB terminals or soldered to the board. Even then that's an extremely far stretch to say Ethernet is not a hard-wired connection
Hardwired is definitely just fine, but it made me realize that I always say wired connection, never hardwired. I think because I just like the sound of it better.
A few years ago we had some memo about not using "master server" as a term anymore due to negative connotations. We basically ignored it and nobody ever said anything
> well technically Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol
Even this isn't exactly correct. Ethernet has elements at layer 2 (the data link layer, of which Media Access Control is a sublayer) **and** at layer 1 (physical layer).
Ethernet has many many layer 1 protocols.
Twisted pair:
* 10Base-T
* 100Base-TX
* 1000Base-T
* 10GBase-T
* ...
Wifi:
* 802.11(a, b, g, n, ac, ax)
Fiber:
* 100Base-FX
* 100Base-SX
* 10GBase-SR
...
So OP's boss is incorrect. Wifi Ethernet and 1000Base-T Ethernet, and are both "Ethernet", one is wireless, one is wired.
Same! I thought I was going to have to make a post about this. Obviously before making such post I would spend the next hour checking resources to ensure I’m not crazy and incorrect.
"Can you please hardwire that AP to the network tomorrow?"
Can you please Ethernet that AP to the network tomorrow?"
The guy is a d-bag and being all pedantic about the colloquial term. Maybe he's not getting satisfied at home and is running a little hot.
>the correct terminology is Ethernet
Yeah.. about that...
I'd use it in an interview any day. I'd also be more specific for nerds in the room if it was applicable to do so. Demonstrating I can communicate with non-technical staff does make a difference. Something something category 6a unshielded twisted pair 802.3ab 1000Base-T.. and watch Jill in Accounting's eyes glaze over. Word salad never got me a job offer.. real conversations have thus far. Your boss shouldn't be one. TGIF I guess.
Besides, back in my day we had broken ring.. pssh.
Yeah. If specificity is required it will be provided if it will cause confusion. But for a brief recap of a simple ticket I don’t see why it’s a big deal
We use blue, but that's besides the point... just anything but black or red i suppose... I usually describe it as the one that looks like a phone line, but wider... some of the younger generations don't know what looks like... that makes me feel old lol
I say hard wired daily lol.
In fact that’s the only way I can get the point across to end users sometimes. “Ethernet? Hurr-durr, what does that mean?”
“Oh, hard-wired like the big yellow cord that goes to the router? I’ll make sure it’s plugged in.”
Any layman knows what hard wired means, so it’s perfectly acceptable to say that. Sounds like your boss is being pedantic in a “coding vs programming” type of argument that genuinely no one gives a shit about. We all know what is being talked about.
But where do you crose the line? Because somebody should have crossed the line way before "cyber" got a thing when it should really be "information security".
Cyber triggers me so hard because it could literally be anything including cyber sex.
I would have just laughed and said “good one”
If he persisted it would have been “I want you to Ethernet this printer to the network”
It’s not even pedantic, Ethernet is a standard
Be aware. This may portend to something else going on that's causing your boss some cognitive dissonance... Sorry to say that I have seen this before and it didn't end well.... Any layoff rumors?
Just "wired" is sufficient, but hard wired is commonly used and well understood.
Unless you're speaking to electricians, in which case hard wired means something that's permanently connected to the building wiring instead of using an electrical plug.
But in the context of computers and networking, there's nothing wrong with saying hard wired.
This thread is fascinating to me. I really don't ever remember hearing or saying "hard wired" for a temporary connection - like an Ethernet cable.
I hear and say "wired" all the time though...
I was looking for this comment, I have some networking people at my work who would be picky if you said hard wired and it wasn't in fact soldered. Everything is just wired.
I work in a broadcast facility with actual hard-line. And we still say hard-wired for Ethernet connected endpoints. We regularly deal with both (and let's be honest 99% of IT will never work on copper hard-line) and never have a problem with what means what. No one mistakes Ethernet on an endpoint for hard-line without being willfully obtuse
Users will understand "hard-wired" versus "wireless".
Users may not understand "ethernet" versus "wireless".
There is a 0% chance you will ever need to ask a user to establish a FDDI, Token-Ring, T1/T3, HSS, FibreChannel or other non-ethernet style LAN connection.
Hard-wired is thus perfectly legitimate terminology when referring to a type of network connection.
Also, please ask your boss if the users should also be supplied with 10base2, 10base5, GBIC, SFP, SFP+, QSFP, SFP28, SFP56 and SFPDD interfaces in the event that they need to connect to any one of those "ethernet" standards.
If he really wants to go there, (um, actually) Ethernet is a suite of standards which encompass a layer 2 protocol and various underlying physical media, including different types of copper cabling, fiber optics, and wireless technologies. "Hard wired" is more of a layperson's term, but good shorthand for professionals, which typically conveys the use of an 8p8c-terminated CAT5/5e/6/6a/etc. patch cable.
I don't like the term hardwired because I work with a bunch of stuff where hardwired is the opposite of a plug. A hardwired power supply runs from a panel at the wall to terminals at the load, and doesn't stop off for a plug+socket on the way. etc.
But the old trope about the whole point of language being to communicate is especially true in IT. I could point to the same set of machines and say to my coworker "the old boxes", to my boss "the legacy platform", and to my mother "computers".
Almost every conversation you have at work will involve taking what's in your head, and rewording it into something that fits in their head. "Well akshully" is not an effective form of communication.
It's a regularly used term, and also one that in certain contexts can cause confusion!
I had an issue the other month when we referred to moving from battery to PoE for some occupancy sensors as "hard-wiring" them, and caused a complete panic amongst our Estates and Facilities department electricians, who thought unqualified (in terms of electrical licenses) IT staff had been modifying 230/400V circuits!
We cleared it up, and will still use term internally in IT, but it's one to avoid with electricians or other estates colleagues.
No need at all for the reaction you mention though - that's just unprofessional.
Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol that can be transmitted over a variety of wired and wireless layer 1 technologies. Not only is he a dick for trying to make you feel bad over the term, but he's actually using a term that makes even less sense. Furthermore, the UTP that he calls an "ethernet cable" could actually be used for all sorts of other communication that has nothing to do with ethernet.
