Solved WiFi faster than Ethernet?

I recently upgraded to FTTP (300Mbps). I’ve noticed that on my laptop WiFi up/down load speed is a lot faster than Ethernet speeds.
Ethernet: approx 100 up & down
WiFi: 175 down. 330 up
I would have expected the opposite.
Why might this be?

It may be your NIC has you limited, or perhaps a bad ethernet cable.

Best of luck.

It may depend upon your Router. Ethernet and Wireless/Wi-Fi don't determine the speed of the Internet, only between computer and the Router/Modem. The type of Ethernet cables are also a factor, longer the distance the better the cables need to be. For Wireless/Wi-Fi the distance is a factor and what is between the computer and the Router such as walls, insulation in the walls, lead paint on the walls [old buildings], anything that can affect radio signals. Bluetooth is a type of wireless but short range, used with keyboards, mice, headsets, etc. Also involved with Wireless is the type of signal, 2G or 5G with 5G being faster.

The laptop is about 3 feet away from the router & the Ethernet cable is a new 3 meter cat 6.

The wired adapter in the computer should be Gigabit-rated as well as the Router. The adapters in my 2-year-old Notebook:

To post a screenshot on this forum...
1. Take the screenshot, edit it as desired, save to your desktop as .png or .jpg (max. size = 2MB)
2. Left click in your post, where you want to place the screenshot.
3. Click the Attach Files button at lower left, browse to your pic and click Insert.
4. After clicking Insert, I usually choose the Thumbnail (smaller) option, or the Full Image (larger) option.

@FrankS

Unless I'm missing something, it appears to be your NIC (Network Interface Card).

Inspiron 5593 ~ NIC 10/100

Here’s mine

WXC said:

@FrankS

Unless I'm missing something, it appears to be your NIC (Network Interface Card).

Inspiron 5593 ~ NIC 10/100


View attachment 86658

Click to expand...

What are you saying? That the NIC is not up to the task?

FrankS said:

Here’s mine

Click to expand...

Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller, is an FE (Fast Ethernet 100Mbps) controller.
So the maximum Ethernet speed you will get is... 100Mbps



My motherboard has two Ethernet controllers, and no wireless. Both are rated at 1000Mbps (Gigabit speeds).
I use the Intel controller... I have a 300/300 connection.

And I get that speed, because my Ethernet controller is that speed or faster...

FrankS said:

What are you saying? That the NIC is not up to the task?

Click to expand...

Yes.

You are limited to 100Mbps.

Wishing you well.

Ah, well that's a disappointment. Luckily the WiFi is up to speed & I guess that's one less cable.
Thanks for help.

FrankS said:

Ah, well that's a disappointment. Luckily the WiFi is up to speed & I guess that's one less cable.
Thanks for help.

Click to expand...

FrankS said:

Ah, well that's a disappointment. Luckily the WiFi is up to speed & I guess that's one less cable.
Thanks for help.

Click to expand...

They do make things like this... sort of an external NIC

Gigabit Ethernet to USB adapter





And it seems your laptop has... Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (they will support 5Gbps)
So this little thing should be able to give you your 300Mbps speed over Ethernet.

That's interesting & doesn't cost much at all. I may invest in one of those. Although since I'll only use ethernet when relatively close to the router & since WiFi is up to speed anyhow perhaps that'd be superfluous.
Thanks for your help.

FrankS said:

That's interesting & doesn't cost much at all. I may invest in one of those. Although since I'll only use ethernet when relatively close to the router & since WiFi is up to speed anyhow perhaps that'd be superfluous.
Thanks for your help.

Click to expand...

A CAT6 cable should operate at full speed up to 328 ft. in length. In case that matters.


50 foot CAT6 cable

100 foot CAT6 cable <---- will reach out to the BBQ.

200 foot CAT6 cable <---- will reach the neighbor's BBQ.

My Dell Laptop is the same, 100Mbps.

Ghot said:

Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller, is an FE (Fast Ethernet 100Mbps) controller.
So the maximum Ethernet speed you will get is... 100Mbps

Click to expand...

My Dell laptop is the same, it's faster on WiFi...over 400 Mbps on WiFi.

Ghot said:

They do make things like this... sort of an external NIC

Gigabit Ethernet to USB adapter


View attachment 86661

Click to expand...

That's interesting, thanks!

RD Mercer said:

My Dell Laptop is the same, 100Mbps.

My Dell laptop is the same, it's faster on WiFi...over 400 Mbps on WiFi.

Click to expand...

I think the manufacturers probably thought... "on a laptop, they're gonna use WiFi, so let's use up all those old FE (100 Mbps), controllers on this batch".

Ghot said:

A CAT6 cable should operate at full speed up to 328 ft. in length. In case that matters.


50 foot CAT6 cable

100 foot CAT6 cable <---- will reach out to the BBQ.

200 foot CAT6 cable <---- will reach the neighbor's BBQ.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that would work but a Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter, USB to RJ45 would be neater & cheaper for my purposes.
Thanks anyway.

​