[SOLVED] Randomly poor speed via Ethernet.

[TheEffigy]

For the last month my network which is normally 1Gs, my office in the house is only getting 100M.
Our ISP is spectrum, which goes from the modem to an eero, which goes to a switch that connects upstairs and downstairs via Ethernet to other switches. Everything upstairs and on the mid level (3 level home) is fine, 1G speed. However, recently the bottom level is only testing at 100mbps. After restarting the office/lower level eero for the first few months of the Issue it would pop back up to 1G, then for the next month it was stuck at 100mbps. Spectrum came out and we tested going directly from the modem/switch and eero and all gave 1G. They believed it was the cord (which is in the walls from when the home was built in 2006 and will be a pain to replace)

I ran a cat7 from the mid level (where the modem/switch and main eero are) to the office and I got 1G. (Ok it must be the cable then, right?!)
However, when I just connected the old line back.. It got 1G again! However.. it only lasts 8- 24h, then drops back to 100mb.. and basically this is where I’m at... when I want 1G I have to run a cable outside my balcony to my office and it will basically trigger the cord in the wall to go to 1G, then I roll up the temporary line until it drops to 100Mbps again.

What could possibly be causing this? Should I replace the line In the walls? (Which would be a pain the ass) even though it seems to be fine if I do the aforementioned work around???

 

[kanewolf]

For the last month my network which is normally 1Gs, my office in the house is only getting 100M.
Our ISP is spectrum, which goes from the modem to an eero, which goes to a switch that connects upstairs and downstairs via Ethernet to other switches. Everything upstairs and on the mid level (3 level home) is fine, 1G speed. However, recently the bottom level is only testing at 100mbps. After restarting the office/lower level eero for the first few months of the Issue it would pop back up to 1G, then for the next month it was stuck at 100mbps. Spectrum came out and we tested going directly from the modem/switch and eero and all gave 1G. They believed it was the cord (which is in the walls from when the home was built in 2006 and will be a pain to replace)

I ran a cat7 from the mid level (where the modem/switch and main eero are) to the office and I got 1G. (Ok it must be the cable then, right?!)
However, when I just connected the old line back.. It got 1G again! However.. it only lasts 8- 24h, then drops back to 100mb.. and basically this is where I’m at... when I want 1G I have to run a cable outside my balcony to my office and it will basically trigger the cord in the wall to go to 1G, then I roll up the temporary line until it drops to 100Mbps again.

What could possibly be causing this? Should I replace the line In the walls? (Which would be a pain the ass) even though it seems to be fine if I do the aforementioned work around???

The simplest test is to run a cable across the floor for a day and see if you have stable 1GE. Don't be fooled by "cat9" or other extreme numbers. Get a 100% copper cat5e cable -- https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Flexboot-Cat5e-Ethernet-Patch/dp/B00KWS7GAC

 

[TheEffigy]

It’s difficult for me to run it for more than an hour due to it having to go outside the house.
Is this a phenomenon? After running the connection with another cable the other cable will start working? What could that possibly be related to??

 

[bill001g]

Cables are really strange when they fail. Be nice if they just broke and stayed broken sometimes.

In most cases it is some wire that is just slightly loose in one of the ends. It will make enough contact to work and then either get physically moved or move slightly due to small changes in heat.

I guess the good news is it is seldom the wire itself. Unless someone put a nail though it or maybe a rat chewed it the wires themselves tend to always work once you get them working.

I am ignoring possibility that the wire is fake (ie CCA rather than pure copper). These fake cables have much more issues which is why they are not certified cables.


It is just a matter of finding that one end that is the trouble maker. In most cases the home user just has to blindly replace or re terminate cables. The cheap cable testers are not good enough to find a wire that is only paritally making contact and the ones that can are extremely expensive. Even the best cable tester will not find a loose wire that just happens to work when you test it.

 

[TheEffigy]

So the problem ended up being the keystone that was in the wall. I replaced that and its been stable!