Your laptop offers quicker internet connections compared to your desktop.
Your laptop offers quicker internet connections compared to your desktop.
Hi, I’ve been running some tests and noticed my computer’s download speeds have dropped to around 100-120 Mbps. When I pay for a 300 Mbps plan, I get close to the advertised rate, but on my MacBook Pro 2012 with the same cables, I’m consistently hitting 300+ Mbps over Ethernet. Switching back to my desktop brings the speeds back down. I’ve updated the drivers, and everything seems fine—my motherboard is an Asus B350-ITX, CPU is a Ryzen 7 1700 with 16 GB RAM, etc. Windows 10 says my Ethernet speed is 1.0 Gbps, but the actual speeds are lower than expected. In a Blizzard download, I’m seeing about 14-15 Mbps download, which isn’t unusual. Thanks for your help!
Blizzard download stats show readings in MB/s instead of Mb/s, so adjust your understanding accordingly (1 B equals 8 b). File transfers also face server constraints, meaning some platforms and sites may not exceed a specific rate, affecting how much bandwidth you actually use.
I understand Blizzard uploads in MB/s (110 mbps equals 13.75MB/s). My laptop can handle the full 300+mbps on speedtest easily. I can download at around 40MB/s from other services. I managed this before a few weeks ago on my desktop too, just like my laptop. Now it seems I’m capped at 120MBps even though everything is identical—same cable, same time, same number of users.
Certain antiviruses and additional applications include firewalls and filters that may hinder file transfers. Verify there isn't a default Microsoft Ethernet driver installed; visit your motherboard's website to obtain the correct driver for your network card. Be aware that differences between PC and Mac can affect download methods—Blizzard might use regular HTTP on Mac but Torrent or another approach on PC, or PC download servers could be more congested.