How to Increase Ethernet Speed on Windows 10: 10 Expert Tips

Look out for VPN, proxy, malware or outdated drivers

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Key notes

  • A slow ethernet connection in Windows 10 can be very frustrating, especially when downloading or streaming content.
  • The guide below will teach you how to solve common causes of slow LAN speeds.
  • You will learn to speed up your internet connection with a few easy hacks.
  • Also, find out what to do if LAN is slower than Wi-Fi.
Slow LAN speed on Windows 10 11

Thanks to recent technological advancements, most Internet users can benefit from high-speed connections, making web browsing a pleasant experience. But, many reported slow Ethernet connection on Windows 10 & 11, which often surprises them.

It’s well-known that data transfer speed is higher with LAN connections than with WiFi. Interestingly enough, many Windows users complained about slow LAN speed issues shortly after they upgraded to Microsoft’s latest OS.

I recently upgraded my system from windows 8.1 to 10, then I faced a problem that although I was having a very fast internet connection but I was experiencing a very slow browsing & download. Please help…..

Speaking of LAN speed issues, our tips will prove useful for a number of situations, such as:

  • Slow LAN speed Windows 10, 7 – If you encounter this problem, install the latest updates, update your drivers, and check if that helps.
  • Slow LAN transfer speed, Netgear router – This can occur due to your router settings or hardware failure.
  • Slow file transfer over Gigabit network – Sometimes, this issue can appear while using a Gigabit network. To fix it, check your network adapter settings.
  • Router slow LAN speed – If your LAN speed is slow, try disabling the Large Send Offload (LSO) feature. Once the feature is disabled, the issue should be resolved.
  • Fix slow Ethernet – The router’s manual should provide enough information in this regard, and if it turns out that the issue lies with it, switch to a reliable and effective modem.
  • Increase ethernet speed in Windows 11 – Windows 11 ethernet slow – Slow Internet speed in Windows 11 can be due to several reasons, but when it’s over an Ethernet connection, we have to check a relatively minor number of factors.
  • Ethernet capped at 100mbps in Windows 10 – how to change LAN speed from 100 to 1000 in Windows 10 – In this case, you might have to change the port you are connected to fix it, since it is physically damaged.
  • Increase download speed Windows 10 – The modem or the cables used to establish the connection may be faulty. Besides, VPN or Proxy settings configured over the LAN connection can slow it down.
  • Ethernet slower than WiFi in Windows 10 – LAN should ideally be faster than Wi-Fi; if things are the other way around, there’s a problem with the connection settings or the installed network drivers.

So, let’s find out why the Internet speed is slow over LAN in Windows 10 and 11, along with how to fix it.

Why is my Ethernet speed so slow?

LAN or Local Area Network is a wired connection, and whenever dealing with issues like this, your primary approach should be to check the cables for damage. Also, look for problems with your computer’s and the modem’s port. Switching the ports helped many.

Network drivers are another reason behind a slow Ethernet connection in Windows. So, make sure these are up-to-date and that a compatible version is installed.

In addition to that, since many encountered the problem after updating the OS, it’s likely a bug in the current ver ion. And in this case, Microsoft would soon release a patch for it. So keep looking out for newer versions, and install them once available.

Besides, configured DNS servers, third-party apps, firewalls, Proxy, and misconfigured network settings likely cause slow LAN speed in Windows 10.

Let’s now head to the solutions. Also, after trying each method here, check if the Internet speed improves on a platform like Speedtest, and only then move to the next one.

How do I speed up my Ethernet connection in Windows 10?

1. Install the latest OS and driver updates

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings app, and click on Update & Security.update & security
  2. Now click the Check for updates button.check for updates
  3. Windows will now check for available updates and download them automatically in the background.

According to users, your LAN speed can sometimes slow in Windows 10 if the system is outdated. However, you should be able to fix this problem simply by downloading the latest updates.

System updates often fix hardware and software issues. Therefore, you must keep your system up-to-date.

Under ideal conditions, the OS should download and install updates automatically, but sometimes due to issues with it, you might miss an update or two.

Another common cause of this problem can be your drivers. Outdated network drivers can cause this issue to appear; to fix it; it’s essential to keep them updated.

You can constantly update your drivers manually simply by downloading them from the manufacturer’s website.

We must mention that manually updating hardware drivers can permanently damage your system if you install the wrong version.

Additionally, you can update your drivers much faster with a dedicated driver updater like PC HelpSoft Driver Updater.

Simply download and run the software. Since it is portable, it requires no installation. The program will then scan your system for outdated, missing, or broken drivers and then fix them.

If you love the idea of performing complex tasks with the most straightforward solutions, then you’ll love using PC HelpSoft Driver Updater.

⇒ Get PC HelpSoft Driver Updater

2. Disable or uninstall the VPN/Proxy

If you have configured proxy settings, the first thing to do is disable them and verify if this fixes the slow LAN speed in Windows 10.

Also, you can consider using a VPN solution that works without affecting your speed. VPNs can help boost your internet speed by selecting optimal servers for your particular dns. They can also prevent and stop throttling, surpass geo-restrictions and protect your identity and privacy.

