Can only sustain 1gbps for a while - then Ethernet driver drops it to 100

[alexbc]

Hi all,

I have a pre-wired home with CAT 5E cable, it's a condo, so runs are very short, I assume max 20-30 feet per run from my media box to rooms in the condo.

Setup is, Router with 1gbps 5-port, feeding 3 ports around the house, 1 device is 100 (cable box), my other two are 1gbps. What I'd like to do, is to maintain a 1gbps from PC to Synology server! Both are 1gbps capable... BUT, having these issues:

1. Win 10 - Intel Ethernet device - auto negotiates only to 100mbps
2. When I manually change speed to 1gbps, it WORKS for a while - THEN, it STOPS altogether. NO LIGHT flashing on the ethernet port, THEN I have to drop Ethernet speed to Auto, or 100 Full Duplex, the connection comes back
3. While it stays on 1gbps, I can achieve upto 500 mbps transferring files, which is something I'd like to maintain.

This behavior somehow tells me something is causing too much dropped packets or error, which then cuts the connection, right?

Questions:
1. What do you think is the main issue? Cable/connectors/ethernet device?
2. I can't re-wire, but I can change my cables to the wall jacks, and RJ45 wall jacks to CAT6, would it help?
3. Anything else I can try?

Thanks

 

[degrub]

get a 5 port switch GBit/s and connect the server and the pc to it. Connect a port on the switch to the router lan port. Leave the cable box on the router lan port where it is. Does that fix the issue ?

it could be that the wiring in the condo will not support more than 100 Mbit/s ethernet. This will confirm it.

Bypass the router and the condo wiring all together with a direct cable between the server and the PC. Does that solve the issue ?
Then you know where to focus.

 

[alexbc]

get a 5 port switch GBit/s and connect the server and the pc to it. Connect a port on the switch to the router lan port. Leave the cable box on the router lan port where it is. Does that fix the issue ?

it could be that the wiring in the condo will not support more than 100 Mbit/s ethernet. This will confirm it.

Bypass the router and the condo wiring all together with a direct cable between the server and the PC. Does that solve the issue ?
Then you know where to focus.

Thanks, I guess if that solves the issue (have to test), wouldn't solve my problem which is ideal server location.

Good advice though, I can try and see.

 

[HappyJuicy]

I had the same issue about a year ago, fixed it by installing new cables
The best bet is to bring your pc close to the router and testing cable by cable.
If win10 auto negotiate at 100 all cables then you know its the ports from your pc or router. So try an other port from your router, then if its still at 100... get a new network card.

simple as that

If the test go smoothly and you get 1000, its the condo wiring

 

[alexbc]

I had the same issue about a year ago, fixed it by installing new cables
The best bet is to bring your pc close to the router and testing cable by cable.
If win10 auto negotiate at 100 all cables then you know its the ports from your pc or router. So try an other port from your router, then if its still at 100... get a new network card.

simple as that

If the test go smoothly and you get 1000, its the condo wiring

Thanks, it would be hard to do, but I can try with my laptop as a start.

Re-wiring, probably not possible without cutting a lot of my walls as it's a condo and not easily to do!

 

[HappyJuicy]

The router also tell you the quality of the cables. Green or white led mean gigabytes speed, yellow mean 100. Same thing for your pc

 

[Samir]

The router also tell you the quality of the cables. Green or white led mean gigabytes speed, yellow mean 100. Same thing for your pc

These only indicate link speeds, not cable quality. Also, there is no standard for the LEDs so you will need to read what is what before assuming anything. I've seen green for 100Mb and orange for 1Gb and the other way around and everything in between.

 

[alexbc]

Thanks guys... so, I've tried the following:

1. CAT 7 cable (good rated on Amazon)
Now, PC maintains Gbps MOST of the time, BUT eventually it drops itself down to 100mbps...
2. Got a Netgear 5-port switch, it sits between wall socket and my PC. Connecting with the same ethernet cable as Case #1
Now, it has maintained 1Gbps for weeks! I have no idea, why or how adding a switch in between could improve the speed of the internal ethernet cabling!
3. Used the SAME CAT7 better cable between Synology-Router
It DOWNGRADED the speed to 100mbps! It makes no sense! The older CAT6 cable, then automatically makes it 1gbps... super weird

So, at the moment, using new cable, netgear to PC has solved it. But I am curious as to WHY the same supposedly better cable downgraded the Synology?! What is a good brand ethernet cable... there's so many unknown random branded wires on Amazon, not sure who to trust. That's generally a problem with mass Made in China crap with no brand name flooding the market.

Thanks

 

[alexbc]

These only indicate link speeds, not cable quality. Also, there is no standard for the LEDs so you will need to read what is what before assuming anything. I've seen green for 100Mb and orange for 1Gb and the other way around and everything in between.