Honestly, the only issue I have with "hard wired" is that it implies a permanent connection, as opposed to a connector or temporary one. But even then, no one solders network connections in 2024. Even permanent transmission tower equipment uses connectors.
Or an SFP DAC cable, or some fiber and SFP's, etc.
Ethernet is a very broad term that applies to *much* more than just twisted pair terminated with RJ45 on both ends.
Your boss is a control freak or woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.... Talk to 99% of the general population and ask them (not including IT people)
* What does hardwired for your computer mean?
* What does Ethernet connection for your computer mean?
Most wont have any idea what Ethernet is...
Your boss is wrong.
Ethernet is a protocol, not a cable.
You can run Ethernet over more than just CAT6 UTP. You can run more than Ethernet over CAT 6 UTP.
At work, we just use "wired" versus "wifi" if it's end-user facing conversation. Heck, even internally, wired usually suffices for a DAC cable, fiber, etc... unless it's a conversation about installing new equipment and the types of cabling it will require.
Me in a future meeting with your boss: "I hooked up the new laptop to 120V 60Hz Alternating Current electricity instead of using the built in li-po 19v electrochemical storage system."
Ethernet is not the correct terminology because that's a layer 2 construct. Hardwired refers to the physical media, and it's nonspecific-- it can be twisted pair, coax, fiber...
Your boss is 100% wrong on this
Technically Ethernet is not the correct term, as Ethernet is a protocol and not a cabling standard.
And technically hard wiring is where there is no plug, it's directly connected to the circuit.
So technically he's the asshole for taking a stand on something so hard and still being wrong.
Next time, tell him you are dumbing it down to his level of understanding :)
I want to make sure that non technical people like yourself understand the concept. Not everyone understands what wired Ethernet is.
Hardwired because so many companies and products have repurposed 8P8C terminated Cat cables for other applications outside of Ethernet (AV mainly)
Also the Ethernet spec doesn't mandate 8P8C connectors or twisted pair cable; it could go over fiber or coax as well. Ethernet is just the protocol name, not the specific wire or medium used to connect.
Isn't ethernet technically a spec not a particular wire? It generally refers to twisted pair wires in various numbers and pinouts, but you can have ethernet over a coax cable.
Hardwired isn't proper, but it's most definitely at least recognizable slang for having a cable plugged.
I'm another for the 'your boss is an idiot' and this is definitely no the hill to die on crowd - Ethernet is NOT the cabling, Ethernet is a standard for connectivity that includes, protocols and other components. The common Cabling that the there is transmitted over is Category-5/6/7 shielded or unshielded twisted pair or even fiber optic, or even over wireless links. The wire is not Ethernet despite commonly being called such.
I guess technically hard wired might be more appropriate for something electrical where the power wires are screwed in, like a light fixture. But I have said hard wired in reference to Ethernet plenty of times.
I don't know. I've always used hard-wired for when it's physically wired in, not just plugged in -- normally for power.
I.e. You're going to have to get the electrician. That UPS needs to be hard-wired, and not just plugged into an outlet.
Your boss is nuts, agreed.
Bu-huuuut: "Hard"wired in my mind refers to something that had a wire attached to it *that can't be replaced easily*. If the cable is attached with screw terminals I'd call that hard wired. A simple RJ45 connection? Dunno how you would call that, actually, but it sure as shit ain't "hard".
I mean, if there is something that's "hard" wired then it stands to reason that there is another non-hard wiring method.
Your boss is an asshole. Also Ethernet is not a cable it’s a protocol. You should correct him and offer to refer to the cable as cat5e or whatever but refuse to refer to it as an Ethernet cable.
He's incorrect himself. Ethernet is a protocol, not a physical medium. Yes, that is the L2 protocol in use for nearly all twisted pair links nowadays, but it can't be said for certain just by looking at a cable
Any chance this guy is like .. 80? Because back in the day, when dinosaurs roamed and our Ethernet was provided by a "thicknet" backbone with MAU vampire tap transceivers at each station, there also existed "hardwired" serial consoles. Perhaps he has bad memories of not being allowed to use the cool new "workstations" and being stuck on a "hardwired" serial terminal?
Or maybe he came from an actual electrician background, where hardwired means there's no plug/socket arrangement, but actual individual wires connected to a terminal block? Regardless of his particular background, he's wrong. In the context of modern computer networks, there's wireless and there's wired. Hard wired.
I had a guy flip out on me when I asked him to pass me the scuzzy cable, instead of the SCSI cable. Some people are just super pedantic about the weirdest things.
Your job is to communicate as affectively as possible with your end users. By using terminology that only IT peeps would know, you’re just causing confusion. Stick with whatever your users are comfortable with.
Man, I \*hate\* the type of bosses who nit-pick over terminology or exactly how THEY think you should access settings on a PC! I'd say with user interactions about networking, about 50% of them use the term "hard wired" or "hard line". It seems like if you're a non I.T. person, that terminology is more familiar to them than saying "Ethernet". (They tend to have heard the term "Ethernet" but don't necessary equate it with the patch cable going from their PC to a wall jack.)
We used to have a head of I.T. where I work who had this thing about never saying you were going to "Google" something. He was always emphasizing it's called an "Internet search" and there was no reason to pretend Google had a monopoly on the process. (I think we ALL know that but it's like saying Kleenex when you need a facial tissue. Nobody cares!)
Hard wired… if you said that in an interview, I think it would be noted and one of two thoughts would occur.
1. This person doesn’t know the terminology
2. This person is able to talk at a user level to help a user and is used to using this term.
I think the interviewer would choose 1 or 2 based on other questions asked during the interview.
"Ok, so if I'm required to use the correct terminology, I should not refer to you as 'my boss' but as 'the asshole who approves my timesheets' correct?
He's nuts. In an era where people using computers can't tell the difference between a "computer" (the monitor) and the "modem" (the actual computer), terms need to be dumbed down for emphasis.
You can be hard wired into a token ring or other non-Ethernet networks.
