Having a gigabit network card in your computer and connecting it to a router or switch does not necessarily mean that you are getting gigabit speed. The negotiated speed to your network from your local computer is what determines the bandwidth of your land. It is important to figure out if you are getting the maximum speed that your equipment can handle.
Here’s a simple way to check your network’s negotiated speed. Go to the network icon in the bottom right corner of your screen, right-click and select “Open Network and Sharing Center”. Here, you will find all your connections. The icon beside the connection will indicate if you are connected to the network or WiFi.
If you are connected to the network, you can find your physical connection speed to the network here. If the speed shows as 100 megabits, then it means that you do not have a negotiated gigabit link to your network. This could be because the router or switch that you are connected to only supports a 10/100 port. This information is important because it lets you know if your equipment is operating at its max speed.
On the other hand, if you’re connected via WiFi, you can find your WiFi speed here. A limitation with WiFi is the communication type and signal strength. If the signal strength is not at its maximum, you might not get the bandwidth you’re expecting. A router’s maximum bandwidth should be indicated on the router and if you’re not getting full signal strength, you might want to investigate why.
This is just a simple way to tell what your negotiated speeds are. To actually test what you’re getting, you would need to use something like iPerf. In conclusion, it’s always a good idea to check your NIC speed to ensure that you’re getting the maximum speed that your equipment can handle.