My Netgear switch does have different LEDs and all my cables apart from one, show Green for 1gbps, BUT a cpl of them do NOT maintain the speed on my network card, unless I add a switch in between (see above).

 

[Samir]

Thanks guys... so, I've tried the following:

1. CAT 7 cable (good rated on Amazon)
Now, PC maintains Gbps MOST of the time, BUT eventually it drops itself down to 100mbps...
2. Got a Netgear 5-port switch, it sits between wall socket and my PC. Connecting with the same ethernet cable as Case #1
Now, it has maintained 1Gbps for weeks! I have no idea, why or how adding a switch in between could improve the speed of the internal ethernet cabling!
3. Used the SAME CAT7 better cable between Synology-Router
It DOWNGRADED the speed to 100mbps! It makes no sense! The older CAT6 cable, then automatically makes it 1gbps... super weird

So, at the moment, using new cable, netgear to PC has solved it. But I am curious as to WHY the same supposedly better cable downgraded the Synology?! What is a good brand ethernet cable... there's so many unknown random branded wires on Amazon, not sure who to trust. That's generally a problem with mass Made in China crap with no brand name flooding the market.

Thanks

It's the new cable being standard fake crap from china being sold on the chinese crap market aka any place that has a 'marketplace' they can exploit aka amazon, ebay, et al.

If you want a good cable, literally going to a store and getting one will be the best--because if they had a bunch of customers coming back to return cables, they'd change vendors immediately to someone reliable. Best Buy is usually my go to, but you can literally get an ethernet cable in a grocery store now, so almost any retail place will work.

As far as why--signal propagation. Some things on each end of a cable will do a better job than others, and it really shows on marginal cable. I've seen this too where a cable will connect at 100Mb on a certain laptop and 1Gb with others. I replaced the cable and everything works at gigabit.

 

[Samir]

My Netgear switch does have different LEDs and all my cables apart from one, show Green for 1gbps, BUT a cpl of them do NOT maintain the speed on my network card, unless I add a switch in between (see above).

This probably points to marginal termination in the walls which figures because most electricians are idiots to think they can wire ethernet and yet are contracted to do it almost all the time and think they know what they're doing until they cause an issue like this. Good thing those switches are cheap.

 

[alexbc]

It's the new cable being standard fake crap from china being sold on the chinese crap market aka any place that has a 'marketplace' they can exploit aka amazon, ebay, et al.

If you want a good cable, literally going to a store and getting one will be the best--because if they had a bunch of customers coming back to return cables, they'd change vendors immediately to someone reliable. Best Buy is usually my go to, but you can literally get an ethernet cable in a grocery store now, so almost any retail place will work.

As far as why--signal propagation. Some things on each end of a cable will do a better job than others, and it really shows on marginal cable. I've seen this too where a cable will connect at 100Mb on a certain laptop and 1Gb with others. I replaced the cable and everything works at gigabit.

OK, yes I got those on Amazon, supposedly high quality and relative popular brand on the site (UGreen)... guess have to do even better. I wish we had branded ones made by Netgear, Cisco, etc... at least verified by them so we can rely on.

 

[follower]

OK, yes I got those on Amazon, supposedly high quality and relative popular brand on the site (UGreen)... guess have to do even better. I wish we had branded ones made by Netgear, Cisco, etc... at least verified by them so we can rely on.

Ugreen is not high quality cable. They are china originated company. Looking good but not high quality.
Here comes real world high quality enterprise and industrial cables.

List of Wire & Cable Models & Products

Search our portfolio of Wire & Cable products and select your specifications. We offer a wide array of reliable and cost-effective products from standard solutions to custom designs.

www.te.com

 

[L&LD]

As my father would tell me, quality first, price second.

Quality Ethernet Cable and Jacks

Say No to Cat7 Ethernet Cable

Monoprice Cable - Not Ok

 

[follower]

As my father would tell me, quality first, price second.

Quality Ethernet Cable and Jacks

Say No to Cat7 Ethernet Cable

Monoprice Cable - Not Ok

Quality first!
Agree.

 

[Samir]

OK, yes I got those on Amazon, supposedly high quality and relative popular brand on the site (UGreen)... guess have to do even better. I wish we had branded ones made by Netgear, Cisco, etc... at least verified by them so we can rely on.

Yeah, most anything cheap like that on amazon will be fake/marginal. If the brands made cables they would be more expensive and the chinese have trained consumers that cheap is better than good, so they would never sell unfortunately.

But the route of buying locally is great for a number of reasons--guaranteed good cable, can get it immediately, and supports local businesses.