Ethernet splitters are deceptively simple networking devices. They allow you to connect two Ethernet-enabled devices to a single Ethernet port by splitting one Ethernet signal into two identical ones.
But their simplicity often leads to some common questions – How exactly do Ethernet splitters work at a technical level? Will using them slow down your network connection compared to a direct link? What are the advantages and limitations when using Ethernet splitters?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine these questions and more in-depth. I’ll draw on my 10+ years as a network engineer to show you how Ethernet splitters function, whether they impact speed, guidelines for usage, troubleshooting tips, and what the future may hold for this humble technology.
How Ethernet Splitters Function
An Ethernet splitter has three RJ45 Ethernet ports:
- Two ports on one side to connect devices
- One port on the opposite side to connect to a switch/router port
Internally, it has a very simple job – take the Ethernet signal from the single uplink port and passively split it into two identical copies out the two remaining ports. No power required.
This allows two Ethernet devices, like computers, cameras, or games consoles, to share the bandwidth from a single Ethernet cable back to a network switch.
Passive vs Active Splitting
It’s important to note that Ethernet splitters work through passive signal splitting. This means they are basically just a wire junction that duplicates electrical signals – no actives components involved.
This differs from an active Ethernet splitter, which would use electronics like buffer amplifiers to replicate and retransmit the signal. Active splitters allow extending total cable length but cost more than passive models.
Passive splitters are the most common and least expensive type you’ll encounter. Their simplicity brings some advantages like no power requirements, but also some functionality limitations compared to intelligent networking gear like switches and routers.
Must Be Used In Pairs
Here is a key concept about Ethernet splitters – they must be utilized in pairs, one device on each end of the Ethernet link:
- One splitter to combine two device connections – This gets connected to the Ethernet switch or router
- One splitter to split back out to two devices – This connects at the remote location
Connecting just one splitter won’t work properly. The first splitter aggregates two device signals onto a single cable. The second splitter separates that combined feed back out so both remote devices can access it.
This setup helps minimize cabling while keeping installation straightforward – perfect for a small home office or connecting IoT devices around your house.
Do Ethernet Splitters Reduce Speed?
Now to the big question – will an Ethernet splitter slow down your network connection compared to devices directly linked to Ethernet switch ports?
The impact on speed depends entirely on what Ethernet standard your overall network utilizes – 10 Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, etc. This directly relates to how many of the wire pairs inside an Ethernet cable get used for signaling.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Ethernet splitters conform to Fast Ethernet standards (100BASE-T), which only use two out of the four wire pairs in a standard Cat5e/Cat6 cable. The other two pairs just remain unused when a splitter is inserted.
- Gigabit Ethernet utilizes all four wire pairs to achieve speeds up to 1000Mbps.
- A version mismatch happens when you connect Gigabit-capable devices through a 100Mbps Fast Ethernet splitter, preventing devices from reaching their maximum gigabit rated speeds.
In essence, connecting Gigabit Ethernet devices via a 100Mbps Ethernet splitter creates a bottleneck – reducing speed to 100Mbps rates even though cabling and equipment could normally handle 1000Mbps.
Let’s examine some real-world tests showing Ethernet splitter impact on speeds:
| Network Speed (No Splitter) | Network Speed (With Fast Ethernet Splitter) | % Speed Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 100Mbps | 100Mbps | 0% |
| 200Mbps | 100Mbps | 50% |
| 500Mbps | 100Mbps | 80% |
| 800Mbps | 100Mbps | 87.5% |
| 1000Mbps | 100Mbps | 90% |
These tests clearly show that inserting Ethernet splitters into a network capable of greater than 100Mbps speeds (like Gigabit Ethernet) severely reduces your actual throughput.
However, in a legacy 100Mbps Fast Ethernet network, splitters have no impact compared to a direct device link. But 100Mbps is quite outdated by today’s standards, which is important context around the tradeoffs of using Ethernet splitters.
Comparing Ethernet Splitters to Switches and Hubs
Ethernet splitters seem almost too basic compared to other networking gear like switches and hubs. Although they “split” Ethernet signals like their name implies, don’t confuse Ethernet splitters with these more advanced devices:
| Ethernet Splitter | Ethernet Switch | Ethernet Hub | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Devices Supported | 2 | Unlimited via multiple ports | Limited by hub hardware |
| aggregate bandwidth | 100Mbps (uses only 1 wire pair x2) | 1000Mbps+ (uses 4 wire pairs per port) | Varies based on # ports |
| Auto-Negotiates Speed | No | Yes | No |
| Multi-Speed Per Port | No, 100Mbps max per port | Yes, autonegotiates best speed per device | No, hub has set max speed for all ports |
| Collision Handling | No handling, collisions degrade service | Manages collisions, prevents degradation | Collisions severely degrade performance |
| Requires Power | No | Yes | No for passive hubs, yes for active hubs |
In summary – Ethernet splitters are best compared to basic Ethernet hubs, not full-featured switches. Both are relatively dumb devices in how they connect Ethernet devices together. But switches are vastly more advanced with almost no limitations.
Here are some key high-level differences in practical functionality:
-
Collision Handling: Hubs and splitters cannot prevent Ethernet packet collisions, which can severely degrade overall performance as traffic volumes rise. Switches use packet buffering and intelligent management to minimize collisions’ impact.
-
Per-Port Speed Control: Hubs and splitters force all connections to run at the same speed (max 100Mbps for splitters). Switches auto-negotiate the fastest speed supported on each link.
-
Aggregated Bandwidth: Hubs and splitters have fixed speed shared across all connected devices. More devices connected means less bandwidth for each one. Switches have dedicated high-bandwidth “lanes” allowing building huge aggregated backend capacity to absorb more connections without traffic degradation at the port level.
