Gone are the days when you needed a specialist technician to set up a home network or a small office network. Thanks to vast improvements in Windows operating system over the years, configuring a 1 GB network usually only requires you to connect the LAN to a compatible router.

However, sometimes the speed of the Ethernet connection gets stuck at 100Mbps? If you are encountering this issue, don’t worry. In this post, we will show you how to resolve the problem.

What to do if Ethernet Connection Speed is Stuck at 100Mbps?

Several factors could limit the Ethernet connection speed. If your Ethernet connect is stuck at 100Mbps when you have a 1GB connection, here are a few solutions you should try these solutions before sending an SOS to your local technician.

Check the network cable

If previously your network speed worked at 1GB transfer rates and it suddenly dropped to 100MB, the network cable could be the culprit.

You might be wondering: How can I check if my network cable is faulty?

The answer is simple. Test the connection with a different network cable. If you are getting 1GB transfer rates with it, your present cable is faulty and you should get it replaced.

Check your network cable for any signs of damage. A damaged or bent cable can significantly reduce the transfer rates. Replacing a damaged cable will restore the network speed immediately.

If you have just set up the network connection but are getting lower than expected transfer rates, make sure the cable you are using is capable of transferring data at 1GB speed. The maximum network speed varies between network cables. For instance, a Cat-5 network cable only supports up to 100MB speed whereas a Cat-5e or Cat-6 network cable can provide up to 10GB transfers. For 1GB transfer rates, you should use a Cat-5e or a higher-rated network cable.

Troubleshoot the Network Configuration & Properties

In case there’s nothing wrong with the network cable, check the following:

• Network configuration
• Adapter properties
• Router settings

Any change to these settings could lead to a significant drop in transfer speed.

Using Windows Troubleshooter to Fix the Problem

Here are the steps to follow:

• Type control panel in the start search box and select the first result
• Change the control panel display to Small icons by clicking the Category drop down menu in the View by section

• Choose Network and Sharing Center from the listed applications

• The Network and Sharing Center shows the active network, troubleshoot problems, set up a new network connection, or change your adapter settings. Before you make changes to the device properties, it would be a good idea to run the Windows troubleshooter see whether it can resolve the problem
• Click Troubleshoot Problems in the Change Your Network Settings section
• Select Network Adapter

• Click Run the troubleshooter so that Windows can check the adapter’s configurations for any problems
• Select your Ethernet Adapter
• Click the Next button

Important: If the PC has only 1 network adapter, Windows troubleshooter is going to automatically run a check on it.

• Wait until Windows troubleshooter completes the its diagnosis check

• In case it identifies any issue, it will automatically recommend a solution. If no issue was detected, a message stating the same will appear on the screen
• In case the error is occurring due to a faulty or broken cable, the troubleshooter will give a message similar to the one listed below

Check Adapter Settings

In case Windows Troubleshooter fails to detect any issue, then first check the adapter’s speed settings.

• Open Network and Sharing Center
• Click Change adapter settings
• A list of adapters will appear; right-click the adapter you’re using
• Select Properties
• Click the Configure button
• Now Device Controller Properties window will open. Here you can check various things such as the status, find relevant information regarding the driver, and make changes to driver settings
• Click the Advanced tab to open device settings

Important: Don’t forget to check the Device Status to ensure it has no issues and is working properly

• In the Property section, select Speed & Duplex
• The Auto-Negotiation option in the Value section may trigger network performance issues with some Ethernet adapters. This setting lets your network adapter to adjust speed settings as per the LAN configuration to which you connect the PC. In case you regularly connect to different LAN networks with different transfer rates, it’s possible that the setting doesn’t changes to 1GB from 100MB while switching. Changing the Value manually to match the speed of LAN to which your PC is connected may fix the issue
• Click the OK button to save the changes. Now test the network performance. In case you don’t see the 1GB setting option even when you the rating should go up to 1GB, chances are you are using the wrong LAN adapter driver. Updating the driver will fix the issue

Update LAN Adapter Driver

Here are the steps to follow:

• Click the Driver tab in the Ethernet Properties window
• Click Driver details to view the relevant details about your device driver
• Click Update Driver
• Select the first option that appears on the next screen: “Search automatically for updated driver software”
• Windows will automatically look for the latest device drivers online. In case it finds a new driver, it will download and install it. In case your driver is up to date, it will state that no new drivers updates are available

Rather than updating the device drivers manually, consider using a reliable driver update tool such as DriverUpdater. It updates all outdated device drivers including LAN drivers with just a few clicks, ensuring you will not have to worry about performance issues with your LAN adapter.

 

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

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