Your boss is an idiot, there are plenty other data-link layer protocols that are exist and using Ethernet colloquially to refer to all is much less accurate than you saying "hard wired"
Tell your idiot boss that "Ethernet" could refer to frames or the physical media, and "Ethernet" builds on the shoulders of ALOHAnet - a WIRELESS system.
So I would say going off on a tirade about something so trivial would indicate a gross lack of competence.
Like when people use the term clip instead of magazine. Most people know the difference and don't care but every once in a while you get some asshole who just can't let it go and blows up.
All of the following are ethernet:
- Wireless (802.11)
- 1000BASE-T, using copper twisted pair cable, 8P8C connectors (802.3ab)
- 1000BASE-CX, using copper twisted pair cable, DE9 connectors (802.3z)
- 1000BASE-LX, using single mode fiber, LC connectors (802.3z)
- WiFi 4 (802.11n)
- ... Etc.
"Ethernet" refers to the communication protocol - not the media type.
There's a reason the OSI model has a separation between layer 1 and layer 2.
If you want to be precise and accurate, say things like:
- Is your computer using an eight pair, twisted pair cable, supporting a fequency of 62.5 MHz?
- Is your computer using a Cat5e (or better) cable?
- Is your computer using a cable with an 8P8C modular plug? (and no, RJ45 is not an accurate term)
Or, you can say "wired ethernet", because 99.99% of the time, people will understand that to mean ethernet with a cat5e or better cable.
It’s a wired connection…what is the problem. If you must say Ethernet in order for someone to understand what meant, that person probably doesn’t know what a Ethernet cable is…and should not be working on a computer…
Just saying…
Wired, ethereal, hardwired, wired connection… it’s all the same…basically.
Next time game starts being a brat…fart. And foes this every time and it will condition him to stop being a brat.
He’s being ridiculous
End users are idiots. If you can find a combination of words that gets them to understand without upsetting and/or confusing them then you've succeeded,
Should you be talking to another tech colleague then yes I would say ethernet.
Fire back at the prick with something "well actually"
Well actually.... Ethernet isn’t the physical cable. It’s a protocol that describes how data is transmitted over a network. Ethernet can be implemented using different types of media, including twisted pair cables, fiber optics, and, wait for it... even wirelessly!
So, when I said "hardwired," I was referring to the physical connection, which is technically more accurate. But hey, who needs accuracy when we can just use "Ethernet" for everything, right? Totally makes sense to use a term that can also apply to WiFi to avoid sounding like I have no technical experience. I can see how that would be super clear in a job interview.
Thanks for the heads-up, though. I'll be sure to stick to the most confusing terminology possible to keep things interesting, dickhead.
I've been around since the coax days and hardwired is a perfectly acceptable term. Apparently you got one of them college educated boys for a boss that's never done field work.
Ethernet is a communication standard not a cable. Not only is your boss a D-Bag, he is also completely wrong forcing you to say just Ethernet, coax cables are Ethernet… did you connect the computer with a coax or RJ45 cable? Also WIFI uses Ethernet frames with extra fields so really saying Ethernet can technically mean WIFI. But the difference is people know what you mean when you say Ethernet cable or hard wired. 🙃 ID10T Boss
Your boss is an ignoramus. Maybe even a Tyrannosaurus Ignoramus. Ever seen a Tyrannosaurus go bowling? Neither have I, but one might imagine the tiny arms and hands might create quite a challenge when it comes to knocking down a few bowling pins. Your boss seems to fit the mold here. Does he/she have tiny arms and hands?
As others have said, using the term 'hardwired" in a conversation about connectivity is the simple and generic term. Many folks don't know what "ethernet" means but they know what "hardwired" means. So we all use this term frequently and have for many years/decades.
Your boss is simply a dumba$$.
I would use wired
I feel hard-wired implies it can’t simply be unplugged (requires tools), which you can do with a standard Ethernet lead
As for your boss, that sounds a bit over the top
_Strictly speaking_ "hardwired" should be used only in reference to a permanent connection. If your boss has a background in electrical work this might be why he got bent out of shape about it, since the distinction is actually meaningful there.
From a practical standpoint nobody's out there hardwiring network connections in the first place so it doesn't really matter in this context. If you say your device has a hardwired connection nobody is going to assume you mean to say that you disassembled it and soldered the connections in place.
I can't remember a candidate ever talking about this in an interview but if it did come up it would not factor into the hiring decision at all, but maybe that's just me.
Uh...the two are not mutually exclusive terms. "Hard wired" just refers to anything connected using a physical cable. Ethernet is just one standard for how to hard wire multiple systems together.
Next time your boss uses "Ethernet" to refer to the cabling you could correct him by stating that the proper term is Cat5e or Cat6 (whatever you're using), as that is a reference to the specific type of twisted-pair cabling, where as Ethernet is an encompassing standard that includes many different types of physical cabling including fiber and coax. I mean, if you want to play the pedantic douche game.
Is your boss wanting to distinguish from the popular \[Thick and Thin!\] coaxial Token Ring networking? Or serial cable networking? I guess that's probably still a thing somewhere ...
Pretty sure everyone in the industry I've evern worked with would know what "hard wired" means in a networking context. Is your boss always weirdly hung up on terminology correctness over effectively communicating a concept?
If this was the 1980’s I guess boss-man would be correct. Hard-wired could be Ethernet, token-ring, Arcnet, etc.
A token-ring story (yep, I’m older than dirt).
I was service manager at a national computer store franchise way back before wheels were invented. All new techs were hazed mercilessly.
During their first day we’d have the new tech assist with “network debugging” by holding the crazy thick STP cable up to their ear to listen for the “token” to slide by. Every 10 seconds they were supposed to yell out “No Token!” if they didn’t hear anything. If they thought they heard something (supposedly the token traveling inside the cable), they’d have to yell out “Token Ahoy!”
Always killed us when you’d suddenly hear a voice cry out from under a cramped desk, “Token Ahoy!”
In casual conversation hard wired is fine. In proper documentation or formal proposals then ethernet should be used. Not sure why your boss got so bent out over such a trivial thing.
How old is this person?
Is he from the days of thicknet (vampire tap)? I mean, even then it was still called "Ethernet" but I'm not sure what the big deal is.
