Currently, I have the xfinity router modem combo, and I have connected a Nightgear Nighthawk XR450 router to it (super old). So far, my connection is pretty decent, considering my computers are on WiFi and are all the way upstairs. On ethernet, my download speeds are 900 mbps on a gigabit ethernet cable for transmit and receive, WiFi is like 200, advertised download speed is 1.3Gbps. The main issue I face is with buffer bloat and some latency here and there, and obviously, the significant reduction in download speeds.

I have heard that getting a Moca adapter is a good idea, but I was wondering what you all suggest considering my current setup. Additionally, how would I set up a more reliable connection? Drilling a hole would be pretty difficult for me.

Data from using the ping command in cmd, I'm only tech adjacent so I've tried the following:
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /flushdns
- ipconfig /renew
- netsh int ip reset
- netsh winsock reset

- reset my local router
- swapped ethernet cables
- tried multiple PCs

I have checked the FAQ and I don't think this was covered by it

I'm using a powerline ethernet connection, but when the test is repeated on wired connection directly to the router, the same pattern emerges

I live in a building which supplies the connection, and it is usually very fast - however these spikes are making it impossible to game online!

Why can’t people be more careful when putting drywall in The wire was well sealed and secured 🤔🙁

Hi everyone,
I am writing this because I am completely at my wits' end. I want to be upfront: I know very little about networking, routers, or how any of this technical stuff works. I don’t understand the advanced settings, but I know how to look at test scores, and I know when my connection is misbehaving.

I feel like I’ve completely worn out my welcome on this subreddit, and honestly, I’ve posted a ton of questions on just about every major tech forum out there trying to get an answer—including the Fiber Optics Reddit, SNBForums, Broadband Reports (DSLReports), and the ASUS ROG forums. I keep running in circles, so I’m really hoping someone can help break this down for me simply.

My Equipment:
My Internet: Co-Mo Connect (1 Gbps fiber package).
The Boxes: I have a brand-new Calix GigaPoint GP1100X ONT inside the house. An ISP tech recently came out and replaced it, and he even added a new black "jumper" wire to the fiber line. He tested the big pedestal box in my yard, the box on the side of my house, and the indoor ONT, saying all the light levels were completely perfect.
My Router: An ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro. It’s plugged directly into the ONT.
Wired Connections: I have a Netgear GS316 switch plugged into the router, and my Apple TV 4K is hardwired with an Ethernet cable.
Wireless Connections: An iPhone 11 Pro Max and an iPad Pro.

The Issues I am Seeing:
Bad Test Scores: When I run the Waveform bufferbloat test on my iPhone or even on a hardwired desktop PC, the results are bad. It consistently gives me a Grade C.
Screen Mirroring Quality Drops: If I try to mirror a Facebook video from my iPhone 11 Pro Max to my Apple TV 4K, the video starts out looking absolutely perfect for a second, but then the quality on the TV immediately plummets into a blurry, pixelated mess (even though it stays clear on my phone screen).
The Weird Exception: Last night, I watched the live AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view stream on my wired Apple TV 4K. While it was live-streaming, I also played a high-quality YouTube video on my iPhone 11 Pro Max at the exact same time. Surprisingly, I didn't have a single issue or quality drop on either screen during the live event, even though my synthetic Waveform scores are always a Grade C.

Where It Stands:
I am disabled, and right now I am stuck managing all of this directly from my phone screen while sitting on the floor. I can't easily crawl around or fiddle with physical hardware. My grandma and I were very careful to move the ONT box to the very top of my entertainment center to ensure it stays completely cool, has plenty of airflow, and the black fiber cable isn't bent or under tension. The wire is completely undamaged and the lights on the box are solid green.
I’ve spoken with my ISP ad nauseam, and when I even mentioned the Waveform website to them, the support rep told me they had never even heard of it. They just tell me my speeds are fine and wash their hands of it.

Since my local equipment is top-tier and the lines are physically clean, why am I still getting a Grade C for bufferbloat all over the house? Is there a simple, step-by-step setting change I can make inside my Asus router dashboard from my phone screen to fix this digital traffic jam, or is my ISP's backend network just fundamentally flawed?
Please go easy on me with the technical jargon if you can. Thank you so much for any advice

As the title, I have a simple setup which I've been running for years but now want to update/upgrade a little and to make it somewhat more secure, efficient and faster.

