Forum Discussion
Ethernet cable slowing down connection
I have a work-issued Dell laptop that I am currently using over WIFI. It's recommended to connect directly to the modem for the fastest speeds, but that is causing the connection to slow down considerably. I have tested the connection several times on WIFI and with an ethernet cable using the speed test recommended by Hughesnet (testmy.net). The difference is a loss of about 20 Mbps on download and 2 on upload with the ethernet connection.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. First, I tried with a Cat 5e cable and then bought a Cat 6, thinking that upgrade would clear up the bottleneck, but it had no effect. Did I get the wrong cable or...? (Cable is Cat6 Patch Cable with RJ45 connectors.) I would appreciate some guidance because I have no idea what to do next.
10 Replies
Thanks for responding. I will look at the Device Manager on the laptop and see if anything can be updated. I think updates are automatic, as you said. I looked at it on my own laptop and didn't see anything possible to change. I right-clicked on Network adapters and nothing came up that offered any actions to take other than scanning hardware or looking at properties.
Not sure what happened with the cable. The Cat6 seems to be doing its job in connecting me to the internet though not with greater speeds. I did some tests where the speeds seemed normal, and I will try to run tests every day when I connect the laptop to start working. Unfortunately, I am scheduled to work evenings, from 5-9pm EST. It's possible that I could switch to mornings, but as I mentioned, there is no way around the VPN. I was very concerned about that during training, as connecting to VPN was in the first steps to accessing the work space.
I did that yesterday, not very helpful. There were misunderstandings due to language barriers, and I got frustrated. All we accomplished was renaming the 2G and 5G networks. I recently upgraded to the next-gen Hughesnet and all the networks had the same name. I had already gone to the control panel and seen that (switched to 5G since my computer is in the same room as modem), but I didn't realize I could or had to rename them. The install tech didn't mention that.
I was having trouble getting tech support to understand that I wanted to troubleshoot the ethernet connection, possibly check advanced settings. The agent kept focusing on other things like my phone and other devices on the network (none were connected, on purpose). The call was disconnected several times and I gave up. I'll have to try later when I have time.
I hope that maybe Damian or Remy see your post and get involved in the case. They may have ideas about what to do next, or whether your case needs to be escalated, or something.
I didn't know we had to rename the two channels...Not sure why that would be necessary, either.
I think the phone techs may have to go through a fixed protocol, but yes, it's very frustrating when this happens. Hopefully you'll get help from the HN reps on this site and your issue will be resolved quickly.
Yes, very frustrating, especially when my ability to work remotely depends on it. I am required to work on that Dell laptop (something else I was trying to explain that didn't seem to get across). The laptop has VPN installed that I HAVE to use to access the platforms I work in. Internet requirements are at least 25 Mbps download and 5 upload, and I cannot work in a library, cafe, etc., on a shared network.
The ethernet issue is related to a general issue, which is that upload speeds are still pretty dang slow. I also tried to explain--or stress, actually in various terms--to the rep who helped me upgrade that I needed a minimum speed of 5 Mbps upload. She said that it did. I kept saying "it needs to be a minimum, at least, no less than." Yes, yes, yes, ok...
I don't understand because the download speed is significantly faster, but I'm below 5, sometimes above (about 6.5 the fastest so far) on upload. Meanwhile average upload speeds in my city are about 20 Mbps. Yesterday, I did a download test and got 2.1 (wth?!?) Just now it's 91.6 download but only 3.7 upload.
The ethernet seems to have a negligible effect, disappointingly. I thought the solution was that I needed to upgrade the cable from 5e to 6 or higher, so a rushed to buy one.
You may want to call the 800 number about this. They're available 24/7. I hope your issue gets resolved.
