When my Apple TV is connected to my network via 5GHz WiFi it gives me faster connections speed (around 120 Mbps) than it does when I have it plugged into my network's ethernet cable (around 45 Mbps). Why is that? I thought the ethernet would give me the fastest possible connection.
null-OTHER, Apple TV (4th gen)
The ethernet port on all ATVs (including the 4th generation) is only 100 Mbit/sec. The actual speed depends on the quality of your network components like routers, switches and cables, and of course it depends on the length of your ethernet cable and if it's damaged in any way (bent or squeezed). And finally it depends on which speed you've actually measured, the speed on your LAN or the speed on your WAN.
The ethernet port on all ATVs (including the 4th generation) is only 100 Mbit/sec. The actual speed depends on the quality of your network components like routers, switches and cables, and of course it depends on the length of your ethernet cable and if it's damaged in any way (bent or squeezed). And finally it depends on which speed you've actually measured, the speed on your LAN or the speed on your WAN.
I tested the speeds using the 'test my speed' app that I downloaded on Apple TV. I first did it with the thing connected to 5GHz WiFi and then tried it after it was connected to the ethernet cable. The ethernet cable comes straight from my router and my iMac also gets an ethernet cable form the router. When I test my iMac internet speed it gives me about 170 Mbps, which would imply that the LAN connections are not what is causing Apple TV to be running at only 45 Mbps when connected to the ethernet cable. If Apple TVs have a top rate of 100 Mbps then I would think that this is the speed I would get when I connect the ethernet cable to it since my iMac is registering 170 Mbps connected to the same router via the same type of ethernet cable (Cat 5e).
nikolafromprovo wrote:
Thanks, I wasn't aware of this. I removed the ethernet and improved my speeds a lot by going 5GHz wireless. I thought that going cable would make a faster connection.
I though the ethernet cable would be faster, too. I didn't know that the ethernet port's max speed was 100 Mbps, but I can't figure out why I am not 'saturating' that max speed with my current LAN setup when my WiFi is able to deliver 120 Mbps. Anyone have any thoughts about this?
nikolafromprovo wrote:
Thanks, I wasn't aware of this. I removed the ethernet and improved my speeds a lot by going 5GHz wireless. I thought that going cable would make a faster connection.
I though the ethernet cable would be faster, too. I didn't know that the ethernet port's max speed was 100 Mbps, but I can't figure out why I am not 'saturating' that max speed with my current LAN setup when my WiFi is able to deliver 120 Mbps. Anyone have any thoughts about this?
Bump. Anyone have any thoughts about why my 4th gen Apple TV only has 45 Mbps on ethernet cable connection but 120 Mbps on 5GHz WiFi? Shouldn't the ethernet connection max out the 100 Mbps rating of the ATV's ethernet port?
There can be various things that impact throughput via Ethernet including the manufacture of the cable, kinks in the cable (even if you straighten it), distance of cable from router, type of cable etc.
this article is a few years old but may help...
Thanks, I wasn't aware of this. I removed the ethernet and improved my speeds a lot by going 5GHz wireless. I thought that going cable would make a faster connection.
Apple TV (4th gen) faster with 5GHz WiFi than with ethernet cable
