[SOLVED] Killer E2400 Limiting to 100Mbps, Delay to Connect, Shows as 'Network' Instead of Named

[povgride742]

Hello everyone!

The Issue

Yesterday I installed a switch between one of my cable modem/router combo ethernet ports and my personal desktop. I also connected my work laptop to the switch. Prior to installing the switch, I had an ethernet cable running directly from my cable modem/router combo to my desktop, which never game me issues. Before the switch, I got virtually the full speed of my internet plan (250Mbps). After the switch (and then going back to a direct connection to my cable modem/router combo, I'm limited to 100Mbps.

Hardware, Software, and Settings

Motherboard - MSI Z170A Gaming M5
NIC - Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Speed & Duplex set to Auto Negotiation (No 1000 Mbps option))
Cable Modem/Router Combo - Xfinity (Arris) TG1682G
Switch - Netgear GS305 5-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch
Ethernet Cables - Amazon Basics RJ45 Cat-6 Ethernet Patch Cables
Operating System - Windows 10 (Power Option set to High Performance)
Driver - Driver Only (Killer Control Center not Installed)

Speedtests (Ookla)

I performed an Speedtest on my personal desktop BEFORE installing the switch and my results were:
Ping - 8ms
Download - 235.26Mbps
Upload - 5.85Mbps

I performed another Speedtest on my personal desktop AFTER installing the switch:
Ping - 8ms
Download - 94.69Mbps
Upload - 5.86Mbps

I performed a Speedtest on my work laptop on it's own cable from the switch (with wireless disabled):
Ping - 33ms
Download - 216.57Mbps
Upload - 5.68Mbps

I performed another Speedtest on my work laptop, but this time connected to the cable that runs from the switch to my personal desktop (with wireless disabled):
Ping - 31ms
Download - 237.50Mbps
Upload - 2.53Mbps

I performed a Speedtest with my personal desktop back to being connected directly to the cable modem/router combo (SAME EXACT cable as the very first Speedtest shown that didn't experience any issues):
Ping - 8ms
Download - 93.54Mbps
Upload - 5.68Mbps

I performed another Speedtest on my personal desktop, but this time connected to the cable that runs from the switch to my work laptop:
Ping - 8ms
Download - 94.64Mbps
Upload - 4.60Mbps

Observations

Ethernet Status:
Personal Desktop - 100.0 Mbps (Speed & Duplex set to Auto Negotiation (No 1000 Mbps option))
Work Laptop - 1.0 Gbps (Can't check Speed & Duplex due to lack of Administrative Access)

Other things I noticed:

• Regardless of where I connect my work laptop or girlfriend's laptop, the ethernet connection shows as 'Brett'. However, on my personal desktop, the ethernet connection shows simply as 'Network'.
• Regardless of where I connect my work laptop or girlfriend's laptop, the ethernet connection shows as connected to the internet almost instantly. However, on my personal desktop, there is a noticeable delay (less than 15 seconds, but still longer than it takes me to boot into Windows and launch a website.

Things I've Tried

• Restarted cable modem/router combo
• Disconnected cable modem/router combo for 5 minutes and reconnected
• Uninstalled device (Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller) and reinstalled via pre-loaded Windows driver
• Uninstalled device (Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller) and manually installed latest driver
• Ran Update Driver (Windows indicated best / most recent driver already installed)
• Reset the Network Stack using the following Commands: ipconfig /release -> ipconfig /flushdns -> ipconfig /renew -> netsh int ip reset -> netsh winsock reset (followed by restart)
• Disabled device (Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller) -> Enabled SSD Over Provisioning -> Restarted Computer -> Reenabled device (Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller)
• Disconnected ethernet -> Forgotten personal desktop from Xfinity App -> Reconnected ethernet

Where I'm At

The only other diagnostic steps I feel I could take are 1) connecting the computer to a different network to see if it negotiates above 100Mbps and 2) reinstalling Windows. I feel as if, considering the diagnostic steps I have performed, I've ruled out the switch (although ironically this only started after installing a switch) and ethernet cables as faulty. The only two things left I could see being the problem are the cable modem/router combo and the Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller. I'm leaning towards the Ethernet Controller. I know Killer NICs are trash... it's just weird that it worked perfectly fine before the switch.

Any insight or help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bill001g]

I hate killer nics but if you don't have that crap software loaded they tend to be usable.

Your problem is extremely basic anyway. The speed negotiation is not a software function...other than forcing it to some speed. This is all done by the hardware detecting voltage levels etc. It is something that has been standardized for so many years you don't see issues, and if you did it is a hardware fix not firmware.

This almost has to be a cable issue. It could be a physically damaged port but you hope it is not that since you can't really fix that.

