Gigabit Ethernet speed drops to 11MB instead of 60 MB when copying files between PCs

[holygamer]

I've got a TP-Link TL-SG1016D 16-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch and I'm using Duronic 2m CAT6 FTP cables everywhere. My 200 Mbps homeplug is connected to the switch and my PC and I have another homeplug connected to my BT Home Hub fibre router.

My satellite box has a gigabit ethernet connection as does my PC. When I FTP files from my box onto my PC I usually get around 50 MB/s transfer speed. However after a couple of weeks the speed always drops to 11 MB/s which is Ethernet not Gigabit Ethernet speeds. I don't understand why that happens. All the components I use have high ratings on Amazon. The cables click into place and I've made sure they're secure. I haven't knocked the cables out of place or anything - the cables never move. I can power off my PC and satellite box, etc then turn them back on but it makes no difference to the speed. Yet when I unplug and reconnect them again the speed goes back to 50 MB/s. I would like to find a way to keep it at that speed without having to reconnect them every 2 weeks.

When the speed is 11MB/s I checked speedtest.net and I'm still getting 48 Mbps download and 19 Mbps upload speed. Not sure if that's a good test or not as that equates to 5MB/s so presumable standard ethernet could handle that anyway.

[MaverickWill]

What sort of files are you copying over? Small files will copy over the network much slower than large files. Try copying a single file (not folder) >5GB over the network and see if the file speed is still only 11MB/s.

Another point to possibly consider - file copy speeds are dependant on the source and destination computers as well as the network. If the hard drive on either computer is being accessed at the same time as the file transfer, it'll slow down.

[holygamer]

10GB HD files - it's not the file size that's the problem.

I have a data drive just for copying files over from my box to my PC. Nothing else is accessing the drive.

[Splash]

What's the storage that you're copying to?

[holygamer]

240 GB SATA III SSD from my satellite box via FTP to a SATA III 4TB hard drive inside my PC.

[Butuz]

*Glares at 200mb/s homeplugs *

I wager the problem would go away if you had the sat box and OC plugged directly into the gigabit switch. Might be worth a try?

Butuz

[DanceswithUnix]

Is it the 200Mb/sec homeplug devices that you are having to unplug?

I can imagine that over time the are training themselves down to the best reliability they can manage. I don't know how well these things train back up again if they do at all.

How are the homeplugs deployed? Are they directly plugged into the wall socket?

[holygamer]

*Glares at 200mb/s homeplugs *

I wager the problem would go away if you had the sat box and OC plugged directly into the gigabit switch. Might be worth a try?

Butuz

What's an OC? Why would the Homeplug affect anything - it's just the same as using an ethernet cable? My PC & Satellite box are already directly connected to my switch with cables. The homeplug is connected to the switch to provide my PC with an internet connection so it shouldn't effect the other stuff. I've tried a different model of homeplug and it made no difference.



It's the ethernet cable connected to the switch and satellite box that I have to unplug and re-connect. The homeplugs are plugged directly into wall sockets.

[jimborae]

Well your homeplugs aren't Gigabit speed for starters and others have said electrical interference will reduce the speed overtime. In my house I have 500Mb/s homeplugs and depending on where they are plugged in some give me 54Mbps and the one by the Xbox will only do 7Mb/s! It depends on the state of your wiring what route it takes, your fuse box and what you have plugged in inbetween. So suspect them first and try to eleminate them as the cause of the issue.

[holygamer]

The homeplugs were bought for connecting my router to my upstairs internet devices. 200 Mbps is more than enough for a 76 Mbps fibre broadband connection. As I said my PC and satellite box are connected with cables to my switch. So surely the homeplug will not effect the speed of copying files from my satellite box to my PC?

[jimborae]

So yes the home plugs wont affect the direct connection to the switch devices so that would seem to rule that out. But don't kid yourself they are more than enough for your internet connection but that's a separate discussion. (If you do a speed a test with a laptop directly connected to them I'd be surprised if you see more than 45Mb/s from them)

[holygamer]

Might as well talk about it now! Using my PC > Switch > Homeplug > Homeplug > Router - I get 48 Mbps download speed as reported by speedtest.net which is the max my broadband package provides. The homeplug is 200 Mbps capacity so I don't see what the problem is?

[watercooled]

They're 200Mb in the same way wireless G is 54Mbps - they're not like Ethernet where you generally get line speed unless there's a problem. As above, they're probably enough for your connection, but don't expect to get the quoted throughput out of them.

Does resetting the network switch have the same effect as re-plugging the cable?

[holygamer]

I tried turning off the switch and back on again and the speed was still 11.8 MB/s. It's seems I need to unplug and reconnect the cable from the satellite box to the switch for it to go back to the correct speed even though it's plugged in correctly already!

[watercooled]

That is unusual. When you're having the problems, is there much activity on the network i.e. flashing lights on the switch even when there shouldn't be?

[holygamer]

No it's just the things plugged in that have a light on. Maybe I should get a wireless USB stick for my box, I don't know.