Question Speedtest showing 300/300MB but I only get maximum 20MB while downloading, even with cable

[Michal1012]

So we just upgraded to fiber internet with 300/300MBs speed. I bought a CAT6 ethernet cable with up to 1000MBs speed for my PC. When I connected my PC to the router, I only got a maximum of 20MBs while downloading games or updates, while speedtest showed me that my speed is around 300. Is there any way to fix this?

 

[DeauteratedDog]

Any chance that you confusing MegaBITS per Second and MegaBYTES per Second?
Speedtest sites generally report in megabits and file transfers are generally reported in megabytes.

 

[CountMike]

So we just upgraded to fiber internet with 300/300MBs speed. I bought a CAT6 ethernet cable with up to 1000MBs speed for my PC. When I connected my PC to the router, I only got a maximum of 20MBs while downloading games or updates, while speedtest showed me that my speed is around 300. Is there any way to fix this?

Well, a lot of it depends where you are downloading from, not all places can send very fast.

 

[USAFRet]

So we just upgraded to fiber internet with 300/300MBs speed. I bought a CAT6 ethernet cable with up to 1000MBs speed for my PC. When I connected my PC to the router, I only got a maximum of 20MBs while downloading games or updates, while speedtest showed me that my speed is around 300. Is there any way to fix this?

Downloading from where?
If Steam, that reports in megabytes. Your ISP and speedtest report in megabits.
Approx 8:1.

So, 20megabytes from Steam = 160megabits from your ISP.
And then there is the general concept that Steam (or wherever) cannot supply the full pipe at your end to everyone on the planet at the same time. You only get whatever they can deliver at that moment.


If you are paying your ISP for 300 megabits/sec, and speedtest is showing you 300 megabits/sec...there is nothing to "fix".

 

[junglist724]

So we just upgraded to fiber internet with 300/300MBs speed. I bought a CAT6 ethernet cable with up to 1000MBs speed for my PC. When I connected my PC to the router, I only got a maximum of 20MBs while downloading games or updates, while speedtest showed me that my speed is around 300. Is there any way to fix this?

Capital B is Bytes, lower case b is bits. 1 Byte = 8 bits.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Capital B is Bytes, lower case b is bits. 1 Byte = 8 bits.

Let's not get into nibbles either

 

[hftvhftv]

Divide the Speedtest.net Mb/s score by 8 to get your MB/s

 

[Michal1012]

Any chance that you confusing MegaBITS per Second and MegaBYTES per Second?
Speedtest sites generally report in megabits and file transfers are generally reported in megabytes.

Im most likely confusing it. Can you explain the difference?

 

[Michal1012]

Well, a lot of it depends where you are downloading from, not all places can send very fast.

I was downloading from steam and origin. Both were downloading at about 20MBs

 

[Michal1012]

Downloading from where?
If Steam, that reports in megabytes. Your ISP and speedtest report in megabits.
Approx 8:1.

So, 20megabytes from Steam = 160megabits from your ISP.
And then there is the general concept that Steam (or wherever) cannot supply the full pipe at your end to everyone on the planet at the same time. You only get whatever they can deliver at that moment.


If you are paying your ISP for 300 megabits/sec, and speedtest is showing you 300 megabits/sec...there is nothing to "fix".

Ok, so that means that there is nothing wrong with my internet/cable/pc, it's just that I won't be supplied with the fastest download speed at all times

 

[USAFRet]

Im most likely confusing it. Can you explain the difference?

The number you see in Steam is in megaBytes.
The number you get from your ISP is in megabits.

8 bits to a byte, so approx 8:1 at absolute max performance.
300 megabits/sec (your ISP) would equate to ~37 megaBytes/sec (Steam).

Simply a difference in reporting units.

Your car tops out at 100mph, your friends car tops out at 160kph. Who has the faster car?

Your download from Steam at 20 megabytes/sec simply means that Steam does not have an unlimited size pipe that can serve everyone on the planet at their personal max speed, all the time.
You have to share.

 

[USAFRet]

And getting a fat pipe from your ISP is not just for a single uber fast download from Steam.

It is so that you can download from Steam, and Origin, and a Linux distro, and your spouse can be watching youtube, and your brother in law can be streaming a soccer game, and your sister can be watching a movie...all at the same time.