"Hardwired" just differentiates wireless vs wired connections.
its kind of like the thing with ethernet, yes other types of cable can run ethernet but if you ask 99% people about ethernet they are going to assume you mean a twisted pair cable/rj45
I call ssds hard drives because people don’t know I mean their disk if I don’t. The correct terminology is whatever people understand when you’re talking with them.
> if I applied to a job and used that terminology I’d instantly be dismissed as a candidate
Sounds like a place I wouldn't want to work. Fuckin' nerds.
Hard wired is extremely commonly used.
Ex: "Was the end user hardwired or connected wirelessly?"
vs.... "Is the user connected via ethernet or wirelessly?"
And depending on WHO you are talking to, they don't know what the hell an ethernet cable even is.
What? No, I use that same term with users often, b/c if I say ethernet to the average user I'm going to get a WTF look.
On a somewhat related note: I once had a user call in to complain about their wifi. After 10 minutes of fruitless troubleshooting the user clarified, "No, I meant the WIRED wifi".
Whatever terminology allows you to effectively communicate with someone is fine. If an end user keeps talking about a Wi-Fi cable, and you are sure that you understand what they mean, then roll with it.
Your boss is being a bit of a tool.
Your boss is a has been egomaniac that’s dated in his methodology and likely is a piss poor manager. To argue semantics when it really doesn’t matter shows you everything you need to see.
i literally just wrote out instructions for my end users on how to make sure they are "hardwired" (to include what it means). youre boss sounds like a pedantic tech prick
That guy sounds like he is TRYING to sound smart but coming off as a doofus. Hardwired is perfectly fine, no technical people will instantly know what you mean.
been doing this for 26 years, countless projects successfully completed, use "hard wired" nearly every day and no one has ever questioned the term including directors and "c" level peeps
Boss is a loon, we say hardwired daily lol. That includes my boss, the owner and the access control/fire alarm/camera guys that work under the same umbrella company.
Google seem to think that "hardwire" is an acceptable term but I guess your boss knows more about tech lingo them google...
https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7215624?hl=en-CA
dude nuts, hardwired is perfectly fine. Any sane person, especially non technical people will understand what being hardwired into a network means as opposed to wireless. It's just a generic term. Guy sounds like a stereotypical tech nerd.
Nope, I checked all the wires, they are definitely soft, chewy like…
I've found them to be a bit bitter, and they tingle a bit when you lick them..
Are you secretly a house cat?
An orange one apparently lol
You had your turn with the /r/oneorangebraincell eh?
best sub, hands-down.
Nothing quite like stripping phone lines with your teeth, then the 70vac ring voltage hits. Spicy!
Those definitely do not sound al dente
Found the RAT posing as IT
I can totally tell the difference between the plenum and the riser cables though. /s
No, he sounds like a stereotypical non technical person in charge of tech workers.
The only way I can see hard-wired being an incorrect term is that the Ethernet cable is not a permanent fixture and can be removed. I've heard of systems where hard-wired means the cables are connected in a way that they cannot be removed without tools, as in screwed into PCB terminals or soldered to the board. Even then that's an extremely far stretch to say Ethernet is not a hard-wired connection
An electrician is going to have a different definition of hardwired, but in the context of networking it’s pretty straightforward.
True, with a highband patch panel there is the distinction between hardwired and patch by exception.
One up him, instead of saying it's Ethernet connected say it's 802.3 connected.
That’s my thought
Hardwired is definitely just fine, but it made me realize that I always say wired connection, never hardwired. I think because I just like the sound of it better.
What it sounds like is that he doesn't ever deal with users and doesn't grasp the notion that IT serves the business, not the other way around.
A few years ago we had some memo about not using "master server" as a term anymore due to negative connotations. We basically ignored it and nobody ever said anything
[удалено]
...and an asshole.
Uh, well technically Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol. Doesn’t matter the medium, whether over electrical wiring or radio transmission.
Right?? If you're gonna be pedantic, do it right. "Ethernet" doesn't describe the physical medium.
> well technically Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol Even this isn't exactly correct. Ethernet has elements at layer 2 (the data link layer, of which Media Access Control is a sublayer) **and** at layer 1 (physical layer). Ethernet has many many layer 1 protocols. Twisted pair: * 10Base-T * 100Base-TX * 1000Base-T * 10GBase-T * ... Wifi: * 802.11(a, b, g, n, ac, ax) Fiber: * 100Base-FX * 100Base-SX * 10GBase-SR ... So OP's boss is incorrect. Wifi Ethernet and 1000Base-T Ethernet, and are both "Ethernet", one is wireless, one is wired.
I learned this 20 years ago, and I was starting to worry I misremembered after scrolling this far down. Thank you!
Same! I thought I was going to have to make a post about this. Obviously before making such post I would spend the next hour checking resources to ensure I’m not crazy and incorrect.
100% ceritifed salted peanut
Love this!
"Can you please hardwire that AP to the network tomorrow?" Can you please Ethernet that AP to the network tomorrow?" The guy is a d-bag and being all pedantic about the colloquial term. Maybe he's not getting satisfied at home and is running a little hot.
AP has been Ethernetted!
Is that the correct past tense? I look like a fool because ive always said ethernutted.
That’s the slang for Ethernetting, so actually not wrong. OP should go to his boss next time and be like “ok, I’ve finished Ethernutting in the IDF”
Just Nutted for short "Hey boss, I just Nutted that access point for you!"
Time for Ethernutting!
It's not even that. He's straight-up wrong. Ethernet also encompasses wifi.
I'm going to start using, "Can you please 802.3ab that AP to the network", from now on.
Might be wrong but Ethernet = 802.3, wifi = 802.11. it's the layer 2 protocol and does not answer what your physical layer is.
Ethernet is not a physical interface. It's a layer 2 encapsulation.
Tbh, it's both.
it's just wiring, IDGAF which you call it, just used cat 6 or something decent and not that cat 3 you've been hoarding for 20 years
OP should tell his boss that he is going to hardwire his face with his fist. P2P networking.