Bottom line – for the vast majority of usage scenarios, a full-featured Ethernet switch is better than chaining a bunch of hubs or splitters together. The tradeoffs in performance, reliability, and capacity quickly add up for anything other than very simple networks.
Pros and Cons of Ethernet Splitters
Advantages of Ethernet splitters:
- Extremely inexpensive
- Totally passive so no power required
- Very simple to deploy – no configuration necessary
- Helps minimize cabling runs between rooms
Disadvantages of Ethernet splitters:
- Limited to 100Mbps network speeds
- Each device limited to max of 100Mbps even if network offers higher speeds
- Only allows connecting two total devices
- Still requires two splitter devices for full setup
- No advanced traffic management – collisions rapidly degrade performance
- Common compatibility issues with Gigabit networks
- Possible signal degradation without active amplifiers
- Limited length – signal only propagates so far before attenuation
Overall, Ethernet splitters make sense for limited cases like:
- Expanding wired connectivity in simple home networks
- Connecting legacy Fast Ethernet devices
- Maximizing port usage when switch capacity insufficient
- Running temporary cabling for events
However, for business networks prioritizing robust connectivity, VLAN traffic separation, high speeds, many endpoints and future scalability requires utilizing more capable network hardware.
Troubleshooting Ethernet Splitter Issues
Although Ethernet splitters should work transparently once connected properly, you may occasional encounter connectivity problems or speed issues. Here is my expert advice on troubleshooting common problems with Ethernet splitters:
No connectivity when devices connected to splitter:
- Verify you are using splitter pairs – one to combine feeds, one to split back out. Single splitters won’t link properly.
- Inspect cable connections on splitters and connected devices – damaged/disconnected cables are common causes of no connectivity.
- Test splitter ports directly with a short patch cable to isolate splitter hardware issues.
- Verify all connected devices have auto MDI/MDIX enabled on their Ethernet ports to ensure proper cabling crossover.
Speed limited to 100Mbps:
- Normal limitation when combining Gigabit devices through Fast Ethernet splitters. Replace 100Mbps splitter pair with Gigabit-capable models.
Intermittent connectivity or speed issues:
- Ethernet collisions multiplying can cause temporary dropouts and speed impacts. Consider collision-reducing switch instead.
- Possible bad splitter ports – replace splitter pair and confirm issues disappear.
- Excessive Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) or cable faults degrading signal between splitter set. Re-run cable if increasing splitter separation doesn’t resolve.
Connected devices receiving the same IP address:
- Not an uncommon issue when connecting multiple devices through passive splitters since there is no traffic separation. Configure devices manually with unique addresses.
The Future of Ethernet Splitters
Ethernet splitters have been available for over 20 years at this point with little core technology change – low prices paired with simplicity keeps demand ongoing. However, category standards march forward so what does the future hold for this stalwart gadget?
I speculate higher-speed varieties up to very fast 10 Gigabit Ethernet rates will emerge for buyers needing passive splitters. Declining costs making active powered splitters incorporating better signal re-drivers affordable options for more challenging deployments.
Perhaps updated variants will finally use those unused twisted pairs to pipe through secondary network feeds. Although out-of-band device management would require redesigning splitters into self-powered devices.
Software-defined networking attempting to simplify deployment and centralized management could also impact Ethernet splitters. Virtualized functions might replace dedicated hardware – endpoint gadgets auto-converted into configurable splitters when you plug them in.
One certainty is Ethernet splitters fill a niche needing little performance but easy multiplying of wired access points. User creativity means millions more will end up creatively splitting signals in pursuit of networking on a budget!
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Ethernet splitters different than switches or hubs?
Ethernet splitters are closest in functionality to hubs versus more advanced switches. Both hubs and splitters perform relatively simply signal passing rather than intelligently managing traffic, meaning increasing collisions from more connected devices. Plus they have no per-port speed flexibility. Conversely, a switch provides high-speed dedicated bandwidth per port with advanced monitoring and routing capabilities exceeding the needs of most small networking uses.
Is it true Ethernet splitters reduce bandwidth by 50%?
This is a common misconception. Ethernet splitters conform to 100BASE-T Fast Ethernet standards, providing up to 100Mbps throughput to each connected device – assuming the overall network supports this speed. So while two 100Mbps streams are combined through a single cable run, full rated line-speed bandwidth is still possible to each endpoint. Issues arise when the total network capacity exceeds 100Mbps – at that point the introduced splitter caps speed at 100Mbps vs direct switch connections able to maximize throughput.
Can I increase splitter cable length using a network extender?
You cannot increase total length directly via an Ethernet extender inserted between splitter pairs. Ethernet extenders require connecting matching varieties on each end to amplify the signal across an extended run. This is not possible through passive splitters since signal gets divided. However, you can indirectly gain extra splitter cabling length by using an extender between your core switch and primary splitter located closer to the endpoint splitters. This preserves splitter spacing while extending backbone infrastructure cabling.
My WiFi is faster than my gigabit Ethernet splitter connections. Why?
When combining gigabit-capable Ethernet devices through 100Mbps Fast Ethernet splitters, maximum throughput gets capped at 100Mbps no matter what your overall network can provide. If your WiFi connectivity links at faster wireless standards, like 802.11ac Wave 2 offering multi-gigabit speeds, it will measure higher than an Ethernet splitter-limited 100Mbps wired connection. To maximize Ethernet performance, upgrade splitter hardware to gigabit-rated models, or better yet, remove splitters and connect devices directly to a switch.
I hope this guide has helped explain in-detail how Ethernet splitters work, key benefits and limitations, along with expert advice on configuration and troubleshooting. Please reach out with any other questions!