What Is Ethernet Splitter and How Does It Work

Network devices like switch, modem, splitter, and bridge are often used daily life. But many people may don’t know how do they work. Since some of them have been introduced in our previous articles, the point turns to splitter in this post.

What is Ethernet splitter? MiniTool provides you with a full introduction here.

What Is Ethernet Splitter

Ethernet splitter is a device that has three Ethernet ports – two on one side and one on the other. Each pair of Ethernet splitters only channels two cables as it depends on the pretty old 100BASE-T standard.

As implied by its name, Ethernet splitter can divide a single Internet connection into two. With Ethernet splitter, other devices can share the Ethernet signal. In fact, other devices like Ethernet hub and switch can also help you split Ethernet connection. These devices do that in different ways.

Recommended reading: USB Splitter or USB Hub? This Guide to Help You Choose One

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethernet Splitter

You can use less Cat5 cables when connecting two networks. When you don’t have enough Ethernet cables and only have one or two long cables, an Ethernet splitter comes in handy. Ethernet splitters are cheap and appear to offer a good solution to network splitting.

However, Ethernet cable splitters are not perfect in fact. They can cause a slower speed for network traffic. According to a professional survey, an Ethernet splitter reduces the data throughput from 1000Mbps to 100Mbps.

The slower speed may influence the performance of your Ethernet-connected devices. This is the point of the issue. Moreover, Ethernet splitters are limited to a maximum of two devices per cable. Hence, the number of devices you can connect via Ethernet splitter is not increased too many actually.

What’s more, you are required to prepare an extra splitter at the other end to unsplit the connection back into two cables. That is to say two Ethernet cable splitters are required each time. It can be concluded that Ethernet splitters are a goo option in some limited situations.

You may also like this: Router VS Switch: What Is the Difference Between Them?

How Does Ethernet Splitter Work

Most Ethernet splitters work by taking an input signal and dividing it into multiple output signals. On a two-way splitter, each output has half the normal strength as the signal is divided by two. But this is not how Ethernet signals work.

Ethernet signals cannot be divided like audio/video signals. Hence, Internet splitters work differently from other types of signal splitters.

How to Use Ethernet Splitter

Ethernet splitters typically are used for connecting different computer or other networking devices. How to use Ethernet splitter? The details will be illustrated in this section. Please move on.

Ethernet cable splitters allow you to run with cable without passing through walls, floors, and ceilings. Even so, you need to prepare two cables. As for Ethernet splitter, they should be used in pairs just as mentioned before.

For instance, you an Internet router in Room A and need to connect hard lines to a computer and printer in Room B. But there’s one Ethernet jack in the wall in each room. In this case, you should take out the two cables out of the router and then connect both to your first Ethernet splitter.

The other end of the splitter needs to be connected to the wall jack in Room A. Then connect the computer and printer to the other splitter and hook that to the other wall jack in Room B. This is the guide on how to use Ethernet splitter. Though these operations finish the designed aim, they do not split a single Ethernet line.

Bottom Line

To sum up, this post defines what Ethernet splitter is and summarizes the pros and cons, working theory, and usage of Ethernet splitter. With this comprehensive tutorial, you will have a further understanding of Ethernet splitter.