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nottstrekkie's avatar
nottstrekkie
Tutor
Dec 14, 2022

RBR750 Ethernet ports limited to 100Mbps?

All three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports on my Orbi router seem to be limited to 100Mbps, despite apparently auto-negotiating a 1Gbps connection to the other device.  The uplink to my ISP's router appears to be OK, as Ookla speed tests run from the Orbi's web interface show expected upload and download speeds.  Wireless connectivity to the Orbi satellite indicates no issues with download or upload speeds.

For background, I have a SamKnows Whitebox connected to my Orbi router, and until approximately 25th October 2022 my download speed was consistently around the 350Mbps I'm expecting to receive.  However, the download speed then suddenly dropped to 90-100Mbps.  I hadn't realised the wired download speed had dropped until reviewing my SamKnows monthly report cards for October and November.

There were no changes to my network configuration around 25th October so I have no idea why the wired download speed has suddenly dropped.  Changing the network cable and rebooting the equipment (Orbi, WhiteBox and ISP router) doesn't appear to have made any difference.

SamKnows technical support suggested switching the WhiteBox off for two minutes in order to reset it and renegotiate the connection speed.  They also suggested connecting a laptop to the Orbi router using the same Ethernet cable & port on the Orbi (with the laptop's WiFi disabled) and running speed tests from the laptop to confirm the connection and download speeds.  Even though the adapter properties confirm that a 1Gbps connection has been auto-negotiated, speed tests on two different sites still appear to be limited to 100Mbps?

I'm thinking of resetting the Orbi to factory settings to see if this resolves the problem.  Has anyone else had a situation where WiFi download speeds are OK but wired connection speeds appear to be throttled to 100Mbps?  If so, how did you resolve the issue, please?

5 Replies

  • CrimpOn's avatar
    CrimpOn
    Guru
    Dec 14, 2022

    Thanks for introducing the Whitebox to the forum.  Had never heard of this gizmo before. (lead a sheltered life) The web site certainly obscures how people get one.

     

    Most unusual:

    • The router Advanced Tab home page, Show Statistics box shows the Ethernet connection as 1000/Full, and
    • The WhiteBox (or laptop) network information also shows the Ethernet connection as 1000/Full, yet
    • The actual transmission is suspiciously "just under" 100mbs which is a clear sign of the link being negotiated at 100/Full.
    • This happens on all four Ethernet ports and with different cables.

    I would have advised the same test: plug the cable going into the WhiteBox into a laptop, which would seem to rule out the cable and the connection at the router end.  Gigabit ethernet requires all four pairs of wire, while Fast Ethernet (100mbs) requires only two pairs.  (20 years ago it was a common trick to 'split' one Ethernet jack into two lines and use all four pairs.  Can't be done with Gig Etherent.)

     

    If you have additional equipment (dektop or another laptop), I like to do an iPerf3 test between two Ethernet ports. https://iperf.fr  On my ancient RBR50, iPerf3 will consistently reach about 950mbs, which is the practical limit for a gigabit connection.

     

    Since the Orbi router is connected to an ISP router, another test would be to connect the WhiteBox (or the laptop) directly to the ISP router.

    • nottstrekkie's avatar
      nottstrekkie
      Tutor
      Dec 15, 2022

      Hi CrimpOn

       

      Thanks for your reply.

       

      Shortly after posting my question I decided to reset the Orbi system to factory settings, just in case a hidden/obscure setting had become corrupted or something along those lines.  Long story short, it hasn't made any difference.

       

      I could connect the WhiteBox or laptop to my ISP's router, but given that the Orbi router itself is receiving the correct download speed - as are my devices connected wirelessly to the Orbi - all that would confirm is that the connection between the ISP's router and the Orbi is OK, which I'm confident is the case anyway.

      I could understand both the WhiteBox and my laptop being limited to a 100Mbps maximum download if that was the negotiated speed of the connection, but it isn't.  Part of me wonders if I need a brand new Ethernet cable, rather than swapping between my existing cables, but my current stock of cables is only a few years old and don't tend to be disturbed much.  I think it's unlikely that both the cable which had connected the Whitebox to the Orbi and the spare I swapped it with could be faulty.  That being said, I'm running out of ideas for things to swap/try/change!

       

      With regards to the WhiteBox, have you read both What are the benefits of being a volunteer? - SamKnows Help Centre and How do I signup and receive a Whitebox? - SamKnows Help Centre for more information?

      • CrimpOn's avatar
        CrimpOn
        Guru
        Dec 15, 2022

        Sounds like a good case for a warranty claim, provided that the router is less than one year old (sigh).

        The only thing to be gained by connecting the WhiteBox to the ISP router would be to completely nail down "it's NOT the WhiteBox." (or the laptop, either)

         

        Yes, I did find "How can I join up?"  My guess is that Spectrum is heavily covered already and there's not much chance in them wanting more data.  Such a cool idea!