Help with Network Unmanaged Switch

[McCloudX1070]

First off I'm not good with networking stuff so I apologize if I don't know much terminology or troubleshooting techniques.

    Our ISP AT&T fiber recently upgraded our gateway/modem. It only has 3 Ethernet ports so I bought an unmanaged switch. The issue is when ever I plug something into the switch it only gets about 100Mbps. My internet speeds is 1000Mbps and the same cables plugged into the new modem allow 1000Mbps. All devices behave this way when plugged into the switch. My Plex PC and my Xbox. I restarted the devices and the modem after connecting the switch.

     So can anyone please offer some suggestions or point out what I'm missing. It's a cheap unmanaged switch but it's rated for 5GBps as 5 1/10/100Mbps ports.

 

Thanks in advance, I don't usually post on forums but reddit and Google searches are not very helpful in this topic. 

[ToboRobot]

3 minutes ago, McCloudX1070 said:

First off I'm not good with networking stuff so I apologize if I don't know much terminology or troubleshooting techniques.

    Our ISP AT&T fiber recently upgraded our gateway/modem. It only has 3 Ethernet ports so I bought an unmanaged switch. The issue is when ever I plug something into the switch it only gets about 100Mbps. My internet speeds is 1000Mbps and the same cables plugged into the new modem allow 1000Mbps. All devices behave this way when plugged into the switch. My Plex PC and my Xbox. I restarted the devices and the modem after connecting the switch.

     So can anyone please offer some suggestions or point out what I'm missing. It's a cheap unmanaged switch but it's rated for 5GBps as 5 1/10/100Mbps ports.

 

Thanks in advance, I don't usually post on forums but reddit and Google searches are not very helpful in this topic. 

Get a switch with 1000Mbps or greater ports.

[YoungBlade]

6 minutes ago, McCloudX1070 said:

it's rated for 5GBps as 5 1/10/100Mbps ports.

This means that the top speed for any one port is 100Mbps, so you won't be able to get faster than that. You'll need to upgrade to a switch that supports gigabit/1Gbps/1000Mbps ports.

 

I'm assuming you're in the US. If so...

 

Here's the cheapest I can find from a brand I've never heard of - $9.89 after 10% off offer - https://www.amazon.com/ienRon-Ports-Gigabit-Supported-Detection/dp/B0BR8YDFRK

 

Here's the cheapest I can find from a well-known brand - $15.99 after $2 off offer - https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Splitter-Optimization-Unmanaged-TL-SG105/dp/B00A128S24

[Kid.Lazer]

To expand on the correct answer, you bought a 100mbps switch (which I can't believe still exist). The 5Gbs rating is just the total throughput it can handle across ALL the ports at once, a largely meaningless metric in this case. If you get a switch with 1Gbps ports, you'll be good to go. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Unmanaged-GREENnet-Switching-Protection/dp/B001QUA6R0/

[OddOod]

52 minutes ago, McCloudX1070 said:

bought an unmanaged switch

what specific model? Because this only supports 100 meg connections

53 minutes ago, McCloudX1070 said:

1/10/100Mbps

 

[McCloudX1070]

Omg I'm so sorry that was a typo. The switch I bought says 5-port Gigabit TP-Link TL-SG105 and that it supports 10/100/1000Mbps.

    I completely goofed on the numbers! I'm sorry. Reading through all your responses now.

[Kid.Lazer]

1 hour ago, McCloudX1070 said:

The issue is when ever I plug something into the switch it only gets about 100Mbps. My internet speeds is 1000Mbps and the same cables plugged into the new modem allow 1000Mbps.

Some clarification on this point would be helpful. Are you actually provisioned for 1Gbps internet (as verified by a speed test), or are the ports on your modem simply negotiated at that speed? Even with a 1000Mb(its)ps connection, you would only achieve ~100MB(ytes)ps throughput. Please double-check you are using the correct terminology so we can better understand what's going on.

[McCloudX1070]

29 minutes ago, Kid.Lazer said:

Some clarification on this point would be helpful. Are you actually provisioned for 1Gbps internet (as verified by a speed test), or are the ports on your modem simply negotiated at that speed? Even with a 1000Mb(its)ps connection, you would only achieve ~100MB(ytes)ps throughput. Please double-check you are using the correct terminology so we can better understand what's going on.

So my internet speed is 1 Gigabit. 1000Mbps up and down. Speed test confirms that speed on my PC, the Xbox, my Plex PC and my wife's PC when they are plugged directly into the modem. Using the same cables but adding in the network switch my speeds change to about 90-100Mbps on the same speed test across all devices. 

    So I'm just lost on what is restricting my speed when using the switch because from my understanding the switch is rated for 5Gbps aka 1Gbps per port of the 5 port switch. 

   I don't expect 1GBps per port at the same time but 100Mbps is pretty slow in my opinion. Especially when using Xbox Game Pass and frequently downloading games. Plus my Plex server runs some full blown 4k Blu-ray which is like 75-100+Mbps bit rate. I don't know if bitrate of the blu-ray files translates the same but I know it's slow and choppy when plugged into the switch. 

    My point is I'm not trying to be ignorant or difficult. The situation just doesn't make sense to me and again thank all of you for the responses and help so far! 

[Kid.Lazer]

1 hour ago, McCloudX1070 said:

My point is I'm not trying to be ignorant or difficult.

No problem. It seems like you understand the differences between bits and bytes, but I just like to have all the bases covered. So forgive any questions you might perceive as dumb or obvious. I just want to help everyone, both for us in the present and anyone that might be reading this at a later date.

