The switch isn't providing fast performance.
The switch isn't providing fast performance.
Hello. I purchased a switch to connect my TV and PC in the same room to my home router. The model is TP-Link TL-SG105E, which claims support for speeds up to 1000 Mbps. My ISP only provides 500 Mbps, but it should be sufficient for streaming 4K content to a smart TV. The switch appears to restrict output speeds. Each of its five ports has an LED indicating the speed: green means 1000 Mbps and yellow means 10/100 Mbps. Port 1 is connected to the router (green), while the ports for the TV and PC are yellow. This status remains unchanged. My main PC connects directly to the router and sometimes exceeds 500 Mbps. However, when I run a speed test through the switch using the secondary PC, the speed seems limited to just 10 Mbps. I suspect the issue isn’t with the cables—both are CAT5—and the connections are solid. It might be that the switch’s settings are misconfigured. I’m unsure what to check next.
It's not what you think—it's an intelligent switch. It can be adjusted through software settings. @HeLiOn - Are you using CAT5 or CAT5e? Consider testing another cable between the switch and your PC. Additionally, could you confirm the speed and duplex configuration for the ports in the admin panel?
Question clear. The apartment wiring includes CAT5e, which supports 1Gbps. I missed that detail earlier. I've tested several cables already. The last one I used between the router and TV is still working perfectly. I even photographed the switch with it plugged in. It's a gigabit cable, and the LED remains yellow. You'll need to be more precise with that connection. My port settings panel currently shows: With the cable connected as shown in the picture above. Edit: Now I can confirm the speed is actually limited to 10 Mbps. I checked the monitoring page, removed an unused cable, and ran a test—no issues detected.
These lights show connection speed, not transfer rate. Indeed, that’s the issue—they only indicate how fast the link can be established. Most TVs have just a few ports at 10/100, which matches typical Wi-Fi capabilities. Verify your TV’s specs; if it supports 100Mb, it should work fine. Your PC is likely using a 10/100 port. Open Device Manager, right-click your network adapter and check the duplex settings. Ensure they’re set to 10/100/1000. If possible, change them manually to 1000 and observe the results. Also confirm it’s operating in full duplex mode.
The PC is relatively old and its adapter only supports up to 100Mbps. Although I don’t need those high speeds for the system, the duplex was left in auto mode and manually set to 100 full. The test outcomes remain unchanged, and the monitor panel still displays the same connection rates. My TV is linked via a 5 GHz network. I can’t locate the exact specifications for its adapter, but I’ll assume it’s around 100Mb, considering 4K content uses less than 30 Mbps. If you have more details, my TV appears to be an LG E9 55. The wireless link works perfectly. I prefer minimizing strain on the router’s wireless component.
I checked my laptop's connection using the TV cable that came with the switch. It showed a green LED and a 1000 Mpbs speed without any problems. However, when I switched to the same cable for the TV, the connection dropped to just 10 Mbps, which isn't sufficient for smooth streaming on Netflix or my home Plex server. I tried three different cables and still faced the same issue. It seems the PC struggles with speeds above 10 Mbps, but direct router connection works perfectly. What could be missing?