I found out how to speed up a TV’s slow Ethernet port ‣ Diverse Daily

There are a lot of things I like about my LG TV. The picture quality is bright and sharp, it has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so I never have to worry about which HDMI port I’m using, and it also has a ton of useful features I use every day, like Bluetooth audio and Dolby Vision.

But if there’s one thing that deeply frustrates me about my LG TV, and, frankly, every smart TV, it’s the Ethernet port.

Typically, an Ethernet port is a faster, more reliable way to connect a device directly to your router, but on smart TVs, that’s only half true. While your TV’s Ethernet port is great for creating a stable connection to your router, it’s not so great when it comes to speed. That’s because the Ethernet ports on most TVs are limited to a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps. This is commonly referred to as 10/100 Ethernet or “Fast Ethernet.” And while 100 Mbps may have been considered fast 20 years ago, things are very different in 2026.

Simply put, because of this speed limitation, the Ethernet port on the vast majority of TVs sucks and can actually be slower than Wi-Fi. So, I embarked on a mission to fix this and finally get faster Ethernet on my TV. Here’s what I did and how you can easily get fast, reliable Ethernet on your TV, too, making streaming shows and movies, downloading apps, cloud gaming, and streaming local media through apps like Plex or Jellyfin a breeze.

How I bypassed my TV’s slow Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet is the upgrade you’re looking for

Ethernet cable plugged into Google TV Streamer.

There are two ways you can go about getting faster Ethernet on your TV.

The first is to pick up a streaming device with a Gigabit Ethernet port. If you’re not familiar with Gigabit Ethernet, it’s a much faster Ethernet standard that supports download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, which is 10 times faster than 10/100 Ethernet, the standard most smart TVs are stuck with, as I mentioned earlier.

The thing is, while there are plenty of set-top streaming boxes with Ethernet ports, not all of them have Gigabit Ethernet, and some use the same slow 10/100 Ethernet ports found on most smart TVs. Devices to avoid if you want faster Ethernet include the Roku Ultra, Fire TV Cube, and Onn 4K Pro. On the other hand, devices with Gigabit Ethernet include the Google TV Streamer, Nvidia Shield TV Pro, and the Apple TV 4K (128GB).

Personally, I use the Google TV Streamer to get Gigabit Ethernet on my TV, and it works like a charm. I can easily get speeds exceeding 700 Mbps using it, whereas my LG TV’s Ethernet port caps out at around 90 Mbps.

The main reason I went with the Google TV Streamer is that it’s the cheapest of the bunch at $100. By comparison, the 128GB Apple TV 4K with Ethernet now costs $250 following a recent price hike, while the Nvidia Shield TV Pro costs $200.

An Ethernet adapter is another solution

Your results may vary, though

The second way to get faster Ethernet on your TV is to use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. I did this with a UGREEN adapter I picked up on Amazon for $12 that supports Gigabit Ethernet. While I was able to get much faster Ethernet this way, there are a few caveats you should be aware of.

First, this method doesn’t work on every smart TV because your TV’s operating system may not detect an Ethernet adapter plugged into its USB port. I had success using the UGREEN adapter with webOS on my LG TV, but your mileage may vary depending on your TV’s brand and operating system. If your TV runs Google TV or Fire TV, it should work, but again, there’s no guarantee. You can always return it if it doesn’t.

In my case, the adapter didn’t work immediately after I plugged it into my TV. I had to turn off Wi-Fi on my TV before it would detect and start using the Ethernet adapter. Once I did that, the adapter was immediately recognized, and I was getting much faster Ethernet speeds on my TV.

However, there’s another limitation to this method: the USB ports on my TV are limited to USB 2.0 rather than USB 3.0. As a result, the fastest speed I was able to get was around 320 Mbps. That’s significantly slower than what I can get through the Google TV Streamer’s Gigabit Ethernet port, but it’s still much faster than the roughly 90 Mbps I was getting through my TV’s built-in Ethernet port.

Ultimately, if you want the most reliable way to get faster Ethernet on your TV, I’d recommend a set-top streamer with a Gigabit Ethernet port, such as the Google TV Streamer. But if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, a USB-to-Ethernet adapter can also work surprisingly well. Just be aware that there’s a chance your TV won’t detect it, and even if it does, your TV’s USB port could limit the speeds you can achieve.