~/guides/lg-tv-ethernet-100mbps
$ cat guides/lg-tv-ethernet-100mbps.md

LG TV Ethernet stuck at 100 Mbps?

It isn't your cable or your router. LG builds its TVs' wired port as 100 Mbit/s Ethernet. Here's what that means, and the ways around it.

Short answer. The built-in port is 100 Mbit/s, about 95 in practice. On a rooted TV, a USB Ethernet adapter made into the TV's eth0 with LG-USB-2-ETH0 gets about 250 to 330 Mbit/s over USB 2.0, and settings and streaming apps treat it as the real wired connection.

Why it's 100 Mbit/s

LG's TVs use a Fast Ethernet controller for the wired port: 100 Mbit/s, with real throughput around 95. It's a hardware limit, so a gigabit switch, a new Cat6 cable or a faster internet plan won't move it. For most streaming apps that's plenty. It isn't for high-bitrate local files: 4K Blu-ray remuxes over Plex or Jellyfin, and game streaming with Moonlight, can stutter or buffer.

Every model, the C2, C4 and G4 included

This isn't one model's quirk. Measured on TVs from a 2020 UN7300 to a 2024 G4 and a 2026 G6, the built-in port lands at about 95 Mbit/s. Look up your model's Ethernet port speed and you'll find the same answer: 100 Mbit/s.

Your options

1. Wi-Fi

Ethernet vs Wi-Fi on an LG TV: on a strong Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 signal, the TV's Wi-Fi can beat the wired port on paper. It's also less steady, and steadiness is what high-bitrate playback needs. Worth a test, especially with the router in the same room.

2. A USB Ethernet adapter, on a stock TV

Plug one in and the TV may detect it, but webOS names it eth1. The TV's settings then show "Not Connected", and some apps, like Paramount+, refuse to play over it. Without root there's no way to change that.

3. A USB Ethernet adapter as eth0, on a rooted TV

LG-USB-2-ETH0 makes the adapter the TV's eth0, the name webOS and its apps expect, and parks the built-in port as eth2. Settings show the wired connection and apps play over the faster link. It runs at every boot, follows the adapter being plugged and unplugged, can keep Wi-Fi as a backup, and undoes cleanly. Where your kernel's driver for the adapter is missing or slow, it can find, check and load one built for your exact kernel.

Real speeds

Measured on real TVs, mostly over USB 2.0 ports:

setupspeed
Built-in port, any modelabout 95 Mbit/s
RTL8153 adapter, generic cdc_ncm driver (2024 C4)200 to 255 Mbit/s, with drops
Same adapter with a Realtek r8152 driver290 to 330 Mbit/s
RTL8156 on a 2022 C2, webOS 25272 down, 287 up
RTL8153 on a 2024 G4, webOS 24293 down, 285 up
ASIX AX88179 on a 2020 UN7300, webOS 5228 down, 325 up
RTL8153 on a 2026 G6, webOS 26247 down, 312 up

USB 2.0 is the ceiling, at around 300 Mbit/s. Still about three times the built-in port, and plenty for 4K remuxes. Sources and more results are on the LG-USB-2-ETH0 page.

What you need

  • A rooted LG TV with the Homebrew Channel: see the install guide.
  • A USB Ethernet adapter with a chip your TV has a driver for: see which adapter to buy.
  • Wi-Fi connected while you set it up, as a way back in while the ports switch over.

Then add https://ohmybahgosh.dev/repo to the Homebrew Channel, install LG-USB-2-ETH0 and choose Run at every boot.

Check the link isn't 100 Mbit/s too

If the adapter also shows 100 Mbit/s, it's usually the cable: flat and older cables often carry only two of their four wire pairs. Try a Cat5e or better cable, or another port on the router or switch. LG-USB-2-ETH0's status screen flags a 100 Mbit/s link.

Related

Best USB Ethernet adapters for LG TVsChips that work, and ones to skipLG-USB-2-ETH0The app and scriptLG-USB-2-ETH0 FAQUpdates, Wi-Fi, wake-on-LAN and more

FAQ

Is the LG TV Ethernet port really only 100 Mbit/s?
On LG's TVs, yes: the built-in port is Fast Ethernet, 100 Mbit/s, which works out to about 95 Mbit/s of real traffic. A faster router, switch or cable won't change that. The TV's settings may still say the link is connected at 100.
Will a gigabit or 2.5G USB adapter give me gigabit?
No. Most LG TVs only have USB 2.0 ports, which top out around 300 Mbit/s in practice. That's still about three times the built-in port. On a TV with a USB 3.0 port (usually the blue one), use that for more.
Can I just plug in a USB Ethernet adapter without root?
The TV may see it, but webOS calls it eth1. The settings then show no wired connection, and some streaming apps, like Paramount+, refuse to play over it. Making the adapter the TV's eth0 needs root, which is what LG-USB-2-ETH0 does.
Is Wi-Fi faster than the wired port?
Often, on a good Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 connection close to the router. It's less steady than a cable, though, and that's what causes buffering on high-bitrate streams. Test both with the same file or speed test.
Why does Plex or Jellyfin buffer on my LG TV over Ethernet?
Often it's the 100 Mbit/s port: a 4K remux can peak above what it carries, even when the file plays fine elsewhere. Check the file's bitrate against 95 Mbit/s. Wi-Fi with a strong signal, or a USB adapter as eth0 on a rooted TV, gives it room.
What needs more than 100 Mbit/s?
4K Blu-ray remuxes from Plex, Jellyfin or a local server, which can peak well above 100 Mbit/s, and game streaming like Moonlight at high bitrates. Regular streaming apps use far less.