[SOLVED] Slow LAN Port? MSI Motherboard

[joesbeard]

Hello, first time asking on the forum. These threads have helped me in the past, but I can't seem to find support for my issue... So here I am.

I'd like to think that I've narrowed down my issue and determined it's a software or hardware issue with my LAN port (hopefully not the latter). It's almost like there's a VSync enabled but for my download speed. Just to clarify, I'm not having any connection issues, I've just become obsessed with finding the culprit.

soft/HARDware:

• OS: Windows 10 Home - v1903
• ISP: Spectrum - 200 Mbps down//15 Mbps up
• Motherboard: MSI Z170A Gaming M5
  • Port: Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
• Router: Netgear Nighthawk AC2600
• Ethernet Cables: CAT 5e

Troubleshooting:

• Speed tests from my PC from several sites show consistent ~100 Mbps down//~15 Mbps up
• Speed tests from other devices on my network more accurately represent ISP package (sometimes even faster)
  • Devices tested: Xbox OneS (wired), Samsung Galaxy S10e (5 GHz wireless), iPad Pro 11 (5 GHz Wireless)
• Swapped Ethernet cables between PC and Xbox to test faulty cables/ports, no noticeable change
• Scanned for Network Adapter driver updates through Device Manager, "Best drivers are already installed"
  • "Speed & Duplex" is set to "Auto Negotiation"
  • Additionally, disabled and re-enabled network adapter through Device Manager, no noticeable change
• Attempted to update BIOS, no noticeable change, though I'm not entirely sure if the update was successful (I'm not very experienced in the BIOS)

This is all the information I could think of off the top of my head, but if more is needed let me know and I'll try to provide.

 

[kanewolf]

Have you removed the Killer network manager and just installed the drivers. The Killer network manager can lower download performance.

 

[joesbeard]

Have you removed the Killer network manager and just installed the drivers. The Killer network manager can lower download performance.

As far as I can tell, I've never had that installed.

 

[joesbeard]

Troubleshooting:

• Speed tests from my PC from several sites show consistent ~100 Mbps down//~15 Mbps up
• Speed tests from other devices on my network more accurately represent ISP package (sometimes even faster)
  • Devices tested: Xbox OneS (wired), Samsung Galaxy S10e (5 GHz wireless), iPad Pro 11 (5 GHz Wireless)
• Swapped Ethernet cables between PC and Xbox to test faulty cables/ports, no noticeable change
• Scanned for Network Adapter driver updates through Device Manager, "Best drivers are already installed"
  • "Speed & Duplex" is set to "Auto Negotiation"
  • Additionally, disabled and re-enabled network adapter through Device Manager, no noticeable change
• Attempted to update BIOS, no noticeable change, though I'm not entirely sure if the update was successful (I'm not very experienced in the BIOS)

Additionally, I've tried bypassing the router, but PC still only gets ~100 Mbps

 

[kanewolf]

Additionally, I've tried bypassing the router, but PC still only gets ~100 Mbps

What does the network status show your link rate? If it is showing a 100Mbit link rate then you probably have a cable problem. Do you have a direct connection or is there in-wall cabling? Do you have a "flat" ethernet cable? Either in-wall or flat cable could be the problem.

 

[joesbeard]

What does the network status show your link rate? If it is showing a 100Mbit link rate then you probably have a cable problem. Do you have a direct connection or is there in-wall cabling? Do you have a "flat" ethernet cable? Either in-wall or flat cable could be the problem.

I don't have direct knowledge of my current network status but last I was aware (explained below) I'm getting 200+.
There is in-wall cabling.
I have both flat and round CAT 5e cables, and there has been no noticeable differences between the two.

I first discovered this about a week or two ago (who knows how long prior this has been happening) when I had a Support Tech come out and fix some intermittent issues. He ended up replacing some cables in the cable box attached to my apartment building to solve the connection problem. When running tests to confirm the network was stable, he noticed that my PC wasn't getting the proper speeds. He tested link rates at each point, from the outdoor cable box through my router and there was no issues until it reached my PC. Currently, my layout is something like:
Building Cable Box>Apartment Unit>In-Wall Connection>Modem>Router>PC

 

[kanewolf]

I don't have direct knowledge of my current network status but last I was aware (explained below) I'm getting 200+.

I was asking to you verify the network status in Windows on your PC -- https://winaero.com/blog/see-the-ethernet-or-wifi-adapter-speed-in-windows-10/

Since you say you have in-wall cabling, that is the first place to start. Unscrew the ethernet jack from the wall and examine the wiring. Does it look like all 8 wires are connected? Troubleshooting in-wall wiring often requires a simple tester like this to troubleshoot -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CI9NRM/ You can verify that all 8 wires, all 8 are REQUIRED for gigabit speed, are connected.

 

[joesbeard]

I was asking to you verify the network status in Windows on your PC -- https://winaero.com/blog/see-the-ethernet-or-wifi-adapter-speed-in-windows-10/

Oh I see, yes theoretically it should support up to 1Gbps.

Also, if it was an in-wall issue, wouldn't my other devices be having the same download issues, and not just my PC?

 

[kanewolf]

Oh I see, yes theoretically it should support up to 1Gbps.

Also, if it was an in-wall issue, wouldn't my other devices be having the same download issues, and not just my PC?

It should support 1GE, you need to verify if it is operating at 1Gbit or 100Mbit.

 

[joesbeard]

It should support 1GE, you need to verify if it is operating at 1Gbit or 100Mbit.

And where can I verify that?

 

[kanewolf]

And where can I verify that?

That is the link I posted a couple back ...

 

[joesbeard]

That is the link I posted a couple back ...

If the "Ethernet Status" window is what you're referring to, then yes I have 1 Gbps, though it shows no IPv6 connectivity (not sure if that's relevant).

