[SOLVED] [Solved] PC doesn't use full bandwidth

[Ukaros]

Hey there
I'm currently having some issues regarding my bandwith: my PC doesn't nearly use the full bandwidth it gets. What im trying to say is that while speedtest.net shows me more or less my full bandwidth (200Mbit/s is our plan and speedtest shows 140 to 200Mbit/s), software like Steam, Battlenet and Torrents in general only download with about 6MB/s. The thing is that the +-6MB/s would be about the speed we had with our old plan (40Mbit/s) which doesnt make any sense in my eyes. Even weirder is that my Laptop downloads +- 16MB/s on the same powerline.
I've checked if those programs have a download-limit however that is not the case and all of them are set to use the full bandwidth. Ive tried downloading on to both my HDD and my SSD but that doesnt seem to have any impact whatsoever.
Does anyone have any idea why this is could be the case?

If you need any more informations ill happely provide them

Cheers and thanks to anyone that tries to help


Some specs and stuff:

internet plan: 200Mbit/s

• connected via powerline
• networkcard is (should be?) gigabit capable
• download on speedtest.net: 140 to 200Mbit/s
• download on Steam: 51Mbit/s

 

[doolittle]

Try a more realistic internet speed test, like speedof.me - that one uses dozens of different servers/locations in parallel to simulate real browsing. I use FIOS gig, which normally clocks in around 800/900 down and 700/800 up on most generic sites, but in this one I get average speeds of 265 down and 365 up and tends to vary quite a bit.

Also on your local network, if you have a second PC or laptop handy that is able to hard-wire to your router check out iperf. Run it on a pc connected to your router via ethernet (in server mode) and one on your PC (in client mode) this will give you a very good analysis of your powerline performance.

 

[Ukaros]

Try a more realistic internet speed test, like speedof.me - that one uses dozens of different servers/locations in parallel to simulate real browsing. I use FIOS gig, which normally clocks in around 800/900 down and 700/800 up on most generic sites, but in this one I get average speeds of 265 down and 365 up and tends to vary quite a bit.

Also on your local network, if you have a second PC or laptop handy that is able to hard-wire to your router check out iperf. Run it on a pc connected to your router via ethernet (in server mode) and one on your PC (in client mode) this will give you a very good analysis of your powerline performance.

The test still shows a 90 to 120Mbit/s download and sadly iperf does not start on my system. However, as I already mentioned i know for a fact that the powerline (+network) are capable of using more bandwidth because i tested the same powerline, with the same wire and got higher real-world download results (16MB/s on steam f.e.)

 

[Ukaros]

Try a more realistic internet speed test, like speedof.me - that one uses dozens of different servers/locations in parallel to simulate real browsing. I use FIOS gig, which normally clocks in around 800/900 down and 700/800 up on most generic sites, but in this one I get average speeds of 265 down and 365 up and tends to vary quite a bit.

Also on your local network, if you have a second PC or laptop handy that is able to hard-wire to your router check out iperf. Run it on a pc connected to your router via ethernet (in server mode) and one on your PC (in client mode) this will give you a very good analysis of your powerline performance.

So here I am again after some more testing.
Well let me just tell you it got ever weirder... I've setup a VM on my PC (the one having problems) with a bridged network adapter and downloader something from steam. And the download peaked at 19MB/s. So at this point I'm pretty sure that its some problem with my windows installation but I don't know how to fix it. If somehow possible I wanna fix this without having to reinstall windows

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

is the PC a prebuilt or custom?
If prebuilt, make and model of the PC.
If custom, make and model of the motherboard.

 

[Ukaros]

is the PC a prebuilt or custom?
If prebuilt, make and model of the PC.
If custom, make and model of the motherboard.

Its a prebuild system: its a +- 7 years old alienware aurora r4 (rip me)

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

your can go here and scroll through till you find the ethernet drivers.
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/alienware-aurora-r4/drivers

if perhaps your R4 uses a 3rd party motherboard inside, you can open up the side panel and take a look and see what the motherboard is make and model, and if it's 3rd party from the likes of EVGA, Gigabyte, ASUS, AsRock, etc. then there would also be drivers for the board that you can get from the board manufacturer.