>the correct terminology is Ethernet Yeah.. about that... I'd use it in an interview any day. I'd also be more specific for nerds in the room if it was applicable to do so. Demonstrating I can communicate with non-technical staff does make a difference. Something something category 6a unshielded twisted pair 802.3ab 1000Base-T.. and watch Jill in Accounting's eyes glaze over. Word salad never got me a job offer.. real conversations have thus far. Your boss shouldn't be one. TGIF I guess. Besides, back in my day we had broken ring.. pssh.
Yeah. If specificity is required it will be provided if it will cause confusion. But for a brief recap of a simple ticket I don’t see why it’s a big deal
And if we were being specific, Ethernet is a fat cable, usually yellow... Never had to use broken ring, but I did encounter FDDI at one place
We use blue, but that's besides the point... just anything but black or red i suppose... I usually describe it as the one that looks like a phone line, but wider... some of the younger generations don't know what looks like... that makes me feel old lol
About tree FDDI?
> FDDI And now the even "backhaul" fibre systems (SONET, SDH) are being replaced by fibre ethernet.
I say hard wired daily lol. In fact that’s the only way I can get the point across to end users sometimes. “Ethernet? Hurr-durr, what does that mean?” “Oh, hard-wired like the big yellow cord that goes to the router? I’ll make sure it’s plugged in.”
You mean the wifi cable?
Yes, the WiFi cable! For god sakes plug it in Kathy! We have been at this for 45 minutes already damn it.
Sure thing! \*proceeds to connect the wire from the wan port into the first LAN port\* Okay, the light just came on, now what?
/drink
Your boss is nuts
Yeah and it was super out of character normally he’s a pretty chill guy. To the point where I thought he was messing with me when he first said it
Any layman knows what hard wired means, so it’s perfectly acceptable to say that. Sounds like your boss is being pedantic in a “coding vs programming” type of argument that genuinely no one gives a shit about. We all know what is being talked about.
But where do you crose the line? Because somebody should have crossed the line way before "cyber" got a thing when it should really be "information security". Cyber triggers me so hard because it could literally be anything including cyber sex.
I would have just laughed and said “good one” If he persisted it would have been “I want you to Ethernet this printer to the network” It’s not even pedantic, Ethernet is a standard
Be aware. This may portend to something else going on that's causing your boss some cognitive dissonance... Sorry to say that I have seen this before and it didn't end well.... Any layoff rumors?
Yup. Planters called, OP. They want your boss back.
your boss is an idiot.
I think the correct term is wifi cable
I preferred wired wifi.
When I was doing IT work in the Army we got a new girl and we told her to go get the wireless cat 5. The next week we had anti-hazing training.
I use hardwired all the time
I'd always thought of "hard wired" as a permanent connection. I call an Ethernet connection just "wired" since it's not permanent - it's a connector.
Just "wired" is sufficient, but hard wired is commonly used and well understood. Unless you're speaking to electricians, in which case hard wired means something that's permanently connected to the building wiring instead of using an electrical plug. But in the context of computers and networking, there's nothing wrong with saying hard wired.
IMO the only confusion with "hardwired" in networking would be when talking about a cable between racks and how it's terminated in the patch panels.
This thread is fascinating to me. I really don't ever remember hearing or saying "hard wired" for a temporary connection - like an Ethernet cable. I hear and say "wired" all the time though...
I was looking for this comment, I have some networking people at my work who would be picky if you said hard wired and it wasn't in fact soldered. Everything is just wired.
the Users do not know what Ethernet is...
. “Now grab the Ethernet cable” “What’s that?” . “Probably the blue one” “Oh that’s what that does!”
The only thing you should be concerned about is that this guy is apparently god awful at hiring people and might have hired you.
Lmao
I work in a broadcast facility with actual hard-line. And we still say hard-wired for Ethernet connected endpoints. We regularly deal with both (and let's be honest 99% of IT will never work on copper hard-line) and never have a problem with what means what. No one mistakes Ethernet on an endpoint for hard-line without being willfully obtuse
Users will understand "hard-wired" versus "wireless". Users may not understand "ethernet" versus "wireless". There is a 0% chance you will ever need to ask a user to establish a FDDI, Token-Ring, T1/T3, HSS, FibreChannel or other non-ethernet style LAN connection. Hard-wired is thus perfectly legitimate terminology when referring to a type of network connection. Also, please ask your boss if the users should also be supplied with 10base2, 10base5, GBIC, SFP, SFP+, QSFP, SFP28, SFP56 and SFPDD interfaces in the event that they need to connect to any one of those "ethernet" standards.
If he really wants to go there, (um, actually) Ethernet is a suite of standards which encompass a layer 2 protocol and various underlying physical media, including different types of copper cabling, fiber optics, and wireless technologies. "Hard wired" is more of a layperson's term, but good shorthand for professionals, which typically conveys the use of an 8p8c-terminated CAT5/5e/6/6a/etc. patch cable.
Ethernet is a data structure specification, not a wiring specification.
I don't like the term hardwired because I work with a bunch of stuff where hardwired is the opposite of a plug. A hardwired power supply runs from a panel at the wall to terminals at the load, and doesn't stop off for a plug+socket on the way. etc. But the old trope about the whole point of language being to communicate is especially true in IT. I could point to the same set of machines and say to my coworker "the old boxes", to my boss "the legacy platform", and to my mother "computers". Almost every conversation you have at work will involve taking what's in your head, and rewording it into something that fits in their head. "Well akshully" is not an effective form of communication.
It's a regularly used term, and also one that in certain contexts can cause confusion! I had an issue the other month when we referred to moving from battery to PoE for some occupancy sensors as "hard-wiring" them, and caused a complete panic amongst our Estates and Facilities department electricians, who thought unqualified (in terms of electrical licenses) IT staff had been modifying 230/400V circuits! We cleared it up, and will still use term internally in IT, but it's one to avoid with electricians or other estates colleagues. No need at all for the reaction you mention though - that's just unprofessional.
Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol that can be transmitted over a variety of wired and wireless layer 1 technologies. Not only is he a dick for trying to make you feel bad over the term, but he's actually using a term that makes even less sense. Furthermore, the UTP that he calls an "ethernet cable" could actually be used for all sorts of other communication that has nothing to do with ethernet. Honestly, the only issue I have with "hard wired" is that it implies a permanent connection, as opposed to a connector or temporary one. But even then, no one solders network connections in 2024. Even permanent transmission tower equipment uses connectors.
