[SOLVED] Networked PCs ethernet connection issues

Dec 6, 2021
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So in my PC case I have two systems, both pretty decent (X570 Aorus Master and X570I Aorus Pro Wifi). Both motherboards have a gigabit Ethernet socket. I've connected them both with a Cat6a (30cm) cable. I'm assuming the max theoretical speed of gigabit ethernet is 125 Mb/s (so an expected speed of lets say 80 Mb/s easily). I'm only getting speeds of about 8Mb's which is exactly what it should be if it was 100mbps ethernet. There shouldn't be any storage speed bottle necks (PCIe4 M2 SSD (in the Aorus Master) going to standard Sata SSD (on the I Aorus Pro Wifi).

Both motherboards have a feature where there is a coloured LED with each ethernet port that's colour denotes speed. They're both lighting up in orange which is the correct colour for a gigabit connection.

Anyone got any ideas on how to get this working properly?
 
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Solution
On the Aorus Master I'm using the 1GE port (felt silly to connect a 1 to a 2.5 :p )

I'm assuming my issue is just the choice of cable. I used a standard ethernet cable, not a crossover cable. From my brief research, I believe standard (patch) cables should be used from Pcs to switch/routers and crossover cables should be used for direct PC to PC connections.

"If the ethernet is set to auto on both motherboards, then you have a counterfeit cable. " - where is this setting? (I already tried changing the "speed and duplex" setting from "auto" to "1 Gbps Full Duplex". This was from within the advanced properties in the device manager.
Gigabit is auto-crossover, so a straight through cable will be fine.
My "auto" statement is...
are you running a switch between the two or using a crossover cable? Correct me if im wrong but a 30cm cable is about 1 foot. I would try different cables just to see if you have some bad ones. Even at that short of distance cat5e will do gigabit speeds.

If both computers are only doing 100mbps i would suspect cable or switch as the limiting factor.
 
Dec 6, 2021
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Ahh thanks faalin. Now that you mentioned crossover cables and I learned what they are, that'll be the problem. I've ordered a crossover cable instead and will see if that fixes everything tomorrow.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
So in my PC case I have two systems, both pretty decent (X570 Aorus Master and X570I Aorus Pro Wifi). Both motherboards have a gigabit Ethernet socket. I've connected them both with a Cat6a (30cm) cable. I'm assuming the max theoretical speed of gigabit ethernet is 125 Mb/s (so an expected speed of lets say 80 Mb/s easily). I'm only getting speeds of about 8Mb's which is exactly what it should be if it was 100mbps ethernet. There shouldn't be any storage speed bottle necks (PCIe4 M2 SSD (in the Aorus Master) going to standard Sata SSD (on the I Aorus Pro Wifi).

Anyone got any ideas on how to get this working properly?
If the ethernet is set to auto on both motherboards, then you have a counterfeit cable. Get a 100% copper cat5e round ethernet cable. The Master motherboard has both 1GE and 2.5GE ports. Which port are you using on the Master motherboard for the link between the two ?
 
Dec 6, 2021
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On the Aorus Master I'm using the 1GE port (felt silly to connect a 1 to a 2.5 :p )

I'm assuming my issue is just the choice of cable. I used a standard ethernet cable, not a crossover cable. From my brief research, I believe standard (patch) cables should be used from Pcs to switch/routers and crossover cables should be used for direct PC to PC connections.

"If the ethernet is set to auto on both motherboards, then you have a counterfeit cable. " - where is this setting? (I already tried changing the "speed and duplex" setting from "auto" to "1 Gbps Full Duplex". This was from within the advanced properties in the device manager.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
On the Aorus Master I'm using the 1GE port (felt silly to connect a 1 to a 2.5 :p )

I'm assuming my issue is just the choice of cable. I used a standard ethernet cable, not a crossover cable. From my brief research, I believe standard (patch) cables should be used from Pcs to switch/routers and crossover cables should be used for direct PC to PC connections.

"If the ethernet is set to auto on both motherboards, then you have a counterfeit cable. " - where is this setting? (I already tried changing the "speed and duplex" setting from "auto" to "1 Gbps Full Duplex". This was from within the advanced properties in the device manager.
Gigabit is auto-crossover, so a straight through cable will be fine.
My "auto" statement is the speed and duplex. You want it set to auto on both motherboards. You could TRY setting one (doesn't matter which) to 1GE Full and allow the other to be auto.
But 99% of the time it is a cheap / counterfeit cable. Copper is expensive so lots of junk cables are sold.
 
Solution

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Ahhhhhh ok. Well I already ordered a crossover cable (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004WCQSWQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1)

Reckon this will be ok? If you have a better recommendation then let me know (ideally a relatively short cable that would also be suitable for 2.5GE or 10GE if I decide to invest further into this (via PCIe cards)).
A crossover cable will work. Gigabit ethernet ports will figure it out.
THAT is a bad cable. In the description " Twisted Pair, 4x2xAWG24/7 CCA" -- CCA is coper clad aluminum. That is BAD. Cancel that cable. Find one the EXPLICITLY says 100% coper.
Maybe this one -- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alida-Systems-®-Professional-Network/dp/B06XVKFLWN/
 
Dec 6, 2021
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I can't even get iperf to work

iperf_server.JPG
iperf_client.JPG
 
Dec 6, 2021
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See this is where my bad knowledge of networking really starts to cause issues. I'm not really sure of all the stuff you just said. I got the ethernet to ethernet working via following a YouTube tutorial but it was pretty basic stuff. I'm pretty sure I never did anything involving IP addresses.

I know that it "works" cos I can transfer data but there is a very good chance that all the settings are wrong, or I missed out crucial steps, as I didn't really have the necessary knowledge when I got it working.

Also for the record...I don't have a good basic understanding of exactly what IPs are and how they work.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
See this is where my bad knowledge of networking really starts to cause issues. I'm not really sure of all the stuff you just said. I got the ethernet to ethernet working via following a YouTube tutorial but it was pretty basic stuff. I'm pretty sure I never did anything involving IP addresses.

I know that it "works" cos I can transfer data but there is a very good chance that all the settings are wrong, or I missed out crucial steps, as I didn't really have the necessary knowledge when I got it working.

Also for the record...I don't have a good basic understanding of exactly what IPs are and how they work.
OK, then we have been barking up the wrong tree for this thread.
Start with basics....
Since you are doing a point-to-point network between these two PCs, you don't have a DHCP server to give them IP addresses. You need to set each one to a unique static IP address -- https://www.onmsft.com/how-to/how-and-why-to-set-a-static-ip-address-in-windows-10
Since your WIFI is 192.168.59.x , you want to create these static IP addresses in a different subnet. To make it easy to see the IP addresses, lets use 10.x.y.z Those are special PRIVATE IP addresses -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_network#Private_IPv4_addresses
On PC 1 you would set the IP address to 10.1.1.1 subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 NO GATEWAY
On PC 2 you would set the IP address to 10.1.1.2 subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 NO GATEWAY
Then plug the cable in.
On PC 1 you open a cmd.exe window and type ping 10.1.1.2 If that works then you have a private network between the two hosts.
 
Dec 6, 2021
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Half way there? Tried leaving the Gateway blank and putting "NO GATEWAY". Tried putting 24 into the subnet prefix length. Sorry kanewolf!! I appreciate the time you're putting into this.

Settings.JPG
 

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