I'm having a tough time understanding why my PC, connected via a CAT 6A cable, is only reaching speeds of 1.2GB when I have a 3GB connection available. The setup includes a length of 100 feet to bring the connection upstairs from the modem/router on the first floor. I've tested the connection late at night with no other devices on the network and still hit a cap of around 1.2GB down/up. I've verified that I'm plugged into a 10GB port on the router and that the tech could get 3GB down on his device, so the issue doesn't seem to be between the modem and router. All my drivers are current, and WiFi is turned off to prevent any interference. I'm curious about what might be causing this limitation and how to fix it.
3 Answers
The length of your CAT 6A cable is fine, but double-check if it's certified and tested for those speeds. Different cables have varying quality that can affect your performance depending on the speed test locations you're using.
What kind of network interface card (NIC) do you have in your PC? For optimal speeds, it's important that the hardware can actually support the speeds you're trying to achieve. A slow NIC could definitely limit your performance.
It's a Realtek PCIe 2.5GbE Family Controller.
When conducting your speed tests, ensure you're hitting the right targets. If you're using speedtest.net or similar services, they might have limitations that could affect the upload speed. Are you checking the adapter's link speed in network settings to confirm it's set correctly?
My link speed is showing 2.5Gb. I’ve tested through Google's fiber speedtest and through various torrents as well.
The cables are from Monoprice, so it should be fine. I usually test with Google Fiber's speed test and also download from torrents with many seeders.