Wired connection much slower than wireless connection, only on Linux (Solved)

[t3chn0k]

I have an internet fiber-optic connection with nominal (by contract) 300 Mbps download and 175 Mbps upload.
To run my tests, I usually use this Brazilian website, but they are consistent with any other well-known testing websites.

I can reach the nominal speeds and even higher on every test I do, when using:

• Windows 10 (both thru wired and wireless connection), and

• Linut Mint 20.1 (only thru wireless connection)

The thing is, when I run a test using my wired connection on Linux, I consistently have the same result, which is about:

• Download: 32 Mbps (thirty two only)

• Upload: 175 Mbps

So, when testing on Linux ethernet connection, I still reach the correct upload speed, but my download speed is only at 10% of what it should be.
I also tried with a different web browser (use Brave but also tried with Firefox) and had exactly the same results.

As I said, on Windows (both wireless and wired connections), my connection speed is perfect and so it is on Linux when using my wireless adaptor. So I have no idea of how this could happen only to my download ethernet speed.

Does anyone have any idea of what is going on here? Any insight would be much appreciated.

I will post some system info that could help:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz
System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-72-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa 
  base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 7560 v: N/A serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Dell model: 0V736W v: A01 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell v: 1.13.2 
  date: 06/19/2020 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 35.1 Wh condition: 35.1/42.0 Wh (84%) 
  model: SMP DELL 3CRH35B status: Full 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i5-7200U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Amber Lake rev: 9 L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 21599 
  Speed: 718 MHz min/max: 400/3100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 719 2: 703 
  3: 705 4: 707 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel 
  bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Device-2: NVIDIA GM108M [GeForce 940MX] vendor: Dell driver: nvidia 
  v: 460.56 bus ID: 01:00.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting,nvidia 
  unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: GeForce 940MX/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 460.56 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio vendor: Dell 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
  Device-2: BY EDIFIER EDIFIER G4 TE GAMING HEADSET type: USB 
  driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus ID: 1-2:3 
  Device-3: Sunplus Innovation 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub type: USB 
  driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus ID: 1-1.1:4 
  Device-4: Frys EDIFIER G4 TE GAMING HEADSET type: USB 
  driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus ID: 1-1.2:8 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-72-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter 
  vendor: Dell driver: ath10k_pci v: kernel port: e000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
  IF: wlp2s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Dell driver: r8169 v: kernel port: d000 bus ID: 03:00.0 
  IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
  Device-3: Qualcomm Atheros type: USB driver: btusb bus ID: 1-8:10 
  IF-ID-1: docker0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 76.21 GiB (16.4%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WDS500G2B0A-00SM50 
  size: 465.76 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 64.74 GiB used: 24.09 GiB (37.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 
  ID-2: /home size: 49.16 GiB used: 19.03 GiB (38.7%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/sda6 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0 C mobo: 46.0 C sodimm: 39.0 C gpu: nvidia 
  temp: 47 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 
Info:
  Processes: 294 Uptime: 55m Memory: 7.68 GiB used: 3.45 GiB (44.9%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: fish v: 3.1.0 
  inxi: 3.0.38 

Code: Select all

iwconfig
wlp2s0    IEEE 802.11  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=off   
          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on
          
docker0   no wireless extensions.

enp3s0    no wireless extensions.

lo        no wireless extensions.

[Moonstone Man]

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-72-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
Network:
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Dell driver: r8169 v: kernel port: d000 bus ID: 03:00.0 

That might be the cause there. You might try the 5.8 kernel, which contains an updated r8169 driver. To install the 5.8 kernel, start Update Manager, select the View menu then Linux Kernels. Choose the latest in the 5.8 series.

If that doesn't work, then you'll probably need to manually install a specific driver, and possibly you will also need to blacklist the r8169 driver.

[t3chn0k]

Thank you very much for your answer! I will try what you said and will give a feedback as soon as possible.
I have a lot of work by these days, so it might take a while.

[t3chn0k]

Well, I've noticed that the 5.8 kernel is much less stable than the 5.4, so I prefer not to update it, since it could bring me more problems.

Still, I'm trying to find a way to update my ethernet driver, but I didn't find any newer version to install.

Here goes some more usefull network system info:

Code: Select all

lspci | egrep -i --color 'network|ethernet|wireless|wi-fi'
02:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter (rev 32)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)

Code: Select all

lshw -class network -short
AVISO: você deveria executar este programa como superusuário.
Caminho do hardware  Dispositivo  Classe         Descrição
============================================================
/0/100/1c.4/0        wlp2s0       network        QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter
/0/100/1c.5/0        enp3s0       network        RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
AVISO: a saída pode ser incompleta e imprecisa, você deveria executar este programa como superusuário.