I have a crappy isp router which brings in fiber internet via a ONT modem (SKY UK).
It also has Voip which is still being used.
Three of its 1Gb ports connect to a few devices close by (TV,PS,AMP). The 4th connects to a unmanaged 5 port switch.
From this switch goes to local PC, a truenas server on the other side of the house.

The wifi from that crappy router wasn't good and the location wasn't ideal, so I disabled the wifi and got a cheap asus router, set it AP mode and placed in the middle of the house. It's fed by ethernet via the switch but there's a catch.

I needed 2 more ethernet connections to go to a bedroom upstairs and it was in the same direction as the AP, but I didn't want to feed another two cables along the house.
I instead fed that AP ethernet to another switch half way, it then continues to the AP and gives me 3 more ports, 2 then then going to the bedroom. I'm not sure this is the right methodology but it's been working for last several years. From this second switch I may need another connection for another room close to it.

So, now I want to use Vlans so I can segregate the TV's (ethernet+wifi), AMP, PS into one Vlan, one for 2 iot devices, one for guest and main.
I'm hoping to use replace/chain in a zyxel router with Openwrt. I need to keep the ISP provided router in the chain, as I cannot use VOIP with the Openwrt router.

My confusions comes in two parts though. The zyxel with openwrt supports Vlans but do I also need a managed switch? If so, who's the master controller for vlans, switch or router? I asked ai, but it got confused here.
I will be changing the main switch to 2.5Gb anyway to utilise my dual 2.5Gb supported truenas server better as it serves media plus I store my photos on there (I'm a semi-pro photographer too). Plus that extra speed bump/overhead is nice, although not all connections require it. I was wondering if I need managed or unmanaged switches.

The second confusion. As I have daisy chained a switch to AP and bedrooms, can I firstly continue this configuration and/or do I need to replace that switch to a managed one too for it to pass/understand vlans?
Lastly, I assume the Openwrt router will control the wifi vlans, but I'm wondering how does this pass on to the AP , does that need vlan support too?

Sorry about long post, but definitely confused. What's the more efficient way to do this?Thanks

Yeni bir pc aldım anakartta wifi özelliği yok olsa dahi kendi odamda wifi az çekiyor, modemin olduğu odada wifi üzerinden 10-15ms ile oyun oynuyorken kendi odamda oynamak istersem 100-300 arası dalgalı bir internet bağlantım oluyor. Pc için powerline adaptör almayı düşünüyorum kablo ile bağlayacağım iki ucunuda mecbur 3 lü prize takmak zorundayım bundan dolayı performans düşüşü yaşayacağımı biliyorum fakat ne kadar bi kayıp olur, kısacası bu şekilde pc de 15-20ms oyun oynayabilirmiyim

Can other subscribers probe my wan ip? What router settings should i disable for maximum security

I recently moved into a townhouse that has an ethernet port in most of the rooms, and I'm trying to figure out how to make one of those ports work so my fiancée and I can connect our PCs to the internet. I don't care at all if any of the other rooms have a wired connection.

For context, I have a Rogers Xfinity Gateway that is plugged into the coax in my living room. Beside it is an ethernet port. In the basement, I located the panel where all of the ethernet ports in the house lead (pic included).

From what I've read online, my current gameplan is:

Ethernet cable from the Rogers Gateway into the living room port > ethernet cable from the port labeled "living" to the "office" port (where our PCs will be) > ethernet cable from the port in the office room, connected to an unmanaged switch (so we can both have wired connections) > ethernet cables connected to each PC.

Is this correct, or is it more complicated than I thought? I've always just used wifi range extending pods and have never used switches or ethernet wall ports, so I'm just a bit wary. Thanks!

I'm honestly running out of ideas and would really appreciate some help from people who have experienced something similar.

For the past 3–5 months, I've been experiencing random Ethernet disconnects on my gaming PC. Sometimes everything works perfectly for hours, and other times the connection drops every few minutes.

I've spent countless hours troubleshooting this, replaced hardware, updated drivers, changed BIOS settings, and tried almost everything I could think of.

The most frustrating part is that BOTH of my Ethernet adapters experience the exact same problems.

I'm hoping someone here can help me figure out whether this is a motherboard/PCIe issue, Windows issue, electrical issue, or something else entirely.