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings app and navigate to Network & Internet section.
Network & Internet

2. Select Proxy in the left pane, and then disable all the options on the right.

disable proxy to fix slow lan speed windows 10

3. Restart the PC and your ethernet should be faster now.

The best VPN for your Windows 10 PC should have proven security, a decent number of servers, and a well-established privacy policy

3. Check your hardware

Don’t forget to unplug your modem from time to time. Keeping it working for days on end may affect its performance. Also, use a different port: the one you’re currently using may be broken.

As a quick reminder, not all network cables perform the same way. Surprisingly, some may cause slow file transfer speed between 2 computers on LAN. The best network cables to use are Cat–6 cable.

4. Disable Windows Auto-Tuning Feature

  1. Press Windows + X to open the Power User menu and select Command Prompt (Admin).Slow LAN Netgear router
  2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  3. Now, paste the following command and hit Enter:netsh interface tcp show globalcommand to fix slow lan speed windows 10
  4. Now, look for the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level feature, and verify if it’s enabled or disabled.enabled or disabled
  5. In case it’s enabled, execute the following command to disable it:netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disableddisable

According to might, you should be able to fix slow LAN speed in Windows 10 simply by disabling the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level feature. In case this doesn’t work, head to the following method.

5. Disable Large Send Offload (LSO)

  1. Press Windows + X and choose Device Manager from the list.
    Router slow LAN speed
  2. Double-click to expand the Network adapters entry.network adapters
  3. Right-click on the network card in use and select Properties from the context menu.properties to fix slow lan speed windows 10
  4. Please navigate to the Advanced tab, select Lage Send Offload V2 (IPv4) under Properties, and set it to Disabled.disable to fix slow lan speed windows 10
  5. Similarly, disable Lage Send Offload V2 (IPv6), and then click on OK to save the changes.save changes

If you’re experiencing slow LAN speed on your Windows 10 PC, the issue might be the Large Send Offload feature.

Some users also reported that they fixed the problem simply by disabling the Automatically deactivate Gigabit option, so be sure to try that as well.

Keep in mind that not all network adapters support this feature, so if you can’t find it, it means that your adapter probably doesn’t help either.

6. Change your DNS settings

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type ncpa.cpl in the text field, and click OK.ncpa.cpl
  2. Right-click the Ethernet option and select Properties.ethernet properties
  3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and go to Properties.
    Router slow LAN speed
  4. Select the “Use the following DNS server addresses” option, enter the value provided below in the available fields, and click on OK.
    • Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
    • Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4
      Slow LAN speed Windows 7

If you’re getting slow LAN speed in Windows 10, there might be a problem with the DNS. This issue is usually related to your ISP and its DNS, but you can always change your DNS.

You can use Google’s Public DNS addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, OpenDNS addresses 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220, or other DNS addresses.

As a quick reminder, Google also offers the following IPv6 public DNS servers: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::884.

7. Change duplex settings

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run command, type devmgmt.msc in the text field, and click OK.devmgmt.msc
  2. Expand Network adapters, right-click on the Ethernet/LAN network card, and select Properties.properties to fix slow lan speed windows 10
  3. Navigate to the Advanced tab, click on Speed & Duplex settings under Property, select 100 Mb Full Duplex from the Value dropdown menu, and click OK to save the changes. You can also try the other values here and verify which works in your case.Speed and Duplex

According to users, sometimes you might experience slow LAN speed in Windows 10 due to the duplex settings, and modifying the value should fix it.

8. Disable IPv6

  1. Type View network connections in the Search bar and click on the relevant search result.view network connections
  2. Select your network connection, right-click on it, and choose Properties from the menu.properties
  3. Locate Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), uncheck the box for it, and click OK to save the changes.disable to fix slow lan speed windows 10

In case you’re not familiar, there are two types of IP addresses, IPv4 and Pv6. The latter is a newer standard, but issues while using IPv6 can occur in some rare cases.

To fix the problem, users recommend disabling the IPv6 feature entirely. After disabling this feature, check if the slow LAN speed in Windows 10 issue is resolved. If not, head to the following method.

9. Enable the QoS feature

If you feel that Windows 10 Ethernet speed is limited, you might be able to solve the problem by enabling the QoS feature. This feature is in charge of limiting your network speed, and a couple of users reported that the issue was resolved after enabling QoS on their router.

To do this, you need to open your router’s configuration page and enable QoS. We must mention that QoS is an advanced feature, so it might require some configuration before you can properly use it.

It’s also worth noting that this feature might not be available on your router. So be sure to check your router’s instruction manual for more information

10. Refresh or reset your OS

Refreshing Windows can help you eliminate various issues behind slow LAN speed in Windows 10. The process will take time, but it should work for most.

If it doesn’t, resetting Windows to its factory settings would do the trick, as long as it’s a software-related issue. However, when you reset the OS, all the stored files, installed apps, and configured settings would be lost. So, make sure you try it as a last resort.

That’s all there’s to slow LAN speed in Windows 10 and 11, its solutions, and other vital information that would come in handy.

Also, find out how to fix a WiFi connection.

If you come across other workarounds to fix slow LAN speed issues, please list the troubleshooting steps in the comment section below.

More about the topics: Ethernet, internet connection errors