Is your laptop’s LAN too slow? Here’s how to get the most out of it | usagoldmines.com

Nowadays, most modern laptops don’t have an Ethernet port. It’s a fairly large port, and with laptops getting thinner and thinner, there simply isn’t enough room for one. However, if you still wish to enjoy the benefits of a fast and stable LAN connection, you can always use an adapter or a docking station.

Even if you can set up a LAN connection with an adapter, you should check whether you’re actually achieving the optimal data rate. For a gigabit adapter with 1000 Mbit/s, this should be around 950 Mbit/s. If this isn’t the case, there are several steps you can take to resolve the issue.

Update the Ethernet driver

If you’re experiencing speed issues, installing a fresh driver for the external adapter may help. The next step should be visiting the manufacturer’s support page.

You can find out which adapter you have using Windows Device Manager. First, connect the adapter and open Device Manager. There, you’ll find the LAN hardware in the Network Adapters section. On a laptop, it’s usually listed alongside the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi entries.

In most budget adapters and docking stations, the LAN hardware is supplied by Realtek. The entry might read, for example, Realtek USB GbE Family Controller. Next, download the latest driver from Realtek.

There, click the Check for Updates button. The operating system may offer a suitable adapter for the adapter based on the hardware listed in Device Manager. The installation will then be quicker than searching for and downloading the driver from the manufacturer’s website.

Once you’ve installed the new driver, you should unplug and reconnect the adapter so that Windows can recognize it again and load the updated driver software. During our tests, we found on several occasions that the LAN speed did not change immediately after installing the new driver. This was resolved straight away by unplugging and re-plugging the adapter.

Adjust the driver settings

If the speed issues persist, open the driver settings for the LAN hardware. To do this, right-click the network chip entry in Device Manager and select Properties → Advanced. Depending on the driver’s capabilities, you’ll see a number of options on the left-hand side of the program window.

The key setting is called Speed & Duplex. Normally, Auto Negotiation appears on the right-hand side under Value.

This means that the two devices connected via LAN determine the optimal speed by exchanging short control signals before transmission. Change this setting in the drop-down menu to 1.0 Gbps Full Duplex and confirm by clicking OK. You should now be getting the correct data rate.