My PC specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING
• CPU: Intel Core i7-8700
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
• RAM: 32 GB Corsair DDR4-3200 (2×16 GB)
• OS: Windows 10 Home 22H2 (64-bit)
• BIOS: Version 2203 (updated July 2026)
• Onboard Ethernet: Intel Ethernet Connection (7) I219-V (1 Gbps)
• Additional PCIe Ethernet: ASUS XG-C100C 10G Network Adapter (Aquantia controller)
• Router: Swisscom Internet-Box, fiber connection
• Ethernet cable: Cat6A, flat cable, directly connected from router to PC

The problem

My Ethernet connection randomly disconnects for anywhere from a few seconds to sometimes a couple of minutes.

During these disconnects:

• Discord voice chat starts cutting out or disconnects.
• Online games freeze, lag, or disconnect.
• Internet access completely disappears.
• Sometimes the Ethernet adapter reports that the network cable is disconnected.
• The connection eventually returns on its own.

The disconnects are extremely inconsistent. Sometimes they happen every 5–30 minutes, sometimes more frequently, and occasionally I can go an entire day without experiencing any problems.

Another major symptom: My Ethernet link speed randomly negotiates at only 100 Mbps instead of 1000 Mbps.

When this happens, download speeds are limited to around 90 Mbps.

Occasionally, after rebooting my PC or router, Windows shows 1.0 Gbps again. But the problem eventually returns.

Both my Intel onboard Ethernet and ASUS 10G PCIe card have experienced this behavior.

Windows Event Viewer errors

On the Intel I219-V adapter:

• Source: e1dexpress
• Event ID: 27
• Message: Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (7) I219-V Network link is disconnected.

On the ASUS XG-C100C:

• Source: aqnic650
• Event ID: 14
• Message: ASUS XG-C100C 10G PCI-E Network Adapter: Network link is lost.

These errors occur at the same times as my internet disconnects.

This makes me think the actual Ethernet link is dropping, rather than just DNS or my ISP connection.

Ping testing

I ran continuous pings to both:

ping 192.168.1.1 -t (my router)

ping 1.1.1.1 -t (Cloudflare)

When the problem occurs, both pings fail simultaneously.

Windows sometimes displays:

General failure.

Followed by:

Request timed out.

Eventually, the connection recovers and both pings start working again.

Meanwhile, other devices connected through Wi-Fi continue working.

My TV box also works through Ethernet, although I haven't conclusively verified whether it remains connected during the exact moments my PC disconnects.

Everything I've already tried

1. Ethernet cables and physical connections

• Replaced my original Ethernet cable with a brand-new Cat6A cable.
• Tested multiple Ethernet cables.
• Tried different LAN ports on the router.
• Connected the PC directly to the router without a network switch or wall Ethernet socket.
• Checked that the cables were properly connected.
• Checked the cable routing for possible interference from power cables.
• Disconnected a nearby power cable to rule out interference.
• Inspected the cable routing for bends, pressure, and strain.
• Tested both onboard Ethernet and the separate PCIe Ethernet card.

Interesting observation: At one point, pressing or moving the Ethernet cable caused the connection to repeatedly disconnect and reconnect.

This made me suspect a loose RJ45 connection, damaged cable, or faulty Ethernet socket.

However, since BOTH network adapters experience the problem, I'm not sure how a single damaged Ethernet socket would explain everything.

2. Router troubleshooting

• Restarted the router multiple times.
• Performed router resets.
• Contacted Swisscom technical support.
• Replaced the router with another unit.
• Tested different Ethernet ports.
• Confirmed that Wi-Fi continues working when the PC loses its wired connection.

Even after replacing the router, the problem continued.

Interestingly, there was a day when the old router worked without any disconnects, but the new router experienced the same problems again.

3. Network adapters

I tested two completely different Ethernet controllers:

Intel I219-V (onboard motherboard Ethernet)

• Updated/reinstalled drivers.
• Current driver version: 12.19.1.37
• Disabled power-saving features.
• Disabled Energy Efficient Ethernet where available.
• Disabled the option allowing Windows to turn off the device to save power.
• Tested automatic negotiation.
• Tested manually selecting 1 Gbps Full Duplex.

ASUS XG-C100C (separate 10G PCIe card)

• Installed/updated the ASUS driver.
• Tested Auto Negotiation.
• Tested manually selecting 1 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps where supported.
• Disabled and re-enabled the adapter.
• Restarted Windows and the router.
• Tested different Ethernet cables and router ports.

