LAN clamped at 100Mbps on Smart Hub Plus

[adrianmay]

When I plug my linux laptop into a cheap gigabit switch it shows 1Gbps in ethtool. When I plug it into the Smart Hub Plus it shows 100Mbps.

This router is advertised as having 1Gbps LAN ports. If that's physically true but the firmware clamps them at a tenth of that speed, the router should be advertised accordingly.

100Mbps is slower than fibre broadband and people want to use ethernet for its stability, so this undermines the speed claims of the higher-priced broadband deals.

Is there a workaround or setting to fix this, or can I look forward to a firmware update?

[JimM11]

@adrianmay Yes you are correct, if you need advice on how to wan link test a router, device to device then i will find the link and send to you. You can do it all yourself to test your internal network. Do not have a 2.5Gb/s switch or any nic's that can go that fast so do not care about that.

Actually here is the link, you will also find lot's of interesting further info on the site.

Router "WAN to LAN" throughput Test

[adrianmay]

Well I can't test the WAN today cos the engineer doesn't come to install it until tomorrow and the WAN settings seem to be hidden from dumb users like me and it doesn't seem to have a bridge mode. Nevertheless, if ethtool says an ethernet is going at 100Mb, that's that.

I suppose it's theoretically possible (but seems pointless) that the LANs only go fast when the WAN is connected. But I'll test it all again tomorrow.

Thanks for helping!

[Minkey1]

I don’t know if any of that is aimed at me. My desktop and laptop days are over. A tablet and phone meets my “computing” needs. The only kit I have connected to SH+ over Ethernet is Hive Hub plus Home Cinema via a switch, none of which I can test speed directly from.

Hence using EE’s test at the router and Speedtest’s own version, each initiated from my phone. I was picking up on XRay’s point about other experiences. I thought that might be useful.

Clearly not.

[XRaySpeX]

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@adrianmay wrote:

When I plug it into the Smart Hub Plus it shows 100Mbps.

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Where does it show 100 Meg?

When I plug my Windows PC into the SH+ & look at Windows' Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections > Change Adapter Settings > Ethernet connection > Status it shows 1 Gig. Exactly the same as my BrightBox 2 does. And I don't even have FTTP but 80 Meg FTTC 😉.

So I think that proves:

1. The SH+ doesn't clamp the LAN at 100 Meg.
2. The LAN speed does not follow the WAN speed as you thought possible.

So maybe you should be looking towards your Linux lappy & its calibration of speeds.

[adrianmay]

Hi XRaySpeX,

That windows setting you mention is present on my windows laptop when nothing at all is plugged into the interface. I think that means it's the physical maximum speed, not the currently negotiated speed. It can't be the latter cos there is no negotiation until something gets plugged in. Ethtool on Linux shows the physical speed at all times, and the negotiated speed only when something is plugged in. 

How about if you measure the speed of any data transfer involving the SH+'s LAN ports? I did this a few days ago and got about a Gbps just using a switch which slowed down to 100M when the SH+ was involved. I'll repeat that and other tests after tomorrow - I want to rule out the installer having to flip some setting.

Thanks, Adrian.

[adrianmay]

Hi Minkey1, 

Indeed it is useful to know that the WiFi is faster than 100M cos I can use it in tests knowing it isn't the culprit.

Thanks, Adrian.

[XRaySpeX]

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@adrianmay wrote:

That windows setting you mention is present on my windows laptop when nothing at all is plugged into the interface. I think that means it's the physical maximum speed, not the currently negotiated speed. It can't be the latter cos there is no negotiation until something gets plugged in.

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I can't agree with that if you are trying to say that on Windows that Status always shows the physical maximum speed of 1 Gig regardless of whether something is plugged in or not. In fact the Status always shows the currently negotiated speed.

Now my BrightBox 2 has 1 LAN port of 1 Gig & the others of 100 Meg. Here follows the Status of its various pluggings:

1. Nowt Plugged: NO STATUS
2. 1 Gig LAN:
3. 100 Meg LAN:

All this while connected to a 80 Meg WAN.

[adrianmay]

Well I finally found your setting in windows and confirmed your result, so I tried it again in linux and it also said 1G.  Maybe it was just a flaky cable before. I'll have to find out which one. I wonder if a gigabit switch actually does this negotiation or the PC just assumes no news is good news. 

Anyway, I'm happy cos combined with the lack of a bridge mode this would have been a huge problem. 

Sorry about the false alarm folks.

[JimM11]

@adrianmay There are NO settings that the installation team can flip! Just so you know....

[adrianmay]

Hi JimM11,

Yeah I thought it would have to be a kernel parameter, and why would anybody go to the trouble.

Cheers, Adrian.