Connection at 100 Mbps is secured.
Connection at 100 Mbps is secured.
Hello, I purchased the mentioned LAN cable from Amazon. Now I'm facing an issue where my computer locks the network speed to 100 Mbps. The drivers are up to date, and I've tested it on another PC as well. The product description mentions a CAT8 cable, so I assumed it shouldn't be the problem. However, using my Gigabyte Z 790 Aourus ELITE Ax and a different cable with another PC, I achieved speeds of 150 Mbps. It seems the cable might have been damaged during installation or there could be another explanation. The cable is completely new, and I also had a 150 Mbps connection previously. I've checked speedtest.net for confirmation.
Navigate to Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network Connections, locate your adapter (it should display something like Realtek 2.5 GbE family controller). Click right-click for Status and verify Connection-Speed, which shows your physical link speed over the cable. For gigabit Ethernet it should read 1 Gbps (remember: even though the motherboard has a 2.5 GbE controller, the FritzBox only supports Gigabit ports). Online tests via sites like Speedtest.net reflect your subscription speed but not the actual LAN performance. Also, you likely don’t need an expensive Cat 8 cable; a budget Cat 6 or even a shorter Cat 5e can achieve 2.5 GbE at home.
Most inexpensive, generic "CAT 8" cables are misleading about their compliance. Cat6 is sufficient for home use and will remain so for a long time. Verify the cable contains all eight wires. 10/100 Ethernet requires just two pairs (four wires), while Gigabit needs all eight and must meet standards. Depending on your network gear, stability might drop to 100 or 10 megabits per second. Have you considered another cable for comparison? Any Cat5e or Cat6 connection will provide a Gigabit link as long as your other devices are compatible. Ensure the switch, router, or extender doesn’t reach its 100 meg limit.