There are loads of issues I like about my LG TV. The image high quality is vibrant and sharp, it has 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, so I by no means have to fret about which HDMI port I am utilizing, and it additionally has a ton of helpful options I exploit each day, like Bluetooth audio and Dolby Imaginative and prescient.
But when there’s one factor that deeply frustrates me about my LG TV, and, frankly, each good TV, it is the Ethernet port.
Usually, an Ethernet port is a sooner, extra dependable technique to join a tool on to your router, however on good TVs, that is solely half true. Whereas your TV’s Ethernet port is nice for making a steady connection to your router, it isn’t so nice in terms of pace. That is as a result of the Ethernet ports on most TVs are restricted to a most obtain pace of 100 Mbps. That is generally known as 10/100 Ethernet or “Quick Ethernet.” And whereas 100 Mbps could have been thought of quick 20 years in the past, issues are very totally different in 2026.
Merely put, due to this pace limitation, the Ethernet port on the overwhelming majority of TVs sucks and may really be slower than Wi-Fi. So, I launched into a mission to repair this and eventually get sooner Ethernet on my TV. This is what I did and how one can simply get quick, dependable Ethernet in your TV, too, making streaming reveals and films, downloading apps, cloud gaming, and streaming native media via apps like Plex or Jellyfin a breeze.
How I bypassed my TV’s sluggish Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet is the improve you are searching for
There are two methods you’ll be able to go about getting sooner Ethernet in your TV.
The primary is to select up a streaming machine with a Gigabit Ethernet port. In case you’re not conversant in Gigabit Ethernet, it is a a lot sooner Ethernet commonplace that helps obtain speeds of as much as 1 Gbps, which is 10 instances sooner than 10/100 Ethernet, the usual most good TVs are caught with, as I discussed earlier.
The factor is, whereas there are many set-top streaming containers with Ethernet ports, not all of them have Gigabit Ethernet, and a few use the identical sluggish 10/100 Ethernet ports discovered on most good TVs. Gadgets to keep away from if you’d like sooner Ethernet embody the Roku Extremely, Hearth TV Dice, and Onn 4K Professional. Alternatively, units with Gigabit Ethernet embody the Google TV Streamer, Nvidia Defend TV Professional, and the Apple TV 4K (128GB).
Personally, I exploit the Google TV Streamer to get Gigabit Ethernet on my TV, and it really works like a appeal. I can simply get speeds exceeding 700 Mbps utilizing it, whereas my LG TV’s Ethernet port caps out at round 90 Mbps.
The primary purpose I went with the Google TV Streamer is that it is the most cost-effective of the bunch at $100. By comparability, the 128GB Apple TV 4K with Ethernet now prices $250 following a current worth hike, whereas the Nvidia Defend TV Professional prices $200.
An Ethernet adapter is one other resolution
Your outcomes could differ, although
The second technique to get sooner Ethernet in your TV is to make use of a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. I did this with a UGREEN adapter I picked up on Amazon for $12 that helps Gigabit Ethernet. Whereas I used to be capable of get a lot sooner Ethernet this manner, there are just a few caveats try to be conscious of.
First, this methodology does not work on each good TV as a result of your TV’s working system could not detect an Ethernet adapter plugged into its USB port. I had success utilizing the UGREEN adapter with webOS on my LG TV, however your mileage could differ relying in your TV’s model and working system. In case your TV runs Google TV or Hearth TV, it ought to work, however once more, there isn’t any assure. You possibly can at all times return it if it does not.
In my case, the adapter did not work instantly after I plugged it into my TV. I needed to flip off Wi-Fi on my TV earlier than it could detect and begin utilizing the Ethernet adapter. As soon as I did that, the adapter was instantly acknowledged, and I used to be getting a lot sooner Ethernet speeds on my TV.
Nonetheless, there’s one other limitation to this methodology: the USB ports on my TV are restricted to USB 2.0 reasonably than USB 3.0. In consequence, the quickest pace I used to be capable of get was round 320 Mbps. That is considerably slower than what I can get via the Google TV Streamer’s Gigabit Ethernet port, but it surely’s nonetheless a lot sooner than the roughly 90 Mbps I used to be getting via my TV’s built-in Ethernet port.
Finally, if you’d like essentially the most dependable technique to get sooner Ethernet in your TV, I might suggest a set-top streamer with a Gigabit Ethernet port, such because the Google TV Streamer. However in case you’re searching for a less expensive different, a USB-to-Ethernet adapter also can work surprisingly nicely. Simply remember that there is a likelihood your TV will not detect it, and even when it does, your TV’s USB port might restrict the speeds you’ll be able to obtain.
- Dimensions
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6.4 x 3 x 1-inch
- Connective Expertise
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Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Model
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Google
- What’s Included
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Distant