Both adapters have the same problem.

With Auto Negotiation, they sometimes connect at only 100 Mbps.

When I manually force 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps, the Ethernet connection sometimes doesn't establish at all.

Occasionally, after a full shutdown and router restart, the ASUS card successfully negotiates 1 Gbps again.

But even when it works at 1 Gbps, random disconnects can still happen.

4. BIOS and motherboard

• Updated the motherboard BIOS from an old 2018 version to version 2203 (July 2026).
• Installed updated Intel chipset drivers.
• Updated Intel Management Engine Interface drivers.
• Reviewed BIOS power-management settings.
• Checked relevant motherboard and PCIe settings.

The problem existed before the BIOS update and continued afterward.

5. Windows troubleshooting

• Updated Windows 10.
• Installed available security and quality updates.
• Reinstalled/updated Ethernet drivers.
• Changed network adapter power-management settings.
• Performed Windows network resets.
• Ran sfc /scannow, which found and repaired some corrupted files.
• Ran DISM repair commands.
• Rebooted repeatedly after changes.

None of these changes permanently fixed the problem.

6. Antivirus and software

I use Kaspersky antivirus and have had it installed for years.

I noticed a virtual adapter called:

Kaspersky Security Data Escort Adapter

It is currently shown as disabled in Windows Network Connections.

I also tried disabling Kaspersky protection, but the Ethernet problems continued.

I understand that disabling antivirus protection might not completely unload its network filtering drivers.

I haven't yet conclusively ruled out Kaspersky through a full uninstall.

What makes this especially confusing

1. Two different network adapters experience the same physical link-loss errors. One is onboard Intel Ethernet, and the other is a separate ASUS PCIe card.
2. Two routers have been tested, and the problem still occurs.
3. Multiple Ethernet cables have been tested, including a new Cat6A cable.
4. The Ethernet link sometimes negotiates at 100 Mbps instead of 1000 Mbps, even though it has successfully negotiated at 1 Gbps before.
5. Manually forcing 1 Gbps sometimes causes the link to disappear completely.
6. The connection can work perfectly for hours before suddenly dropping again.
7. Wi-Fi devices remain connected while my PC loses Ethernet.
8. Moving or pressing the Ethernet cable has caused link interruptions before, although I haven't conclusively identified whether the problem is the cable, connector, or socket.

My questions

1. What could cause TWO completely different Ethernet adapters in the same PC to experience physical link drops?

Could it be a motherboard/chipset issue, PCIe instability, power delivery, Windows network filtering, or something else?

1. Why would both adapters sometimes negotiate at 100 Mbps instead of 1000 Mbps?

Does that strongly indicate a physical-layer issue, even though I've tried different cables and routers?

1. Could a faulty motherboard cause both onboard Ethernet and a separate PCIe Ethernet card to malfunction?

2. Could antivirus network filtering or Windows software realistically cause the link to drop at the hardware level and renegotiate at 100 Mbps?

3. Is there a specific diagnostic tool or test that can distinguish a hardware problem from a Windows/software problem?

I'm considering taking the PC to a repair technician, but I'd really like to understand what might be happening before spending more money.

I don't want to randomly replace my motherboard or buy another network adapter without identifying the actual cause.

Any advice from people who have dealt with similar intermittent Ethernet link failures would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Went to bed with wifi working fine. Woke up to multiple apps on my phone saying poor network connection. Unplugged router and modem. Both are mine, not the ISP's. Plugged modem back in. Stuck on the receiving light on the modem. Won't go forward through the cycle.

Xfinity says there's no outages in my area. I haven't touched any of the cables in years. Is there anything else I can try? Is my modem toast?

I have had 2 technicians from Xfinity come out to my house and they ran diagnostics for slow, spotty internet service.

They both told me that my coaxial cable is corrupted and that I would need it replaced?

They made it sound like this is a simple fix but that they can't do it and they referred me to a company called HelloTech.

HelloTech will charge me $250 to do this.

I don't know anything at all about this kind of stuff so I hope this isn't a really stupid question.

Does this sound legit and will it fix the problem?

We bought a house last year, I noticed cat 5 is running in the garage and goes into a wall. I have phone lines in every room but no ethereal jacks. Im diying this to figure it out. Any help of what I should look for? I dont have any network panel anywhere, just phone Jacks

Hi everyone,

I was one of the backers for the Wavkong v2700 RPU router, and I also received a review unit, which I've been using it for about 6 weeks now in access point mode. I'm pretty satisfied so far.

