Cat5 faster than Cat5e? Stumped

[cornwallje]

Hey guys,

I just this evening upgraded my Comcast service. From 60mbps to 250mbps. The new service upgraded my modem/router from the xb3(if i recall) to the new xfi router. So I was doing a bit of re-cabling.

Anyway after I hooked everything back up and ran a speedtest, I was only getting ~100mbps speeds. After a bit of confusion there, I realized I was using a Cat5 patch cable from the router to my PC. I switched to a Cat5e cable, but now I'm only getting speeds of less than 5mbps... After more confusion and wondering if my cable was damaged, I decided to try the brand new Cat5e cable included with the self-install kit. Same <5mbps speeds.

If I switch back to the Cat5, I'm back at 100mbps speedtests.

I have an integrated Intel gigabit ethernet adapter.

Legitimately confused here guys... enough to come make a post because I couldn't find anyone using an internet search who has had an issue like this that wasnt related to new wiring or etc etc.

Thanks for any help.

 

[jsmithepa]

If I were u the cable would not be the center of my attention. I would be asking why am I not specifically getting 250 I paid for. The 100 mbit suggest part(s) of your LAN is still using 10/100 NICs, so find out where is/are and fix that, I bet that resolves your issue.

 

[cornwallje]

If I were u the cable would not be the center of my attention. I would be asking why am I not specifically getting 250 I paid for. The 100 mbit suggest part(s) of your LAN is still using 10/100 NICs, so find out where is/are and fix that, I bet that resolves your issue.

Well my LAN is incredibly simple. Coax service > Modem/router combo (xFi) > Onboard network adapter. Literally (1) 5' Ethernet patch cable. That's it.

It's my understanding that Cat5 ethernet cords are only capable of 100mbps speeds, so that part makes sense unless I'm mistaken.

To reiterate, what doesnt make sense is that with any other Cat5E cable I use, I get like 2mbps speeds.

 

[cornwallje]

Any other ideas from this fine community of knowledgeable folks? Can anyone at least confirm that Cat5 is only capable of 100mbps, and that the only way to achieve faster speeds are with cat5e or better?

 

[bill001g]

You almost can't find actual cat5 cable anymore almost all of it is cat5e. On short cables you can get gigabit speeds on cat5...just like you can run 10gbit on cat6 rather than cat6a. It is not "official" but everyone knows it works.

What is the model of the modem/router you have.

Make sure the setting in your ethernet port on your pc is set to AUTO.

Ports only really run at full speed on nothing. The only way you would only get 5mbps is if you were getting lots of data errors. The traffic is really being transmitted at 100mbps or 1gbps but on the receiving end the data is damaged so is discarded and not counted. So on average you get lower rates but the data still transfers at full speed.

My best guess would be that the router/modem you have only has 100mbps lan ports...that is why the model number is imporant. Your PC likely have gigabit port but it could be set to 100mbps which is why you need to check it.

Maybe you are just getting unlucky with cables. Make sure the cables you buy are pure copper cable no CCA . Also avoid any of that flat or thin cable. These are not certified cables. They may or may not work. Cat5 and cat5e unfortunately mean nothing. You want to look for EIA/TIA markings on the cable even though there are fake cables made in china that have those markings. It is important to buy cable from a reputable dealer.

 

[cornwallje]

Well for posterity and since this place is so perfectly archived for questions like this in the future, I will go over the specs and my simple solution.

My modem is a Technicolor CGM4140 COM or XB6-T (Comcast) Rev. 2.2
This modem is Comcast's newest (I believe) modem, and is shaped more like a wireless speaker and less like the modem/router it replaced.

My onboard Ethernet controller is a Intel® Ethernet Connection I218-V which comes standard on my Gigabyte X99P SLI CF motherboard.

With the random cat5 patch cable I was using the router and ethernet controller were both grading my connection as 100mbps. I achieved those speeds during tests.

With a 5' chunk of Vericom CAT-5E U/UTP 24 gauge solid copper ethernet patch cable my router and ethernet controller were both grading my connection as 1.0gbps. However, I was only achieving speeds of under 5 mbps during tests.

I did a bit more due diligence and investigating the status of the very few components i have in my LAN.
Eventually I directed my browser to the support page for Intel's Ethernet Connection I218-V and downloaded and installed the newest drivers.
For whatever reason (though it ALWAYS seems to be the case) the updated drivers for my onboard ethernet fixed the issue. I'm now achieving 300mbps speeds on my 250mbps service and I couldnt be happier.

WHY the controller didnt like running in 1gbps mode with my combination of devices with that driver version I have no idea. The odds that I did something other than default to the configuration are very slim because I format frequently.

This is a good reminder that while Windows has gotten VERY good at keeping basic drivers up to date, some of the more trivial devices with edge cases can get lost, so always consider updating drivers and manufacturers updates especially if you're experiencing problems.

Thanks for your time and consideration guys. Especially the thoughtful reply bill001g

(thought provoking reply here)

 

[cornwallje]

So how do I pick my own response as a solution? Would one of you guys reiterate so you can be picked as the solution? Seems like a waste to not use the features that make this place valuable.