Connecting to a 100 Mbps LAN port can boost speeds to around 500 Mbps.
Connecting to a 100 Mbps LAN port can boost speeds to around 500 Mbps.
Hi, I'm new to network gear and have noticed my internet speed drops to almost nothing when downloading games via Steam. It improves when I pause the download. My main question is: does my port only allow up to 100 Mbps? That’s why it can’t handle more traffic. Is this normal? If so, could a PCIe LAN card help? Thanks! Hardware Realtek RTL8111H - Asus B450 motherboard
Your connection can handle up to 1 Gbps, but this doesn't guarantee your cable or router's capabilities. Could you share the router/switch model and confirm if your cable lists Cat 5E or Cat 6? Having an extra cable would help verify the speed.
Your system uses a motherboard with Gigabit Ethernet capability, while the router may lack this feature. Identify the specific router brand and model you're using. Also, list the network switch models connected to the router and your computer for compatibility checks.
You can boost your download speed to 490Mb/sec in the Steam client if you're using a USB connection through Steam. This would free up bandwidth for the browser, videos, and other tasks, assuming the CPU isn't the bottleneck. Downloading games at 500Mb/sec is challenging, often constrained by CPU performance before network limits take over. For instance, on my 7950x3D it can exceed 850Mb/sec, but on my 4790k it caps around 300Mb/sec due to full CPU usage. The game installation process is very demanding, using a lot of CPU and sometimes restricting other applications.
I often use a simple network flow analogy to clarify traffic patterns: Picture a firefighter hose representing the internet connection. When everything is running smoothly, data packets flowing into the wall are like the hose releasing water under high pressure (the download). Now add a small water pistol shooting at that same stream—it won’t join the flow; it’ll just bounce off. In reality, because the main stream carries most of the power, the small addition from the pistol doesn’t make much impact. This isn’t an exact match, but it helps visualize how limited additional traffic can be when a dominant flow is present. If you search for "gooogle.com" or similar terms, you might notice the stream opens slightly to accommodate other traffic. Cheers for the creative way of thinking! =)
Thanks! We're on Cat 5e too. My roommate and I share the same router and LAN cable. He's getting 500 Mbps, but we're only managing around 90-99 Mbps.
Click the network icon at the bottom right, navigate to Network and Internet Settings, and select "Properties" for your Ethernet connection. The displayed "Link Speed" indicates what Windows considers the cable's capability. Also, consider exchanging cables with your roommate; over time, a cable may degrade, and damaged internal wires in a Cat 5E cable often revert to 100Mbps since the standard only requires half the wiring.