Question Ethernet backhaul not detected on both satellites in one room!

Dave3000 · Apr 3, 2025

I'm currently using a Netgear Nighthawk MK93S Mesh Network system in my parent's home. One of the locations I assume is wired for a 100 mbps ethernet connection (speedtest won't go past 95 mbps for both up and down with a direct ethernet connection to the computer from the ethernet outlet in that room on our 1Gbps Internet Plan) and therefore I assume that the technician installed Cat 5 cable for that room which is my mom's office. The cabling was done around 20 years ago in this home. When I connect one of the satellites of this mesh network system in this room using the ethernet cable from the wall to one of the ethernet ports on the satellite and then the other ethernet port of the satellite to the ethernet port of the PC, it shows that that satellite is using the 5 GHz backhaul instead of the ethernet backhaul, even though the satellite is connected by ethernet cable to the ethernet outlet on the wall. I tried the 2nd satellite as well, and it still gives priority to the 5GHz backhaul instead of the ethernet backhaul. Is this because this system, gives priority to the faster backhaul connection if ethernet backhaul is physically connected to it, in this case the 5GHz backhaul is faster than the 100 mbps ethernet backhaul? If it's normal that it does give priority of the 5GHz wireless backhaul over the 100 mbps ethernet backhaul, is there a way to prioritize the ethernet backhaul in the router's settings? The PC in this room has a 1Gbit ethernet port and Cat 5e patch cables are used between the satellite and wall and between the satellite and PC.

In2Photos · Apr 3, 2025

If you are only getting 100Mbps over the wired connection my guess is that there is a problem with the wiring and that is preventing the mesh network from using the Ethernet backhaul. Get a cheap Ethernet tester like this and see if the wiring is good: https://www.amazon.com/sspa/click?i...-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Dave3000 · Apr 3, 2025

I was thinking that maybe it's because there may be a chance that it's Cat 5 cable going to that room as the cabling was done around 20 years ago and we only had DSL at the time, so nowhere near 100 mbps at the time, so I wouldn't have thought of any problem back then with the cabling to the room. Only a year ago when we upgraded our internet from 100 mbps to 500 mbps, did I notice slow ethernet in that room as the other rooms were getting 570 mbps through ethernet but that room was staying at 95 mbps through ethernet. Also the other rooms in this house I think are wired through Cat 5e as that's what it says on the ethernet outlets in the other rooms that have an ethernet outlet. We recently upgraded to 1Gbps and that room is still stuck at 95 mbps through a direct ethernet connection to the wall, while in my bedroom it's around 870-930 mbps through an ethernet connection to the ethernet switch which then connects to the ethernet outlet on the wall.

Anyways is it normal for a satellite in a mesh system to take priority of the faster backhaul connection whether it's 5Ghz or ethernet if I have physically an ethernet backhaul connected to it?

Klingenberg · Apr 3, 2025

Yeah, your mesh system is likely prioritizing the faster 5GHz backhaul over the 100 Mbps wired connection. Check the router settings, some systems let you force Ethernet backhaul. Also, confirm the wall cabling isn’t actually Cat5 (not 5e), which would cap at 100 Mbps. If so, upgrading to Cat5e or better might help.

In2Photos · Apr 3, 2025

Dave3000 said:
I was thinking that maybe it's because there may be a chance that it's Cat 5 cable going to that room as the cabling was done around 20 years ago and we only had DSL at the time, so nowhere near 100 mbps at the time, so I wouldn't have thought of any problem back then with the cabling to the room. Only a year ago when we upgraded our internet from 100 mbps to 500 mbps, did I notice slow ethernet in that room as the other rooms were getting 570 mbps through ethernet but that room was staying at 95 mbps through ethernet. Also the other rooms in this house I think are wired through Cat 5e as that's what it says on the ethernet outlets in the other rooms that have an ethernet outlet. We recently upgraded to 1Gbps and that room is still stuck at 95 mbps through a direct ethernet connection to the wall, while in my bedroom it's around 870-930 mbps through an ethernet connection to the ethernet switch which then connects to the ethernet outlet on the wall.

Anyways is it normal for a satellite in a mesh system to take priority of the faster backhaul connection whether it's 5Ghz or ethernet if I have physically an ethernet backhaul connected to it?

Sorry I forgot that CAT5 was limited to 100Mbps.

I've used 2 different mesh systems with wired backhaul but haven't run into this limitation to know if it would default to the faster pipeline. Not a bad thing if it does but it would be nice if it told you that. You could try moving the node into the same room as the main unit with a short cable and see what it does.

Dave3000 · Apr 4, 2025

In2Photos said:
Sorry I forgot that CAT5 was limited to 100Mbps.

I've used 2 different mesh systems with wired backhaul but haven't run into this limitation to know if it would default to the faster pipeline. Not a bad thing if it does but it would be nice if it told you that. You could try moving the node into the same room as the main unit with a short cable and see what it does.

I just tried that and the ethernet backhaul is detected, though this time it was the 1Gbit backhaul as it was directly connected one of the router's ethernet ports, so I assume that it prioritizes the faster backhaul connection connected to it, regardless of how stable the connection is. I wonder if the 5 GHz backhaul drops out or goes below 100 mbps, does the 100 mbps ethernet backhaul kick in? If so, I will connect it to the 100 mbps ethernet backhaul in that room, even though it prioritizing the 5GHz backhaul in that room.

Question Ethernet backhaul not detected on both satellites in one room!

Dave3000

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In2Photos

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Dave3000

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Klingenberg

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In2Photos

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Dave3000

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