Wi-Fi vs broadband: what's the difference?
The two terms get used interchangeably, but they're completely different technologies. Getting the difference straight will save you money and help you troubleshoot problems faster.
The short answer
Broadband is the connection from your home to the internet. Wi-Fi is how devices in your home talk to your router. Slow Wi-Fi doesn't mean slow broadband — and vice versa.
Broadband is the pipe
Broadband is the physical connection between your home and your ISP — fibre, copper, cable or cellular. It has a fixed speed determined by the technology and your ISP plan.
Wi-Fi is the last few metres
Wi-Fi is a wireless standard (2.4GHz or 5GHz radio) used inside your home to connect devices to the router. Its speed depends on your router, your devices, walls, distance and interference.
Why this matters
Paying for 500Mbps broadband won't help if your Wi-Fi tops out at 80Mbps because you're behind two brick walls. Conversely, a great mesh Wi-Fi setup can't make a 40Mbps FTTC line faster.
FAQs
Next step
Find out what's available at your address, or talk to a human about your setup.