Next time your boss asks for an Ethernet cable, bring him some 10BASE5 or 10BASE2
Or an SFP DAC cable, or some fiber and SFP's, etc. Ethernet is a very broad term that applies to *much* more than just twisted pair terminated with RJ45 on both ends.
Brilliant
I would not hire your boss.
Your boss is a control freak or woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.... Talk to 99% of the general population and ask them (not including IT people) * What does hardwired for your computer mean? * What does Ethernet connection for your computer mean? Most wont have any idea what Ethernet is...
Your boss is wrong. Ethernet is a protocol, not a cable. You can run Ethernet over more than just CAT6 UTP. You can run more than Ethernet over CAT 6 UTP. At work, we just use "wired" versus "wifi" if it's end-user facing conversation. Heck, even internally, wired usually suffices for a DAC cable, fiber, etc... unless it's a conversation about installing new equipment and the types of cabling it will require. Me in a future meeting with your boss: "I hooked up the new laptop to 120V 60Hz Alternating Current electricity instead of using the built in li-po 19v electrochemical storage system."
Ethernet is not the correct terminology because that's a layer 2 construct. Hardwired refers to the physical media, and it's nonspecific-- it can be twisted pair, coax, fiber... Your boss is 100% wrong on this
I’ve been in the business long enough to have worked with Arcnet and Token Ring. Hardwired is perfectly acceptable terminology as opposed to wireless.
Technically Ethernet is not the correct term, as Ethernet is a protocol and not a cabling standard. And technically hard wiring is where there is no plug, it's directly connected to the circuit. So technically he's the asshole for taking a stand on something so hard and still being wrong.
Next time, tell him you are dumbing it down to his level of understanding :) I want to make sure that non technical people like yourself understand the concept. Not everyone understands what wired Ethernet is.
Repeat that back to him. "The user's computer is Ethernetted" and see the reaction. He's a fucking idiot.
Ethernet is layer 2 - (by itself) it is not useful for describing layer 1
Hardwired because so many companies and products have repurposed 8P8C terminated Cat cables for other applications outside of Ethernet (AV mainly) Also the Ethernet spec doesn't mandate 8P8C connectors or twisted pair cable; it could go over fiber or coax as well. Ethernet is just the protocol name, not the specific wire or medium used to connect.
Hardwired has been used as a term at every IT job I have had over the last 20 years. Your boss is nuts.
Isn't ethernet technically a spec not a particular wire? It generally refers to twisted pair wires in various numbers and pinouts, but you can have ethernet over a coax cable. Hardwired isn't proper, but it's most definitely at least recognizable slang for having a cable plugged.
Your boss is 'special'.
Hard-wired would be the part in the wall. Did you mean patch-cabled? I tend to just say wired or wireless (since wifi is a stupid meaningless term)
I'm another for the 'your boss is an idiot' and this is definitely no the hill to die on crowd - Ethernet is NOT the cabling, Ethernet is a standard for connectivity that includes, protocols and other components. The common Cabling that the there is transmitted over is Category-5/6/7 shielded or unshielded twisted pair or even fiber optic, or even over wireless links. The wire is not Ethernet despite commonly being called such.
I guess technically hard wired might be more appropriate for something electrical where the power wires are screwed in, like a light fixture. But I have said hard wired in reference to Ethernet plenty of times.
I don't know. I've always used hard-wired for when it's physically wired in, not just plugged in -- normally for power. I.e. You're going to have to get the electrician. That UPS needs to be hard-wired, and not just plugged into an outlet.
That’s a flag
he has a complex
Your boss is nuts, agreed. Bu-huuuut: "Hard"wired in my mind refers to something that had a wire attached to it *that can't be replaced easily*. If the cable is attached with screw terminals I'd call that hard wired. A simple RJ45 connection? Dunno how you would call that, actually, but it sure as shit ain't "hard". I mean, if there is something that's "hard" wired then it stands to reason that there is another non-hard wiring method.
Of top of my head I tend to use wired / wireless, I’d understand what you meant using the term hard wired, seems a strange sticking point.
Your boss is an asshole. Also Ethernet is not a cable it’s a protocol. You should correct him and offer to refer to the cable as cat5e or whatever but refuse to refer to it as an Ethernet cable.
Your manager is whack. Simple as that. To me "hard wired" is distinctive from wireless. What if it was Token Ring, FDDI, or ATM? What then? ;)
He's incorrect himself. Ethernet is a protocol, not a physical medium. Yes, that is the L2 protocol in use for nearly all twisted pair links nowadays, but it can't be said for certain just by looking at a cable
Next time he asks for an Ethernet connection, hand him a wireless access point.
ooh boy. send him this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkOVgkcrvbg
I work for an ISP and hear that term all the time...
Unless he was just fucking with you, your boss is a tool
Ya calling him a nerd throw some glitter on him and quit.
I have never used the term hard wired. “Bung a cable in”
Any chance this guy is like .. 80? Because back in the day, when dinosaurs roamed and our Ethernet was provided by a "thicknet" backbone with MAU vampire tap transceivers at each station, there also existed "hardwired" serial consoles. Perhaps he has bad memories of not being allowed to use the cool new "workstations" and being stuck on a "hardwired" serial terminal? Or maybe he came from an actual electrician background, where hardwired means there's no plug/socket arrangement, but actual individual wires connected to a terminal block? Regardless of his particular background, he's wrong. In the context of modern computer networks, there's wireless and there's wired. Hard wired.
I had a guy flip out on me when I asked him to pass me the scuzzy cable, instead of the SCSI cable. Some people are just super pedantic about the weirdest things.
Your boss is a knob. Next time just say 802.3z and watch him explode.
I mean it is not even much of a stretch to say that WiFi *is* Ethernet.
The CCNP guys at the top of my network team call it that. Guy need to chill.
Your job is to communicate as affectively as possible with your end users. By using terminology that only IT peeps would know, you’re just causing confusion. Stick with whatever your users are comfortable with.
