Ethernet woes

Have a problem, briefly discussed in another thread, where my wired speeds fluctuate wildly from one log-in to the next, while all my wireless connections run steadily at a 'normal' 6-6.5Mbps.
At times it is so slow that the regular TBB test won't run at all.
Have tried two working Netgear routers, (mine's a DGND3300) and have changed the ethernet cable, and the same problem resurfaces, requiring sometimes several reboots before it mysteriously returns to normal.
Suspect something nasty in the motherboard, but has anyone else experienced this ?

If the wired speeds refer to one particular device then it may be that device is busy doing something like large anti-virus scans, updates or is even using the connection which will affect speed tests.

Windows Task Manager is your friend there

Doesn't sound like your issue as you mention testing with alternate routers - but I've seen the LAN ports on Netgear's DGN2000 fail a couple of times now.

Wireless continues to work fine but the separate LAN ports start running slow. Swapping ports can help until that one fails - I think they get too hot when the router is used flat rather than standing up.

Your common device looks like it's the PC/Network card - have you got another PC you can use on a wired connection to see if the problem is still there?

Else as MrS says it could be the PC running something...

Thank you gentlemen - after disabling everything, and with Task Manager very quiet indeed, the speed has just dropped away again and the TBB test inaccessible once more.

It has to be a router issue, (for some reason it has me now logged on as a guest), and I believe now that Netgear are not infallible !

However, the green cabinet which has sat in the village for months has now been joined by another (we are all on EO lines), - this is presumably good news?? The router will become redundant anyway ?

The concept of 'guest' should not exist for an Ethernet based connection, you are connected or not.

If FTTC appears (and it may be, but note that not all EO lines get moved, so don't celebrate just yet) then new hardware is best unless already using something nice and fast

If you don't manage to get to the bottom of it then a get-around may be to pick up a USB wifi dongle (very cheap on Amazon) and go wireless...