If you connect to the Internet via cable, you may not have the speed that you should. You may have contracted fiber optics with a higher rate, but it really reaches you much less. Why is this happening? In this article we are going to talk about what you should check if the Internet works slow when connected by cable. In this way you can make the connection faster and more stable, without the dreaded problems appearing.
What to do if cable internet is slow
If you have come this far, it is because you have noticed that the Internet connection is slow when you connect by cable. Maybe when using Wi-Fi you see that the speed is higher, but instead when using Ethernet cable it decreases. It shouldn’t be like this, so there is something wrong for sure. Review what we tell you to avoid problems.
Check the Gigabit Ethernet port
The first thing you should know is if your computer has a Gigabit Ethernet port or not. What does this mean? The port where you connect the network cable, the Ethernet card, can be Fast or Gigabit Ethernet. The difference is that it can be limited to 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps. Ideally, it should be Gigabit, so you can have the maximum speed of fiber.
But beware, you may have a Gigabit port but still do not receive the maximum speed. It may happen that it is damaged, that it has a problem. This happens, for example, if you have disconnected the cable, you have given a stronger pull than normal, and a connector pin has broken. Check that everything is ok.
Check that the drivers are up to date
Another point that you should check is that the network card drivers are up to date. This is essential to avoid problems. In fact, if you have them outdated or there is a problem, the card could be working in a limited way, not reaching Gigabit speeds even though it really is.
Review this, check that you have the latest versions installed and thus avoid problems. This will help you to ensure that the network connection works well, without interruptions and always with a good speed.
Check the type of cable you use
The type of Ethernet cable you use will also affect your Internet speed. If you use an old cable, less than CAT 5e, your connection will be limited to 100 Mbps. If, for example, you have contracted 300 Mbps fiber optics, you will not be able to reach that speed and you will be limited to those 100 Mbps.
The normal thing is that today you have a category 5e or higher cable, such as 6 or 7. But maybe you had an old cable, from when you had ADSL, and you use it for a computer thinking that nothing happens. The problem is that older cables are going to be limited to Fast Ethernet.
See if there is a problem with the router
One more option is that there is a failure in your router. Perhaps the problem is not with the computer you use, nor with its Ethernet port or cable, but with the router. What can happen? The first thing is that it does not directly have Gigabit Ethernet ports or you are connecting it to one that is Fast Ethernet. That will depend on the model you have and if it is old or not. You can review that.
It could also happen that the port is damaged or that there is a problem at the firmware level. What you can do is update the device and make sure you have the latest version installed. This will help you make the connection work better, without interruptions or problems.
In short, if you notice that the Internet speed is not good when you connect by cable, you can follow the advice that we have given to detect what the error may be. Normally you can easily solve it, unless you directly have some hardware limitation and have to invest in a new device.