 

[Ukaros]

your can go here and scroll through till you find the ethernet drivers.
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/alienware-aurora-r4/drivers

if perhaps your R4 uses a 3rd party motherboard inside, you can open up the side panel and take a look and see what the motherboard is make and model, and if it's 3rd party from the likes of EVGA, Gigabyte, ASUS, AsRock, etc. then there would also be drivers for the board that you can get from the board manufacturer.

Its a proprietary motherboard. Sadly the drivers from the website didnt change anything

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Can try using a static IP and custom DNS to connect the PC to the internet

 

[Ukaros]

Can try using a static IP and custom DNS to connect the PC to the internet

Sadly I can't test it with a static ip
Different dns didn't change anything in regards to the download speed

Out of frustration and because I thought that there might be a problem with the drivers etc. I bought an Intel network card today, sadly this also didn't change anything. Im thinking about reinstalling my windows. If that doesnt help it can only be my motherboard (at least thats what i think)

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

what do you mean you can't use static IP?
do you not have the ability to go into the properties of the ethernet adapter on your system through windows control panel?

Are you not connected to your own router and your own network?

 

[doolittle]

Sadly I can't test it with a static ip
Different dns didn't change anything in regards to the download speed

Out of frustration and because I thought that there might be a problem with the drivers etc. I bought an Intel network card today, sadly this also didn't change anything. Im thinking about reinstalling my windows. If that doesnt help it can only be my motherboard (at least thats what i think)

if you suspect windows is the problem, a good check would be to use a bootable linux usb like Ubuntu in live mode or slax, both of those have dhcp as default so you hit the ground running and have yet to see an on-board ethernet not work with it - that being said, I have had better luck with the latest Ubuntu desktop version and later hardware now that I think about it

 

[Ukaros]

if you suspect windows is the problem, a good check would be to use a bootable linux usb like Ubuntu in live mode or slax, both of those have dhcp as default so you hit the ground running and have yet to see an on-board ethernet not work with it - that being said, I have had better luck with the latest Ubuntu desktop version and later hardware now that I think about it

Don't think that a bootable Linux would tell me anymore than I already know. As I mentioned before, I checked this whole stuff with a Windows VM with a bridged adapter and got (more or less) the download speed I should have.
The reason why I haven't reinstalled windows yet is because my Office 1 PC license tends to f*ck me over when reinstalling. And the network card was literally cheaper than a new Office license

 

[Ukaros]

what do you mean you can't use static IP?
do you not have the ability to go into the properties of the ethernet adapter on your system through windows control panel?

Are you not connected to your own router and your own network?

oh that what u mean. ive already done that.
(thought like static ip to the outsideworld.. cant remember the term )

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

lol no, I meant making it so that your device always has the same IP address on the internal network and the router doesn't just auto assign one.

Then using a custom DNS service.

 

[Ukaros]

lol no, I meant making it so that your device always has the same IP address on the internal network and the router doesn't just auto assign one.

Then using a custom DNS service.

I've tried the DNS of my ISP and Googles DNS. Dind't change anything

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

check that your lan settings on windows are configured properly.

Go to network and sharing center, then on the left click on "Change adapter settings"

Right click on the ethernet adapter and go to "properties"

Then at the top right click on "Configure"

Go the "Advanced" tab

Scroll down to "Speed & Duplex" and click on it.

On the right, there will be a drop down box, if it is set to auto, change it to 1GB.

If it's set to something specific that isn't 1GB then try gigabit, or auto.

 

[Ukaros]

check that your lan settings on windows are configured properly.

Go to network and sharing center, then on the left click on "Change adapter settings"

Right click on the ethernet adapter and go to "properties"

Then at the top right click on "Configure"

Go the "Advanced" tab

Scroll down to "Speed & Duplex" and click on it.

On the right, there will be a drop down box, if it is set to auto, change it to 1GB.

If it's set to something specific that isn't 1GB then try gigabit, or auto.

sorry wanst at home for some time. ive already tried this and it doesnt change anything

 

[Ukaros]

@QwerkyPengwen @doolittle
So i've decided to reinstall my windows and well guess what: it fixed the problem

Thank you both for your kind support and have a nice weekend
Until then