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Odd Speed Issue Related to Cable Connection

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rmiller1959

Regular Contributor
I have an odd issue with the speed of my Internet connection, and if someone has an answer, they're obviously a genius!

On occasion, I will have a sense that my Internet speed isn't just right, and I'll run SpeedTest to find out that my 1 GB connection is only giving me about a 95 Mbps download. I check my wife's computer which, like mine, is hard-wired to the router, part of a Netgear Orbi RBK853 mesh system, and her speeds are where they should be, typically around 940-950 Mbps. I have found that if I disconnect and reconnect the cable from the switch or the router, my speed returns to normal! I imagine I would get the same result if I disconnected and reconnected to the PC itself, but I haven't tested it. This problem has occurred with two different motherboards, one from ASUS and the other from ASRock.

That would suggest a problem with the cable, but it's the same cabling my wife's desktop uses, and it's Cat 6E, which feels pretty durable physically. What's strange to me is that the fix is instantaneous. That doesn't seem like a cable problem to me.

What do you think?
 
About 95Mbps is indeed Fast Ethernet connection, up to 100Mbps. The cable may look fine, but you still may have to replace it.
 
It's the cable. :)

There is no Cat6e cable, perhaps it's Cat6a?

It could be as specific as not making a proper connection to that specific port. Test by using another port on the router.

If you can turn the cable around (router end to computer, vs. where it's laid out now), that may also fix things for you 'easily'.

You can also power down the entire network, unplug all cables, USB, Ethernet, etc. from all routers, switches, client devices, etc. and then let the equipment sit there for as long as you can (an hour or more is best, but even 20-30 minutes may be sufficient).

Can you switch your computer and your wife's to test also (with the cables left as they are now)? That would totally eliminate the cable/connections that yours is having issues with.
 
It's the cable. :)

There is no Cat6e cable, perhaps it's Cat6a?

It could be as specific as not making a proper connection to that specific port. Test by using another port on the router.

If you can turn the cable around (router end to computer, vs. where it's laid out now), that may also fix things for you 'easily'.

You can also power down the entire network, unplug all cables, USB, Ethernet, etc. from all routers, switches, client devices, etc. and then let the equipment sit there for as long as you can (an hour or more is best, but even 20-30 minutes may be sufficient).

Can you switch your computer and your wife's to test also (with the cables left as they are now)? That would totally eliminate the cable/connections that yours is having issues with.
You are correct, the cable is Cat 6A. My error!
 
It's the cable. :)

There is no Cat6e cable, perhaps it's Cat6a?

It could be as specific as not making a proper connection to that specific port. Test by using another port on the router.

If you can turn the cable around (router end to computer, vs. where it's laid out now), that may also fix things for you 'easily'.

You can also power down the entire network, unplug all cables, USB, Ethernet, etc. from all routers, switches, client devices, etc. and then let the equipment sit there for as long as you can (an hour or more is best, but even 20-30 minutes may be sufficient).

Can you switch your computer and your wife's to test also (with the cables left as they are now)? That would totally eliminate the cable/connections that yours is having issues with.
I have switched ports on the router and the switch, and I've simply unplugged the cable and plugged it back into the same port. The result is always the same. I get full speed restored instantaneously. The cable is actually run through and under the floor - it was installed by an electrician - so I don't have the option of flipping it around. For that same reason, it would be difficult to switch computers and see if hers has the same problem using my cable connection. I could use a laptop, however, to test that thesis. My concern is that the moment I disconnect and reconnect the cable, the problem is fixed.

I check my speed periodically after it's "fixed" and it remains OK for a long time. I'm wondering if the slowdown occurs after the computer comes out of sleep mode. I'll have to monitor that and see if that's the case.
 
My concern is that the moment I disconnect and reconnect the cable, the problem is fixed.

Could be a bad RJ45 connector on one end. If the cable is fixed, the connectors can be replaced.

I'm wondering if the slowdown occurs after the computer comes out of sleep mode.

Test it before you proceed with cable decapitation. I'm a hardware guy and I would replace the connectors first.
 
If you don't switch computers, it will be difficult to track this issue down. Sure, you can change connectors but still not know if the cable is the issue (and/or your computer).

