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Can a Bad Ethernet Cable Cause Packet Loss

Can a Bad Ethernet Cable Cause Packet Loss? [How To Fix]

Have Packet Loss while surfing the Internet? And thinking about your Ethernet Cable may be the reason behind it. If yes, you are at the right place because here I’ve answered your questions.

So, Can a Bad Ethernet Cable Cause Packet Loss?

Yes, if you have a damaged or bad Ethernet Cable, it can cause Packet Loss. Wires of Ethernet send a lot of data. So damaged wires will not be able to transfer data properly, and you’ll have connection problems.

Mainly broken wires will not send data equally and also impact the electrical signals. That will make the whole thing worse.

So you may have a huge issue with that. There are also a few possible reasons for the Packet Loss that I’ve listed below.

Why Do You Get Packet Loss with an Ethernet Cable?

The Wires of the Ethernet transfer data to give a stable Internet connection. But, when the wires are broken or damaged, they will not send data accurately, and you will have a bad Internet experience.

Like, if you have a light with damaged wire, it will blink or not give you a continuous light. Similarly, this happens with your Ethernet cable when you have a damaged or old Ethernet.

Also, damaged connections travel through nearby electrical or magnetic sources, making you have Packet Loss.

Often, using cheap Ethernet is the main reason for Packet Loss because companies take many shortcuts and compromise transmission quality. So this can be another reason.

So broken or damaged wires are the main reason behind your Packet Loss with an Ethernet Cable. Packet Loss and a damaged Ethernet can also make you face various problems. That’s why we should avoid Broken Ethernet.

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How Do You Test Ethernet Packet Loss?

So it is disgusting to have Packet Loss while playing games or doing something important on your computer or other devices.

Although there is no easy way to check Ethernet Packet Loss. But few things you can do:

  • Method 1: First, check the full wire and find out if there are any breaks or joints. Suppose you can find that and fix it properly.
  • Method 2: Often, your Ethernet Cable connection travels via a magnetic or electrical field. So secondly, check that there is no magnetic or electrical source near your Ethernet. This can be the reason for Packet Loss. So If you found any electrical or magnetic source, move it.
  • Method 3: If you have a Cheap Ethernet Cable, it may be because Cheap cables are degusting and can increase the ping.
  • Method 4: Replace your current Ethernet Cable and find out if you still have the packet loss issue or not. Doing this lets you quickly determine if your Packet Loss is because of your Ethernet Connection. If nothing changes, then it is happening because of other problems.

After checking all these things, if you still have the issue, it is not because of Ethernet. You must check hardware stuff (Routers, Switch, Hub, NIC) instead. However, you can Test Normal Packet Loss quickly from here.

How To Stop Ethernet Packet Loss?

There are only a few ways to get rid of this issue. If you have Ethernet Packet Loss, you can replace your Ethernet with a new one.

Many people think or try to fix a broken Ethernet cable, but that is not the right approach because it can worsen the whole situation.

Here are some possible steps to Stop Ethernet Packet Loss; let’s check them out.

1. Fix Broken Parts of Your Ethernet Cable

At first, you need to look at every side of your Ethernet Cable and find any Broken parts in the cable. If you find any damaged parts, fix them carefully. You can check this article to figure out how to fix broken parts of your Ethernet.

2. Move Your Ethernet Cable from the Current Position

As I’ve mentioned, if you’ve damaged parts in your Ethernet cable and beside your cable, if you have other electrical or magnetic cable sources, your connection might travel via those sources, and you’ll have Packet Loss.

So if you have magnetic or electrical sources near your Ethernet Cable, move your Ethernet from that particular electrical source.

3. Replace Your Current Ethernet Cable

The easiest thing you can do is change your Current Ethernet connection cable. Because most of the time, you might not be able to fix the broken parts.

Also, suppose you have a cheap Ethernet. In that case, you should change it as soon as possible because various companies build Ethernet in really shortcut ways and sell at an affordable price, giving us a poor Internet experience.

So by changing your current Ethernet cable, you’ll fix the Packet Loss issue and enjoy an excellent Internet connection.

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Additional Information

Ethernet Hub: Sometimes, you may be confused about where the problem is and end up replacing it with a new one, but you still have the same issue.

The most frequent issue is using Ethernet Hub. So if you’re using Ethernet Hub, you should replace all the hubs with Switches.

By doing that, you will have a low ping fantastic Internet experience.


So I hope now you don’t have any confusion about that issue. And I hope you’ll fix that problem as soon as possible. Always try to use premium quality Ethernet and Switches instead of Hub.