To some extent it is strange that multiple cables don't work but if all your cables are fake cables then it could happen. Some devices tolerate out of spec cables more than others so some device will work and others will not.

Be very sure you cables are pure copper cables (no cca) and have wire size 22-24 (no flat or thin cables). You do not need better than cat5e to get gbit speeds.

The cheapest thing to try is another cable. You need to make sure you leave the setting on auto because to set it to a fixed value it must be done on both ends and few if any consumer switches allow that.

 

[povgride742]

I hate killer nics but if you don't have that crap software loaded they tend to be usable.

Your problem is extremely basic anyway. The speed negotiation is not a software function...other than forcing it to some speed. This is all done by the hardware detecting voltage levels etc. It is something that has been standardized for so many years you don't see issues, and if you did it is a hardware fix not firmware.

This almost has to be a cable issue. It could be a physically damaged port but you hope it is not that since you can't really fix that.

To some extent it is strange that multiple cables don't work but if all your cables are fake cables then it could happen. Some devices tolerate out of spec cables more than others so some device will work and others will not.

Be very sure you cables are pure copper cables (no cca) and have wire size 22-24 (no flat or thin cables). You do not need better than cat5e to get gbit speeds.

The cheapest thing to try is another cable. You need to make sure you leave the setting on auto because to set it to a fixed value it must be done on both ends and few if any consumer switches allow that.

Thanks for the input! I'm in the middle of building a new PC that will have an onboard 2.5Gb Intel NIC. Being that I don't have any spare cables long enough to run from my PC to my cable modem/router combo on hand (and with all the cable management it would be a gigantuous PITA to move everything down there just to check with a shorter cable), and the length I need isn't just a few dollars, I'll wait and see how the new PC does with it and deal with 100Mbps until then (if I really need to download something faster I have a WiFi adapter that reaches full speed, just increased ping). If still a no-go, which I'm really expecting the issue to be isolated to my PC at this point, I'll order a new cable.

 

[bill001g]

If I remember correctly intel has a hardware issue with the 2.5g nic. They partially patched it but it can't actually be fixed in software. Has to have a manufacture date in last 1/4 of last 2020 or later. This may not be the same chipset you are buying but be very careful.

10g stuff is actually much more mature and does not cost much more.

 

[povgride742]

If I remember correctly intel has a hardware issue with the 2.5g nic. They partially patched it but it can't actually be fixed in software. Has to have a manufacture date in last 1/4 of last 2020 or later. This may not be the same chipset you are buying but be very careful.

10g stuff is actually much more mature and does not cost much more.

You are indeed remembering correctly. The ASUS STRIX Z490-E experienced this issue. The motherboard I ordered is the ASUS STRIX Z590-E. IIRC it's an different revision, but even if it isn't... it is certainly newer than Q1 2020.

That being said, my computer is back up and running with a 1.0 Gbps connection and identifies instantaneously. These are the things I did today, in order:

1. Replaced RJ45 connector on cable from cable modem/router on end closest to computer... no change.
2. Reinstalled Windows 10... no change.
3. Attached USB WiFi adapter... wireless network achieves internet plan speeds (250Mbps), wired network now reads 'Brett', wired network STILL limited at 100Mbps.
4. Temporarily relocated computer down to cable modem/router combo and connected to existing port on cable modem/router combo with different cable... connected at 1.0Gbps.
5. You're probably thinking it was the cable... keep reading: Moved computer back up to original location, connected to switch using all the same cables from before today (aside from the RJ45 connecter I changed)... connected at 1.0Gbps.

So here's my theory. Between originally installing the switch (when this problem first occurred) and step 4 above, I never turned off my PSU (the actual switch on the PSU, not just turning the computer off) / disconnected the power cable. I'm thinking that fully removing power from the motherboard and allowing any components to deenergize allowed the NIC to reset per se. The reason I am thinking this is because, every time I turn off the PSU and remove the cable, my GPU LEDs reset, but only when power is completely removed from the motherboard, not when the computer is simply shut off. No way of knowing for sure, but it's been working as designed for hours now with multiple restarts and shut-downs.

 

[bill001g]

Very well could be many motherboards support one of the many variations of wake on lan which means the lan port is always powered.

 

[LTC59]

I also think it might be the cable. For gigabit you need a straight cable with 4 pairs/8 leads (all must be working otherwise you wont get gigabit speed) and most/all stuff has auto MDI/MDI-X and auto speed negotiation functionality nowadays. If holding the RJ45 connectors side by side facing the same way, the leads colors should be in the same order when you look at them from side to side (left to right) in both connectors. If they do, then you have a straight cable. If you only have cables with 2 pairs/4 leads I would throw those cables away (to not to be tempted to use them in an other project before realising they are 10/100 Mbit only cables).