Change the scenery, switch computer work areas with your wife. :)

Btw, is your computer and your wife's computer identical?
 
If you don't switch computers, it will be difficult to track this issue down. Sure, you can change connectors but still not know if the cable is the issue (and/or your computer).

Change the scenery, switch computer work areas with your wife. :)

Btw, is your computer and your wife's computer identical?
I don't disagree with you. If I can't identify the problem or troubleshoot it properly, I may just have to use my quick fix as needed and live with it. I could also ask my electrician to come out and test the cable.

Our computers are not the same. I built each one individually and at different times. The components in her system are completely different than mine. I've upgraded my motherboard since we had the cables installed.

I think she likes her work area a lot better than mine! ;)
 
Hope you find the root cause and can address it!

I'm sure her work area is 'a lot better'. :D
 
Do the link rate lights on the PC lan port ( or switch or router whichever the PC is connected to) change when you "fix" the speed issue ? if they do, did they correspond to 100 mbit link rate when you notice the slowdown and before you fix it ?
OR
Does the link rate under lan adapter change status/properties page drop to 100 mbit/s when you notice the issue ?

Since you notice the issue after you PC goes to sleep and then wakes up, check the port settings on the switch/router to see if "green" ethernet power savings is enabled. If it is, turn it off on all of the ports.
Does that fix it ?
You can also go into power settings and select the lan adapter on the PC to never sleep or power down. That also may do the trick.
 
what make/model network cards do the two computers have in them (or built into the motherboard)

presuming the cable/switch is good the next thing to look at is your NIC and it’s drivers
 
what make/model network cards do the two computers have in them (or built into the motherboard)

presuming the cable/switch is good the next thing to look at is your NIC and it’s drivers
The problem persisted through a motherboard upgrade. The first motherboard-based NIC was a Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN Controller, and the 2nd NIC is a Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5 Gigabit LAN Controller. My wife's computer has a Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN controller, just like my previous motherboard.
 
Do the link rate lights on the PC lan port ( or switch or router whichever the PC is connected to) change when you "fix" the speed issue ? if they do, did they correspond to 100 mbit link rate when you notice the slowdown and before you fix it ?
OR
Does the link rate under lan adapter change status/properties page drop to 100 mbit/s when you notice the issue ?

Since you notice the issue after you PC goes to sleep and then wakes up, check the port settings on the switch/router to see if "green" ethernet power savings is enabled. If it is, turn it off on all of the ports.
Does that fix it ?
You can also go into power settings and select the lan adapter on the PC to never sleep or power down. That also may do the trick.
I will check the LAN link rate the next time it happens. In the meantime, I've disabled power saving and green Ethernet settings on the PC network port to see if that has any effect.
 
realtek has a deservedly bad reputation for their ethernet chips (and drivers) - if you can plug in a real intel pcie gigabit card ( i210 based cards are extremely cheap nowdays), load the latest intel wired drivers and see if the problem persists
 
An update: ever since I disabled the green Ethernet and Power Saving settings on the NIC, I haven't had a repeat of the problem, even when coming out of sleep mode. I will continue to monitor it and if it comes back again, it's back to the drawing board, but every random SpeedTest I've run this week at various times over several days has indicated normal download speeds.
 
If it comes back, see if the switch or router switch ports have a similar setting to disable.
 
10 days later and everything is still working as it should. I just did another random check after bringing the computer out of sleep mode after about five hours, and it's still at high speed. The only thing I don't understand is why my wife's computer hasn't experienced the same problem. She has an older RealTek NIC and I've never adjusted its properties as I had to do with mine.
 
The combinations and permutations of programs, computer usage, driver combinations, cables, port connectors, and all other hardware (versions and health) are too many to get and keep a handle on (Microsoft can't even do it).

Just be glad you got the results you wanted. :)

At this point, the 'why' isn't as important (to me).
 
The combinations and permutations of programs, computer usage, driver combinations, cables, port connectors, and all other hardware (versions and health) are too many to get and keep a handle on (Microsoft can't even do it).

Just be glad you got the results you wanted. :)

At this point, the 'why' isn't as important (to me).
You're right, of course! My curious mind wants an explanation but as long as everything's working, I'll let it go! Thanks to everyone for the help - this ended well!
 

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