Wifi faster than ethernet on FTTP

[Joely]

A week and a half ago I had fttp installed and while I'm not getting my full 900 meg yet (Openreach are coming to look at that Friday) I can get up to about 450 but only on wifi. My laptop is plugged straight into the router via Cat5E (using a gigE adaptor) and I'm only able to get up to about 200 down on it, I've even tried it with a different laptop with the same result. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be going on here? As far as I can tell everything checks out on the laptop end of things (both of them), I've set the adaptor to 1.0 Gpbs full duplex instead of auto negotiation but to no effect and I've tried a couple of different ethernet cables but still the same issue so I'm kinda out of ideas. 

[Will168]

A couple of things I can think of to try:

1. A different ethernet cable. I know this sounds a little stupid, but I was troubleshooting slow internet speeds over ethernet for a friend the other day and it turned to be simply a dodgy ethernet cable. replaced it and everything was fine.

2. You could connect your laptop straight into the back of the Openreach ONT to see if you can get full speed that way and if so, ruling out any issue with the line or service itself. You'll need to set up a PPPoE connection type with the following credentials:

Username: bthomehub@btbroadband.com

Password: BT

Those are my initial thoughts, but there are a few regulars on this community that are good at this stuff and will be able to provide more and better advice too.

As you are getting 450 mbps over wifi, your line is obviously capable of more than 200 mbps and you've effectively reached the transfer limits of wifi at 450 mbps. Not really sure what Openreach would be able to do on Friday, as the 200 mbps limitation seems to be an issue with the connection between your laptops and router.

[bkehoe]

I noticed you say you have an adaptor to give your laptop an ethernet port? If so I'd be a bit suspicious of that...what type of adaptor and laptop is it?

[Joely]

It's a fairly standard Dell USB 2.0 adaptor, my laptop a Dell Latitude 5310 doesn't have an integrated ethernet adaptor so I have to use that one. That said my other laptop has integrated ehternet and displays the same issue. 

[Will168]

@bkehoe Good call...I missed the part about the adaptor. OP says they tried two laptops. So likely narrows down to the adaptor, cable, router.

[bkehoe]

USB2 is an issue anyway, the max speed the bus can operate is 480MBit but due to overheads and the fact it's half duplex and shared with all USB devices on that bus you'd be lucky to get 300.

[Joely]

Hmm ok, I'll get myself a USB 3.0 one and see if that improves matters any. 

[Will168]

This does not explain why your other laptop with an integrated ethernet port has the same issue though. Are you also getting 200 mbps on that laptop, plugged straight into the integrated ethernet port?

[Joely]

Yes, that appears to be the case as well. I've got a USB 3.0 adaptor coming tomorrow via Amazon so that at least should put the USB 2.0 debate to rest...

[Will168]

If that is the case, with it plugged in directly to the integrated ethernet port, then I wouldn't think it's the adaptor.

While you are waiting for the USB 3 adaptor to arrive,  time and convenience permitting, you could try unplugging the end of the cable between the ONT and router out of the router and plugging into that laptop with the integrated port. Then set up a PPPoE connection directly from that laptop to the ONT and that would basically take the router and other ethernet cable out of the question. 

If speedtests then prove OK, you could at least rest knowing your line and service is fine. Then you just need to go back and work out if it's the cable or router that's the issue.

The fact that you're getting 450 mbps over wifi shows that your router is receiving at least that from the ONT, so something is limiting the wired speed down. You've effectively ruled out the laptop by using a second one and ruled out the adaptor by not using it and still showing the same issue.

The only other thing I can think of is any settings in Windows itself, but that seems a lot less likely.