The link rate of the USB connection to PC2 is at 480Mbps 480Mbps-The Wi-Fi adapter on PC2 is connected via a USB 2.0 port.300Mbps-The router connects to a second PC (we'll refer to this as PC2) via Wi-Fi, and it has established a 300Mbps link to the Wi-Fi adapter on PC2.1000Mbps-PC1's Ethernet connection establishes 1Gbps (1000Mbps) link to the router via Ethernet.480Mbps-The USB 3.0 thumb drive is plugged into a USB 2.0 port on the PC, which has a maximum throughput of 480Mbps.800Mbps-The file source is a USB 3.0 thumb drive capable of 100MB/s ( 800Mbps) read/write.The concept of link rates, and their related bottlenecks, is likely best conveyed by giving an example of what connections might be involved in transferring a file from one computer on your LAN to another. The link rate establishes how fast data can possibly be transferred across any given connection, but it does not guarantee how fast the hardware on either end of the connection will actually transfer data. Link RateĪlmost every type of connection your computer makes to any piece of hardware will have a link rate of some kind. The connection your modem makes to your ISP is the WAN, and any devices you connect through your router behind that modem belong to the LAN.

Your modem, and the connection it establishes to your ISP-whether through coaxial cable, fiber, phone lines, or long-range wireless-essentially marks the point between the WAN and the LAN. In some cases, especially in businesses, you may have a separate modem and router, along with other equipment connecting to the router such as a network switch. Many homes use a combination modem/router device provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your LAN is essentially the network inside your home or business. With regards to network performance, it is crucial to first separate whether an issue is with Wide Area Network (WAN) performance, or if the issue is with Local Area Network (LAN) performance. If you just need to know how to perform a network performance test/benchmark, jump down to configuring iPerf. In this article, we'll be taking a deep dive on the nuances of network performance for those who need some additional explanation while striving to be concise, and to educate users of various experience levels relating computer hardware and computer networking.

Usb 2.0 to ethernet adapter driver