How To Boost Ethernet Speed on Windows 11 for Faster Network Performance

How to Increase Ethernet Speed in Windows 11

If the internet on a Windows 11 machine feels like it’s dragging its feet, it might be time to dig into some settings. Seriously, making a few adjustments can seriously improve the Ethernet speeds, which is a lifesaver if streaming, gaming, or just tired of the endless buffering. Here are some practical tweaks to try — sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but they’re worth a shot without needing a degree in tech wizardry.

Update Network Drivers

First up, check those network drivers. They’re often a common culprit behind slow speeds. Manufacturers roll out updates to squash bugs or boost performance, so it pays to look into it. Just pop open Device Manager from the Windows search bar, find your network adapter — you know, it might be labeled as Ethernet or LAN — and right-click to choose “Update driver.” Sounds easy, right?

Sometimes, Windows doesn’t catch the newest drivers automatically. In that case, hit up the manufacturer’s website, like Intel or Realtek, to get the latest version manual. If feeling adventurous, there’s even a command line option:

pnputil /update-drivers

Not every machine plays nice; a few might need a reboot for the changes to kick in, but that seems to be the case with Windows in general.

Disable Background Apps

Next, those background apps are sneaky—like having little gremlins eating up your bandwidth. Head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Background Apps and turn off the ones you definitely don’t need. You can also dive into Apps & features settings and curtail some of their background shenanigans.

If a full-on app shutdown is the name of the game, you can use:

Services.msc

Open that up and you can consider disabling things like Windows Update or any third-party sync tools, but make sure to re-enable them later, of course. It’s kind of collateral damage; you’re just trying to speed things up.

Adjust Ethernet Adapter Settings

If speeds are still lagging after driver updates and app shutdowns, it might be time to poke around the adapter settings. Back to Device Manager, right-click that network adapter again and go to Properties > Advanced. Here are some settings to consider fiddling with:

Large Send Offload v2 (IPv4/IPv6)
Receive Side Scaling (RSS)
Interrupt Moderation

Disabling a couple of these options may work wonders, but it all depends on the specific setup. Tweak them from Enabled to Disabled and keep an eye on performance afterward.

Change DNS Settings

Another kicker can be your DNS settings. The default from your ISP might be slower than molasses. Switching it up to something like Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare’s (1.1.1.1) could help. To make this change:

Hit Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet.
Find Edit under IP assignment.
Switch IPv4 / IPv6 from Automatic to Manual.
Toggle IPv4 (or IPv6) to On and pop in the new DNS servers.

Example: Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8; Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4. Give it a go!

Use a Wired Connection Properly

Lastly, don’t overlook the basics—check that Ethernet cable. Is it in good shape? A wired connection trumps Wi-Fi anytime, especially when the latter’s signal is flaky. Cheap cables or old ones could be throttling your speeds without a clue. Testing it with a cable tester can help, or just swap it out with a better one if you’ve got it lying around. Also, avoid unnecessary adapters — keep it simple with a direct plug into the router or modem. For longer distances, going with a CAT6a or CAT7 cable might be worth it.

Once these tweaks are applied, there’s a good chance there’ll be a noticeable improvement in the Ethernet speed on Windows 11. These steps are pretty straightforward and a good way to give that connection a little TLC. Sure, sometimes a reboot or a trial-and-error approach might be necessary, but it can really pay off when everything runs smoothly.

Checklist to consider:

Update network drivers.
Disable unnecessary background apps.
Check and tweak Ethernet adapter settings.
Change DNS settings to something snappier.
Ensure your Ethernet cable is solid and correctly connected.

If just one of these tweaks gets a connection moving faster, that’s a win.