 

1 hour ago, McCloudX1070 said:

So my internet speed is 1 Gigabit. 1000Mbps up and down. Speed test confirms that speed on my PC, the Xbox, my Plex PC and my wife's PC when they are plugged directly into the modem. Using the same cables but adding in the network switch my speeds change to about 90-100Mbps on the same speed test across all devices. 

Just to be clear, what kind of speed is negotiated on your NIC when using your switch? I'm not concerned about your actual throughput for this question, just the rated speed. I'd like to know if the link speed is being downgraded to 100Mbps, or if it's still negotiated as a 1Gbps link but having slowdowns.

[Nuzicx]

Plugging your routers LAN port --> unmanaged switch (TP-Link TL-SG105), Have you tried plugging this cable into port 1 of the switch?

 

[McCloudX1070]

18 hours ago, Kid.Lazer said:

No problem. It seems like you understand the differences between bits and bytes, but I just like to have all the bases covered. So forgive any questions you might perceive as dumb or obvious. I just want to help everyone, both for us in the present and anyone that might be reading this at a later date.

 

Just to be clear, what kind of speed is negotiated on your NIC when using your switch? I'm not concerned about your actual throughput for this question, just the rated speed. I'd like to know if the link speed is being downgraded to 100Mbps, or if it's still negotiated as a 1Gbps link but having slowdowns.

Not gonna lie. I don't understand what you're asking, lol. My NIC? Is that something I can check in Windows 11 on my main PC? 

   And no worries about the obvious or "dumb" questions. Like I said, I don't know much when it comes to networking, lo.

4 hours ago, Nuzicx said:

Plugging your routers LAN port --> unmanaged switch (TP-Link TL-SG105), Have you tried plugging this cable into port 1 of the switch?

 

Um, I messed with it so much I honestly can't recall accurately. I will try port 1 when I get back from class and report back

[McCloudX1070]

16 hours ago, Nuzicx said:

Plugging your routers LAN port --> unmanaged switch (TP-Link TL-SG105), Have you tried plugging this cable into port 1 of the switch?

 

So I tried port 1 which is blue in color and labeled 5GB. The switch does not work when plugged in to port 1. I reseated both sides of the cable and no other cables work in port 1. I get no indicator lights and no internet. I tested port 1 with multiple cables and devices, none of them work. A quick google search shows a couple reports of the issue on my exact Modem BGW320-505 but no sure fire solution.

[Donut417]

12 hours ago, McCloudX1070 said:

Not gonna lie. I don't understand what you're asking, lol. My NIC? Is that something I can check in Windows 11 on my main PC? 

   And no worries about the obvious or "dumb

A NIC is a Network Interface card. While you dont have a card in your machine back in the day thats the only way to get a connection. Nowadays it's all integrated onto the motherboard. The easy way to tell what speed the devices are negotiating at is to look at the Switch. On the Right and Left side of each port is an LED. If the left side is either solid green or blinking green then its connected at 1 Gbps. If the right side is solid yellow or blinking yellow it means its at 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps. Blinking just indicates data transmission. This is directly from the TP Link manual. https://www.manua.ls/tp-link/tl-sg105/manual?p=9

 

However if you are on Windows 10 you can go Settings > Network & Internet > Change Adapter Options. RIght click on the adapter that is connected and select the "Status" option. That will indicated the speed. 

 

I dont have AT&T and the documentation on their box is a bit meh. But Id assume somewhere in the web interface they will have what speed each port is operating at as well. 

 

1 hour ago, McCloudX1070 said:

I tested port 1 with multiple cables and devices, none of them work. A quick google search shows a couple reports of the issue on my exact Modem BGW320-505 but no sure fire solution.

You only have Gigabit, I wouldn't put it past AT&T to have disabled that port because in their eyes no one that doesn't have 2.5 or 5 Gbps is going to use it. I cant say this is fact but Ive seen ISP's here in the US do stupid shit. This is the reason we dont rent Comcast equipment and choose to use our own. Try one of the Gigabit ports and check to see what speeds everything is negotiating at. 

 

Also what kind of Ethernet cabling are you using? 

[McCloudX1070]

On 7/8/2023 at 8:17 PM, Donut417 said:

A NIC is a Network Interface card. While you dont have a card in your machine back in the day thats the only way to get a connection. Nowadays it's all integrated onto the motherboard. The easy way to tell what speed the devices are negotiating at is to look at the Switch. On the Right and Left side of each port is an LED. If the left side is either solid green or blinking green then its connected at 1 Gbps. If the right side is solid yellow or blinking yellow it means its at 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps. Blinking just indicates data transmission. This is directly from the TP Link manual. https://www.manua.ls/tp-link/tl-sg105/manual?p=9

 

However if you are on Windows 10 you can go Settings > Network & Internet > Change Adapter Options. RIght click on the adapter that is connected and select the "Status" option. That will indicated the speed. 

 

I dont have AT&T and the documentation on their box is a bit meh. But Id assume somewhere in the web interface they will have what speed each port is operating at as well. 

 

You only have Gigabit, I wouldn't put it past AT&T to have disabled that port because in their eyes no one that doesn't have 2.5 or 5 Gbps is going to use it. I cant say this is fact but Ive seen ISP's here in the US do stupid shit. This is the reason we dont rent Comcast equipment and choose to use our own. Try one of the Gigabit ports and check to see what speeds everything is negotiating at. 

 

Also what kind of Ethernet cabling are you using? 

Thanks for all the info and help. Ended up solving my problem with a few solutions. 1. I changed the Ethernet ports from "auto" to 1GBps in the modem settings. 2. I changed the cable out 2 more times that goes from the modem to the switch. 3. Called AT&T about the blue port not working and they are shipping me a new modem. 

 

I believe the 3rd Ethernet cable I tried was the solution but can confirm your light trick and speed test now shoes devices on the switch getting their full 1GBps!!!