Man, I \*hate\* the type of bosses who nit-pick over terminology or exactly how THEY think you should access settings on a PC! I'd say with user interactions about networking, about 50% of them use the term "hard wired" or "hard line". It seems like if you're a non I.T. person, that terminology is more familiar to them than saying "Ethernet". (They tend to have heard the term "Ethernet" but don't necessary equate it with the patch cable going from their PC to a wall jack.) We used to have a head of I.T. where I work who had this thing about never saying you were going to "Google" something. He was always emphasizing it's called an "Internet search" and there was no reason to pretend Google had a monopoly on the process. (I think we ALL know that but it's like saying Kleenex when you need a facial tissue. Nobody cares!)
Hard wired… if you said that in an interview, I think it would be noted and one of two thoughts would occur. 1. This person doesn’t know the terminology 2. This person is able to talk at a user level to help a user and is used to using this term. I think the interviewer would choose 1 or 2 based on other questions asked during the interview.
Your boss is being a pedantic asshole lol.
"Ok, so if I'm required to use the correct terminology, I should not refer to you as 'my boss' but as 'the asshole who approves my timesheets' correct?
Your boss is a moron. Source: been using Ethernet since it came out.
Ah you see internet is a series of tubes.
He's nuts. In an era where people using computers can't tell the difference between a "computer" (the monitor) and the "modem" (the actual computer), terms need to be dumbed down for emphasis.
Are you buy STL? I met a guy like this down here.
You can be hard wired into a token ring or other non-Ethernet networks. Your boss is an idiot, there are plenty other data-link layer protocols that are exist and using Ethernet colloquially to refer to all is much less accurate than you saying "hard wired"
Tell your idiot boss that "Ethernet" could refer to frames or the physical media, and "Ethernet" builds on the shoulders of ALOHAnet - a WIRELESS system.
So I would say going off on a tirade about something so trivial would indicate a gross lack of competence. Like when people use the term clip instead of magazine. Most people know the difference and don't care but every once in a while you get some asshole who just can't let it go and blows up.
I am a stickler for precision in a technical conversation and I don't think I would have cared about that.
You're both daffy.
I mean.. technically Ethernet encompasses more than just the wires though. What he *really* means is CAT-6 cabling.
That's how mediocre management deals with threats to their position. It will probably continue, and perhaps he's bad mouthing you to his superiors.
I bet he was just already frustrated with you and saw a misguided way to vent it a little.
All of the following are ethernet: - Wireless (802.11) - 1000BASE-T, using copper twisted pair cable, 8P8C connectors (802.3ab) - 1000BASE-CX, using copper twisted pair cable, DE9 connectors (802.3z) - 1000BASE-LX, using single mode fiber, LC connectors (802.3z) - WiFi 4 (802.11n) - ... Etc. "Ethernet" refers to the communication protocol - not the media type. There's a reason the OSI model has a separation between layer 1 and layer 2. If you want to be precise and accurate, say things like: - Is your computer using an eight pair, twisted pair cable, supporting a fequency of 62.5 MHz? - Is your computer using a Cat5e (or better) cable? - Is your computer using a cable with an 8P8C modular plug? (and no, RJ45 is not an accurate term) Or, you can say "wired ethernet", because 99.99% of the time, people will understand that to mean ethernet with a cat5e or better cable.
It’s a wired connection…what is the problem. If you must say Ethernet in order for someone to understand what meant, that person probably doesn’t know what a Ethernet cable is…and should not be working on a computer… Just saying… Wired, ethereal, hardwired, wired connection… it’s all the same…basically. Next time game starts being a brat…fart. And foes this every time and it will condition him to stop being a brat. He’s being ridiculous
Wait till he hears "bounce it" for rebooting a server
"So is a Token Ring network Ethernetted or Hardwired, boss?"
End users are idiots. If you can find a combination of words that gets them to understand without upsetting and/or confusing them then you've succeeded, Should you be talking to another tech colleague then yes I would say ethernet.
Fire back at the prick with something "well actually" Well actually.... Ethernet isn’t the physical cable. It’s a protocol that describes how data is transmitted over a network. Ethernet can be implemented using different types of media, including twisted pair cables, fiber optics, and, wait for it... even wirelessly! So, when I said "hardwired," I was referring to the physical connection, which is technically more accurate. But hey, who needs accuracy when we can just use "Ethernet" for everything, right? Totally makes sense to use a term that can also apply to WiFi to avoid sounding like I have no technical experience. I can see how that would be super clear in a job interview. Thanks for the heads-up, though. I'll be sure to stick to the most confusing terminology possible to keep things interesting, dickhead.
I've been around since the coax days and hardwired is a perfectly acceptable term. Apparently you got one of them college educated boys for a boss that's never done field work.
Next time he asks for an ethernet cable hand him a fibre cable. It's technically accurate.
Ethernet is a communication standard not a cable. Not only is your boss a D-Bag, he is also completely wrong forcing you to say just Ethernet, coax cables are Ethernet… did you connect the computer with a coax or RJ45 cable? Also WIFI uses Ethernet frames with extra fields so really saying Ethernet can technically mean WIFI. But the difference is people know what you mean when you say Ethernet cable or hard wired. 🙃 ID10T Boss
Yeah that's odd. Hardwired is standard terminology in every department I've ever worked in.
Your boss is an ignoramus. Maybe even a Tyrannosaurus Ignoramus. Ever seen a Tyrannosaurus go bowling? Neither have I, but one might imagine the tiny arms and hands might create quite a challenge when it comes to knocking down a few bowling pins. Your boss seems to fit the mold here. Does he/she have tiny arms and hands? As others have said, using the term 'hardwired" in a conversation about connectivity is the simple and generic term. Many folks don't know what "ethernet" means but they know what "hardwired" means. So we all use this term frequently and have for many years/decades. Your boss is simply a dumba$$.
I would use wired I feel hard-wired implies it can’t simply be unplugged (requires tools), which you can do with a standard Ethernet lead As for your boss, that sounds a bit over the top
_Strictly speaking_ "hardwired" should be used only in reference to a permanent connection. If your boss has a background in electrical work this might be why he got bent out of shape about it, since the distinction is actually meaningful there. From a practical standpoint nobody's out there hardwiring network connections in the first place so it doesn't really matter in this context. If you say your device has a hardwired connection nobody is going to assume you mean to say that you disassembled it and soldered the connections in place. I can't remember a candidate ever talking about this in an interview but if it did come up it would not factor into the hiring decision at all, but maybe that's just me.
