Ethernet is known as the family of wired computer networking technologies for connecting devices in a wired local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN).
AIt helps devices to communicate with each other through a protocol- a set of rules or familiar network language. Ethernet enables transferring and receiving of data through cables hence, this eases the network communication between two or more different types of network cables.
Unlike WiFi, Ethernet relies on cables to transmit data and is a medium that allows computers (from servers to laptops) to communicate over wired networks using devices such as routers, switches and hubs to the direct traffic.
Ethernet works smoothly with wireless protocols as well and can work within almost any domain eventually leading to its adoption around the world.Â
How to Check Ethernet card speed?
The Ethernet card speed plays an crucial role in determining how fast your internet connection is. Because some users need to determine the speed for their purpose such as Streaming online.
Some operations need more speed so you have to find the speed of the Ethernet card to decide about upgrading the hardware. There are several methods to check your Ethernet card speed, However we have found 4 Easiest way to find.
Method 1: Check network card speed in your Windows Settings
- Go to Start then head to Settings to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Network & Internet.
- Hit the Status option on the left panel and then click View your network properties on the right panel.
- In the right window, click View your network properties link under Change your network settings option.
- Then click on the network adapter, the Ethernet or WiFi, and find the speed next to the Link speed (Receive/Transmit) option.
Method 2: Check network adapter speed using Control Panel
- Press Windows Key + R and type the control panel. Select OK to open the Control Panel in settings.
- Choose Network and Internet and then select Network and Sharing Center option.
- Click on the option Change adapter settings in the panel on your left.
- Choose the network adapter– your Ethernet or WiFi.
- Select the Speed value option on the Status window, which is your network card speed.
- You can also confirm the signal quality.
Method 3: Check network adapter speed using Command Prompt
- Select Start in the windows panel on the left.
- Then search for Command Prompt
- Type the following to check the connection speed and then press Enter: wmic nic where netEnabled=true get name, speed
- The network adapter speed will display on your screen.
- Once all steps are performed, you’ll be able to derive the speed the card is using to connect to the network.
Method 4: Check network adapter speed using PowerShell
- Press Windows + X on the device’s keyboard.
- Then select Windows PowerShell (Admin) to open PowerShell in Windows 10
-  Type the following to check the connection speed for all the Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapters and press Enter: Get-NetAdapter | select interface description, name, status, linkSpeed
- Your Ethernet and WiFi adapter’s name, status, and speed will appear on your screen.
- Finally, determine the WiFi or Ethernet network card connection speed.
How can I make my Ethernet speed faster?
-  Restart your computer. Simply by hitting the restart button in the Start menu, the computer usually fixes a lot of connection problems if they aren’t complex.
- Make sure both ends of your Ethernet cable are plugged in properly without any kinks as any physical disturbance can also affect the connection speed.
- If you want a faster Ethernet speed, please ensure that the cable isn’t too long and that it doesn’t have any kinks. If your tabs keep buffering and take too long to open, shifting to a shorter one such as a 30’ cable will help increase your connection speed.
- Click on the start button on the lower left panel of your computer. Then select the Internet Connections icon. Then click on the Ethernet adapter and choose Properties.
- Hit the Configure Button and go to the Link Speed & Duplex option. Adjust the settings in the Value list to see the highest network speed produced. Mostly, Auto Detect is best suitable, because Windows will automatically detect the speed and duplex of your Ethernet network.
- One of the easiest fixes for Ethernet connection speed is resetting your network adapter. At times, your adapter will bug out your incoming Ethernet connection.Â
- Press Windows Key + I, then click Network & Internet. Choose Change your network settings and select Change adapter options.
Read: How to check Ethernet Card is working or not?
Do Ethernet cards affect internet speed?
Since the Ethernet card is wireless, the speed of the internet is expected to be slower than in a wired Ethernet connection.
Only the wireless AC has a speed faster than 100 Mbps – the maximum speed for a non-gigabit network port.
The usual range of ISP speed is from 4 Mbps to 50 Mbps but the computer must send commands to your router first before the data gets sent to the Internet, the data must be sent as fast as possible without unnecessary delay.
It’s worth upgrading to either N or AC from an A/B/G router. Plenty of devices like all Apple computers and Samsung mobile phones already have a wireless AC built in.
Although connecting directly via cable will give you the fastest possible speed without having to upgrade your network card if it’s a gigabit port, but to achieve higher speeds it’s better to upgrade to a faster network card eventually if you download large files, stream media, or perform other network-intensive tasks.
Do Ethernet cable brands matter?
Ethernet is both a wired and a wireless network. In a wired network, several types of cables are used which differ in terms of performance because of their quality.
The difference isn’t much from brand to brand, while the quality differs since there are various types of Ethernet cables. It’s better to select both the brand and type of cable precisely for better connection speed.
Originally, Ethernet started working with coaxial cable which is heavy, delicate to work with, and is not very flexible or costly. Twisted-pair cables substituted them.
A slightly better and improved version of Ethernet cable called Category 5e is used today for faster Ethernet applications as well. These cables are targeted at 100Mb/sec Ethernet, but their design also lets them support higher speeds, such as Gigabit Ethernet.
Cat6 cabling are an improved version from Cat5e and includes some changes for the better like certain specifications that help to reduce interference, with capability of running at 10-gigabit speeds under ideal circumstances.
CAT5E/CAT6 cables should be made from copper. Some batches use Copper clad (CCA/CCU) wiring. For longer cables though, this is not advisable. You will get transmission problems. Wires can be up to 100 meters, but if substandard cables are used, you may face performance problems.
Final thoughts:
Thinking of using an Ethernet connection at your home? Good choice since it’s easy to set up and offers a greater degree of network security and control than wireless technology because devices are connected using physical cabling. Hence, making it difficult for outsiders to access network data or hijack bandwidth for unauthorized devices.
