There are routers designed to achieve speeds near 1Gbps per LAN Ethernet port.
There are routers designed to achieve speeds near 1Gbps per LAN Ethernet port.
It might be unnecessary to power on a full computer just to manage the internet split between your main system and the HTPC for web use.
That’s not the way it functions. The router performance NAT lets you assign the IP address your ISP gives to several devices. The challenge is ensuring there’s sufficient processing power for NAT at 1 Gbps. Check the WAN to LAN and LAN to WAN throughput of each router to see what speeds it can manage. If the number is close to a Gigabit rate, that device is suitable. Having Gigabit ports is essential because they’re needed to handle more than 100 Mbps. Ethernet ports are available in 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps. Therefore, if your speed exceeds 100 Mbps, the router should have Gigabit or higher ports. Many consumer routers also include built-in Gigabit switches.
And where exactly can I locate that information? It isn't clearly mentioned in the router's technical documentation yet. However, if you're mainly using it for a smaller HTPC to browse the web while another device handles heavier tasks, the performance boost from the HTPC browsing capability is probably limited. The speed of the more powerful machine won't be significantly affected by what the HTPC uses for simple browsing.
Smallnetworkbuilder.com shares some findings from their testing. Most router makers don’t list this detail in their product sheets. You usually need to look closely in those documents to find it. This is one reason why Gigabit connections are popular—people often build a dedicated PF-Sense box. The speed you receive is 1 Gbps, which is shared among all connected devices. Your ISP provides a connection that could range from 200 Mbps to 2 Gbps, but all your gadgets use the same link. This means other users on your network can affect your internet performance. For instance, if your ISP only allows 10 Mbps upload, heavy usage by family members during video calls could slow down your online gaming. With fiber connections, speeds are usually more balanced, but the router still needs sufficient power to handle NAT at the full speed you pay for.
I'm reviewing the specifications on Ubiquiti's website for the Edgerouter X. It lists the SoC CPU as MediaTek MT7621A. According to Mediatek's page, this chip supports 2Gbps routing. Based on that, it should handle roughly 1Gbps on a LAN port when bandwidth isn't heavily used, especially for basic web browsing.
You need to grasp the basics. Irrespective of the number of LAN ports, most routers come with a built-in switch supporting 1 Gbps speeds, enabling local transfers at gigabit rates. Ultimately, your ISP provides a 1 Gbps connection, but this applies to all devices in your home simultaneously. They're all connected through the same internet stream. NAT happens only when data leaves or enters the internet. Your router links you to two networks: one for your private home use and another to your ISP. If they advertise 2 Gbps, it should suffice for your needs. Be aware that advanced functions like deep packet inspection or VPNs can strain the processor, potentially reducing speeds if enabled. For simple browsing and basic tasks, a standard connection should perform adequately.
What exactly is your purpose here? Your ISP typically supplies both modem and router—especially for gigabit connections, which most people don’t have the hardware for. Still, it’s important to know your needs. It seems unclear why you’d want everything on a single fast LAN. Why would you pay for premium service just to rely on mobile data when you’re at home? Shouldn’t you use Wi-Fi instead? If there’s a specific reason, we can offer guidance or solutions. From what you said, it sounds like you only have one connection, and all devices share that bandwidth. So your HTPC will limit the overall speed, even though many sites can’t deliver content at gigabit rates anyway. Streaming, gaming, or browsing doesn’t require that much power, so it’s mainly about understanding your situation better.
@Donut417 Got it, I understand the challenge. The 2Gbps limit is due to the router’s internal handling—IPv4/6 routing, NAT, and QoS settings. I’m not planning deep packet inspection or complex configurations often. My goal is simple: let two devices connect to the internet, with one for basic browsing only. The Ubiquiti Edgerouter X looks suitable for this task. Unless someone has a better idea, that’s why I started this discussion.