Code: Select all

sudo ethtool -i enp3s0
driver: r8169
version: 
firmware-version: rtl8168h-2_0.0.2 02/26/15
expansion-rom-version: 
bus-info: 0000:03:00.0
supports-statistics: yes
supports-test: no
supports-eeprom-access: no
supports-register-dump: yes
supports-priv-flags: no

I'm still trying to find a solution, I'd appreciate any help.

[deepakdeshp]

Try r8168-dkms as in the thread.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1308793 ... gigabit-et

[t3chn0k]

Try r8168-dkms as in the thread.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1308793 ... gigabit-et

Thank you for your answer.
I've installed r8168-dkms, restarted networking and network-manager, and ran a new test, but unfortunately the behavior is basically the same:



This was the driver installed during this test:

Code: Select all

sudo ethtool -i enp3s0
[sudo] senha para felipe:             
driver: r8168
version: 8.048.00-NAPI
firmware-version: 
expansion-rom-version: 
bus-info: 0000:03:00.0
supports-statistics: yes
supports-test: no
supports-eeprom-access: no
supports-register-dump: yes
supports-priv-flags: no

It looks like the problem is not a driver bug. Could some other software be causing this?

[t3chn0k]

The problem still persists. I have no idea of what to do.



I would appreciate any help.

Thanks.

[mikeflan]

That is so goofy. 171 upload and only 28 download.
I don't know how to fix this but I may be in the same boat with you soon.
They just pushed fiber-optic through my back yard 5 days ago.
I can walk to the Johnson Space Center and it takes until 2021 to get fiber-optic here. Sheesh.

[kelebek333]

Did you try to disable IPV6? viewtopic.php?p=2004475#p2004475

[t3chn0k]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I tried to disable IPv6, but I did it thru the graphic interface. Anyway, it didn't change anything.

I'm still trying to find a solution for this.

[llovepancakes]

you haven't mentioned anywhere if you've tried it, but have you tried a different ethernet cable?

[t3chn0k]

I didn't, but when I use Windows with the same cable the test is perfect, so I don't think the cable is the issue.

Thank you for replying.

[llovepancakes]

[quote=t3chn0k post_id=2020287 time=1622074043 user_id=296253]
I didn't, but when I use Windows with the same cable the test is perfect, so I don't think the cable is the issue.

Thank you for replying.
[/quote]

does that rule it out 100%? full on tech support and repairs do that today? thats :(
elimination game was part of the fun :lol:

so id wonder, what else do you not fully eliminate and could be a factor unknowingly. but if you know for sure, then ignore me. lol

[Larry78723]

In network settings, select your wired connection, click on the gear and under General -> Metered connection change from automatic to no. It helped my ethernet speed.

[ricardogroetaers]

I have an internet fiber-optic connection with nominal (by contract) 300 Mbps download and 175 Mbps upload.
To run my tests, I usually use this Brazilian website, but they are consistent with any other well-known testing websites.

The thing is, when I run a test using my wired connection on Linux, I consistently have the same result, which is about:

• Download: 32 Mbps (thirty two only)

• Upload: 175 Mbps

On the referenced test site your absurdity (very low) is in the download speed.
On this same site my absurdity (very high) is in the upload speed.
Never, ever, at any time, will my provider provide me with an upload speed between 3 to 4 times higher than the contracted one.

Contracted:
download=15Mbs
upload = 1Mbs

Measure:
download = 14Mbs (consistent)
upload = 3.6Mbs (absurd)

Poor when he sees a lot of alms, he suspects.

I assume that your device (optical fiber modem), as well as mine (adsl modem) connects to the internet regardless of whether there is a computer.
Who makes the connection to the internet is the device and not the computer.
It is assumed that it is this speed that is measured by the website, correct?
It is reasonably assumed that the operating system has no influence at all, correct?

I ask you to test your speed on the website:
https://www.brasilbandalarga.com.br/bbl/
In my case the results are reasonably consistent.

[t3chn0k]

It is reasonably assumed that the operating system has no influence at all, correct?

Nope. Any speedtest website can show you wrong metrics depending on your system and running softwares.
For instance, if you are running an anti-virus, pretty much any speedtest website will show you some random results.

For these tests to be trusted, you must eliminate any possible software interferring.
I know that I've eliminated them because all tests are consistent with my true download/upload speed noticed in a daily basis.

The test on https://www.brasilbandalarga.com.br/bbl/ gave me the following results:

On Linux:
Download: 28.88 Mbps
Upload: 163.77 Mbps

On Windows:
Download 353.73 Mbps
Upload 174.11 Mbps

[llovepancakes]

still no luck then? :/

[t3chn0k]

still no luck then? :/

No luck yet. When I need to download big files I have to change to wi-fi. =/

[ricardogroetaers]

No luck yet.

Note Larry78723's suggestion.
Look at the figure:

[t3chn0k]

No luck yet.

Note Larry78723's suggestion.
Look at the figure:

Thanks for answering. I tried Larry's suggestion with no luck.
Even tried to reset all connection settings and then try his suggestion, but the results are the same: about 30 Mbps download/150+ Mbps upload speed.