Are LAN sockets still up-to-date? WLAN/wireless is the future!

Yes, but the devices are rarely active at the same time and therefore hardly use any data. If you have 3 children and they all stream simultaneously, it might get tight. But for that, you then have one outlet in the room each.

But the OP questions that. As I understand it, he only wants cans for the APs and nothing else.

WLAN uses a shared medium, whereas a LAN cable is used exclusively – so WLAN can only deliver about 50% net of the gross. Distance, interference, obstacles, etc. reduce this even further. For comparison: LAN cable or Ethernet is at around 90-95%. Always, undisturbed.

Even if one can achieve higher gross data rates and thus higher net values with flagship routers and WLAN adapters, there is no guarantee that this will always remain so. For example, a new router or the faulty microphone of the neighbor or reflections from the newly hung metal-coated mirror in the hallway can already ruin everything again. Although WLAN is now equipped with a fairly broad frequency band, interference can still occur even at 5 GHz. With cables, however, this is almost impossible.

I understand all these theoretical arguments, but at the same time I see the lived practice: In our rental apartment, we have had double network sockets in every room for almost 6 years. Of those in use: 2. The Apple TV is connected directly to the cable at the TV, and when I sit in the study, the MacBook Pro is also connected to the network. The DiskStation is next to the switch and router and is connected directly.

And otherwise? All iOS devices are always on WLAN anyway, the printer is used at most once a month, it probably needs its firmware updates more bandwidth than the print data. Whether our children will ever use devices that have a network connection, I would at least doubt that.

Following the theoretically understandable approach, we have also distributed some sockets in the house again. But my assumption is that many of them will never be used.

And the expected, experienced disadvantage on usage quality? Probably not noticeable.

For me, LAN belongs where potentially fixed installed devices will be placed and in such quantity that you don’t immediately need a switch on site.

The TV in the living room will have a fixed planned spot. Then there might be media players and a PS4. I would at least install a double socket there, if not even two. Don’t forget rooms like the hobby room and garage. This way it runs throughout the house. Don’t overdo it, but don’t save to death either. Having is better than needing!

Those who rely only on WLAN must implement it perfectly, otherwise you will have problems. You also have to be lucky that the neighborhood doesn’t overcrowd your WLAN channels. In the future, internet connections will be faster and in some computer forums there are already increasing questions about why my WLAN is slower than my internet connection.

I see it exactly like :

Many theoretical arguments for LAN sockets are not used in real life.

I don’t even question the TV in the living room. One or maybe two potential TV locations should (at least currently) still be equipped with LAN. But even there the demand is decreasing. A few years ago you would have connected TV, Fire TV Stick, PS4, Apple TV, etc. Today at most a current flat TV plus one other device, because these usually cover everything from Prime, Netflix, etc.
Finding the right spots gets more difficult when you think about a screen and projector.

In the rooms I find it very complex to find the right locations. Connecting a non-moving printer and a NAS to the LAN is nice, too. But with the printer it probably doesn’t matter (Otto hardly uses any bandwidth here) and the NAS, like other devices you don’t have to personally access, just goes next to the switch in the tech room.
Basically, only TVs and (possibly) game consoles remain in the rooms, which are less or not mobile. For these, one might consider a duplex socket.
The spot is always wrong in the end and I have the feeling that the youth of (today and) tomorrow will rather use their mobile devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) on their laps. In the 90s and 00s the (initially) tube TV was still the adolescent’s wet dream.

The argument comparing to power outlets doesn’t fit of course. You still need a cable for power. But not anymore for data.

Conclusion: if you are serious about sockets, then you would have to equip all locations where a desk or a TV could possibly be with at least duplex sockets. That already results in a considerable number of dusty and not exactly attractive sockets.
I claim instead that investing in a decent WLAN (good access points via LAN PoE, etc.) is more sensible nowadays for the average Otto-consumer.