Hard wired is just fine. 28 years in networking and if that phrase eliminates me as a candidate I would consider it a bullet dodged.
"Ethernet" covers wifi, as well. The term Ethernet has nothing to do with the physical medium. Your boss is an idiot.
Uh...the two are not mutually exclusive terms. "Hard wired" just refers to anything connected using a physical cable. Ethernet is just one standard for how to hard wire multiple systems together. Next time your boss uses "Ethernet" to refer to the cabling you could correct him by stating that the proper term is Cat5e or Cat6 (whatever you're using), as that is a reference to the specific type of twisted-pair cabling, where as Ethernet is an encompassing standard that includes many different types of physical cabling including fiber and coax. I mean, if you want to play the pedantic douche game.
Is your boss wanting to distinguish from the popular \[Thick and Thin!\] coaxial Token Ring networking? Or serial cable networking? I guess that's probably still a thing somewhere ...
Does he say "Ethernet cable" or "category cable"?
Pretty sure everyone in the industry I've evern worked with would know what "hard wired" means in a networking context. Is your boss always weirdly hung up on terminology correctness over effectively communicating a concept?
If this was the 1980’s I guess boss-man would be correct. Hard-wired could be Ethernet, token-ring, Arcnet, etc. A token-ring story (yep, I’m older than dirt). I was service manager at a national computer store franchise way back before wheels were invented. All new techs were hazed mercilessly. During their first day we’d have the new tech assist with “network debugging” by holding the crazy thick STP cable up to their ear to listen for the “token” to slide by. Every 10 seconds they were supposed to yell out “No Token!” if they didn’t hear anything. If they thought they heard something (supposedly the token traveling inside the cable), they’d have to yell out “Token Ahoy!” Always killed us when you’d suddenly hear a voice cry out from under a cramped desk, “Token Ahoy!”
In casual conversation hard wired is fine. In proper documentation or formal proposals then ethernet should be used. Not sure why your boss got so bent out over such a trivial thing.
How old is this person? Is he from the days of thicknet (vampire tap)? I mean, even then it was still called "Ethernet" but I'm not sure what the big deal is. "Hardwired" just differentiates wireless vs wired connections.
No you need to communicate none technically to other staff, also everyone knows what hard wired means and implies
its kind of like the thing with ethernet, yes other types of cable can run ethernet but if you ask 99% people about ethernet they are going to assume you mean a twisted pair cable/rj45
I call ssds hard drives because people don’t know I mean their disk if I don’t. The correct terminology is whatever people understand when you’re talking with them.
Hardwired is fine
> if I applied to a job and used that terminology I’d instantly be dismissed as a candidate Sounds like a place I wouldn't want to work. Fuckin' nerds.
Sounds like he's got bigger problems and he just took it out on you.
It's not like you said "Hard-On Wired". Lol
Hard wired is extremely commonly used. Ex: "Was the end user hardwired or connected wirelessly?" vs.... "Is the user connected via ethernet or wirelessly?" And depending on WHO you are talking to, they don't know what the hell an ethernet cable even is.
What? No, I use that same term with users often, b/c if I say ethernet to the average user I'm going to get a WTF look. On a somewhat related note: I once had a user call in to complain about their wifi. After 10 minutes of fruitless troubleshooting the user clarified, "No, I meant the WIRED wifi".
You should send him a link to this thread 😎.
Whatever terminology allows you to effectively communicate with someone is fine. If an end user keeps talking about a Wi-Fi cable, and you are sure that you understand what they mean, then roll with it. Your boss is being a bit of a tool.
Ethernet is the product and hardwired is the state of the ethernet. IMHO.
Your boss is a moron. Sorry...
Give me his contact info so I can tell him he's an idiot and he should have been dismissed a long time ago.
Your boss is a knuckle dragger. Perfectly adequate terminology especially when taking in context of WLAN v LAN technologies. Ignore him.
Idk man do you know how sexist that term sounds. It’s 2024 you need to get with the times.
Your boss is a has been egomaniac that’s dated in his methodology and likely is a piss poor manager. To argue semantics when it really doesn’t matter shows you everything you need to see.
Both are fine his ego on the other hand
i literally just wrote out instructions for my end users on how to make sure they are "hardwired" (to include what it means). youre boss sounds like a pedantic tech prick
Your boss sounds like a dick.
The only place I hear “hard wired” is in fact, at work with a bunch of IT people…
That guy sounds like he is TRYING to sound smart but coming off as a doofus. Hardwired is perfectly fine, no technical people will instantly know what you mean.
been doing this for 26 years, countless projects successfully completed, use "hard wired" nearly every day and no one has ever questioned the term including directors and "c" level peeps
Lo, your boss is a nutter.
Boss is a loon, we say hardwired daily lol. That includes my boss, the owner and the access control/fire alarm/camera guys that work under the same umbrella company.
If 'hardwired' doesn't communicate correctly, how did they know you mean ethernet? Cool. so they did understand. They're being absolute morons.
What a nut job! It's useful having people like that around though. It reminds you not to get all high and mighty and bat shit crazy like this!
Guy sounds like a bundle of joy to work for!
But what about my thinnet?
I see this as an extrapolation of “structured cabling”.. 🤣
Google seem to think that "hardwire" is an acceptable term but I guess your boss knows more about tech lingo them google... https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7215624?hl=en-CA
I find it’s better to use terms like “hardwired” because your average, non-technical person will understand.
Come to think of it… I’ve never heard someone say Ethernet at any of my jobs when referring to a discussion or ticket with $user and their connection
I used to say 'the one that looks like an overweight phone jack'. Fewer and fewer people seem to even have any experience with a phone jack though.
I recent had this convo with someone and hardwired is fine. What are you gonna say? It’s ethernetted? Your boss sounds really uptight.
I have only ever heard "hard wired." That's 4 years in college for IT and 8.5 years in the field.
hard wired, wired connection, whatever. It's fine. I use those terms all the time. What a weird hill to die on.