 

[joesbeard]

I think I've narrowed it down more. I tried manually installing my NIC Driver by download the Driver Only Installation for my system ( https://support.killernetworking.com/download/killer-drivers-installation-64bit/ ). However, when looking at my NIC driver properties after installation, I notice the driver version is still out of date, and the driver date is from September 2016 (even though the driver date from the website is December 2019).

 

[kanewolf]

If the "Ethernet Status" window is what you're referring to, then yes I have 1 Gbps, though it shows no IPv6 connectivity (not sure if that's relevant).

OK. If you have 1Gbit physical connectivity then the network adapter is not the limiting factor. Yeah, I think there is something about that Killer network hardware. I have never had that hardware so I don't have a lot of experience. Maybe searching for other Killer 2200 threads on this board would provide some help.

 

[joesbeard]

OK. If you have 1Gbit physical connectivity then the network adapter is not the limiting factor. Yeah, I think there is something about that Killer network hardware. I have never had that hardware so I don't have a lot of experience. Maybe searching for other Killer 2200 threads on this board would provide some help.

I looked at that thread and saw that their issue was different LAN port speeds on their router. Through my Router settings I can see that LAN Port 1 (PC) and LAN Port 2 (Xbox) are both getting full 1000M. Ports 3 and 4 are disconnected.

Out of curiosity, under "Speed & Duplex" in the Device Manager, should there be an option for 1000 Mbps Half/Full Duplex? I'm only seeing 10 Mbps Half/Full, 100 Mbps Half/Full, and Auto Negotiation.

 

[kanewolf]

Out of curiosity, under "Speed & Duplex" in the Device Manager, should there be an option for 1000 Mbps Half/Full Duplex? I'm only seeing 10 Mbps Half/Full, 100 Mbps Half/Full, and Auto Negotiation.

No. "Auto Negotiate" is the best option. Forcing port speeds on PCs usually results in problems.

Have you run through this troubleshooting guide -- https://support.killernetworking.com/knowledge-base/slow-network-speeds/

 

[joesbeard]

No. "Auto Negotiate" is the best option. Forcing port speeds on PCs usually results in problems.

Have you run through this troubleshooting guide -- https://support.killernetworking.com/knowledge-base/slow-network-speeds/

I've just attempted that guide to no avail, keep hitting a ceiling at 100 Mbps. I will follow directions at the bottom of the page though and reach out to the manufacturer.

Meanwhile, I've tried playing around with even more BIOS and other settings including:

• XMP
• LAN Port ROM
• Game Boost
• Reinstalling BIOS update (again)
• Installing Killer Network Manager (the program everyone else with my issue has problems with)
• Uninstalling Network Adapter all together
  • Tried installing an Intel driver instead, but was not supported
  • Also tried installing the driver in Safe-mode, but still not successful
• Played with other Advanced Ethernet Properties but no noticeable change

Could the Mobo LAN Port/Driver have CAT 5e compatibility issues? I don't see why it would, but I'm considering buying a CAT 7-2 pack on Amazon for like $7 so worst case scenario, I spend $7 for no improvements, but I future-proof myself a little.

 

[kanewolf]

Could the Mobo LAN Port/Driver have CAT 5e compatibility issues?

No. You eliminated that possibility by verifying that your network adapter is running at gigabit.
You could try booting into safe mode with networking or you could try a linux live CD. Those two steps can help "prove" that it is a software problem and not a hardware problem.

 

[joesbeard]

No. You eliminated that possibility by verifying that your network adapter is running at gigabit.
You could try booting into safe mode with networking or you could try a linux live CD. Those two steps can help "prove" that it is a software problem and not a hardware problem.

For another day, my friend. I've blown my entire day off of work trying to nail this, lol.

 

[Ketchup79]

What does a speed test give you on your S10?

 

[joesbeard]

What does a speed test give you on your S10?

I get 200+ Mbps on my phone, connected to the 5 GHz wi-fi.

 

[Third-Eye]

I get 200+ Mbps on my phone, connected to the 5 GHz wi-fi.

Can you confirm that you are connecting to your Netgear router and not the cable modem if it has Wi-Fi? If the cable modem is old enough, it could have a 100mb ethernet WAN port, but still have 5Ghz Wireless N 300Mb allowing for 200Mb over Wi-Fi only.

 

[joesbeard]

Can you confirm that you are connecting to your Netgear router and not the cable modem if it has Wi-Fi? If the cable modem is old enough, it could have a 100mb ethernet WAN port, but still have 5Ghz Wireless N 300Mb allowing for 200Mb over Wi-Fi only.

Yes, I am positive I'm connecting to my router (personally named it). I opted out of leasing a modem with wireless capabilities. Additionally, I can access my modem's IP and see that that there is no wireless option, and that full 1000 Mbps is provisioned and LAN enabled.

 

[joesbeard]

No. You eliminated that possibility by verifying that your network adapter is running at gigabit.
You could try booting into safe mode with networking or you could try a linux live CD. Those two steps can help "prove" that it is a software problem and not a hardware problem.

I'd spoken with a Killer Network support tech and they had me run a diagnostic and could tell that my driver was corrupted. They had me run a cleaning program a few times and reinstall the correct driver. It seems I was successful there, though I'm still only getting 100 down.

Also, you were right about the Ethernet cables, not that I didn't trust you or anything, but I just got a pair of CAT 7 cables, hooked them up modem to router, and router to PC. I've noticed a significant jump in network consistency, but not speed. Just thought to throw that out into the universe.

 

[joesbeard]

Hello once again, all.

After weeks of obsessive struggle and dealing tech support, I finally just gave my operating system a clean install and boom. Consistently getting 230+ Mbps now.

Yeet.