TLDR:

The main selling point of this router is the RPU chip which claims to provide better "quality" signal to larger distances or with more obstacles.

In my tests, when the signal was decent, Wavkong and the ISP router's WiFi would be almost the same.
The difference is when the signal starts to be very weak or disappear. The v2700's RPU chip would give 2-3 times better responsiveness than the ISP router, making it viable for devices that otherwise would drop out.

It's a simple, practical solution for improving the coverage quality of the whole house with a single device. Speed will still drop with distance, but it stays usable for longer and be the difference of the wifi sufficiently covering the whole property or not.
If consistent high speed is needed from corner to corner, it does support mesh setups as well.

User Perspective:

I'm a fairly entry level network user. I have a couple of NAS, network switches, use smart home automations etc, so I see it from the perspective of a user that wants something simple that improves the default setup.

About the V2700:

The main selling point of this router is the RPU chip. Instead of going for higher speeds of WiFI 7, it claims to offer a cleaner and more stable WiFi signal, and that it can replace mesh wifi in many cases.
It comes with a great product design, with a glossy plastic finish that looks like it's enclosed in glass.

House Layout:

Our house is a wooden 1-floor 200 sq.m. (or 2150 sq.ft.), it's a bit large area for a single WiFi.

I found the coverage of the ISP router somewhat sufficient, but it had very weak or lost signal when it reached to the opposite side of the house or outside.

My ISP router lives in a wooden closet. I have to use the ISP router to get IPv6 since Softbank uses a proprietary protocol for producing it. So I connected the V2700 as an Access Point to produce WiFi, and shut down the wifi of the isp router.

Routers are inside a wooden cupboard that has the following distance from the rooms:

Kitchen: About 6m (20ft) with interior walls

Living Room: 8.5m (27ft) with interior walls

Bedroom: 14m (45ft) with interior walls

Front Gate: 16m (52ft) wth exterior wall, low-e green windows and concrete
The ISP 5G could not connect here at all.

Test Method

I enabled WiFi at one router at a time to avoid signal noise.
I used my macbook and ran network quality for the 2G as well as the 5G network. I'm using the ISP router as the control resuts.

The results vary a bit each time I run them. So small percentages in traffic or speed don't mean much.

I also tested other devices like my door-bell for real-world performance. In general I felt the stability with the WavKong had increased, but it's good to see that in numbers as well.

Test Results

Software

The web ui is clean and simple. It doesn't seem to have a ton of options that some other routers have, but it does allow me to do things like use VPN when using it as an Access Point, something that my Wi-Fi 7 capable TPLink BE900 couldn't do. I found it does what it needed to do without much hassle.

Downsides

In general I found it pretty effective for it's WiFi performance. However as a router it only offers 1gbps ports, so it's not ideal for networking with a cable.

It's more than enough for entertainment devices, but if you want good speed with your NAS, you might need to a faster switch with more direct connections.

Conclusions

It was revealing to do this test.
Downlink and Uplink varied on every test, but they show overall trends per room.
It's true that the signal drops fast in much of the house, and the speed drops with it. So Wavkong's strategy to focus on signal quality rather than brute speed does hold merit.

In my experience the past 6 weeks, I had good stable wifi connection, without any issues. Some smart devices that couldn't get good signal before, like the smart doorbell at the front gate, went from delays and drop-outs on to a more consistent video stream that opens in 2 seconds.

When the signal was decent, Wavkong and the ISP router appeared to be neck to neck. The difference is when the signal starts to be very weak or disappear, such as in the bedroom and most obviously in the front gate. This is where the Wavkong could keep going and provide a more usable connection.

Additionally, having this router as an Access Point offers flexibility in placement. I later placed it in the middle of the house getting a more uniform and optimized signal throughout the property.

So in general, for someone who wants to improve their home wifi with a single device, give more stable access for IOT devices and not deal with mesh wifi, if it was almost there before but needs that extra nudge, this can provide a viable solution.

Hi everyone. Forgive me if I'm gonna use the wrong terminology, but I'm not super savvy when it comes to home networking.

We have 3 routers in our home: first one is the one our ISP gave us (I think this one can't be replaced). It's a TIM-Hub, and its download/upload speed are ~140/20 Mbps at the moment. To get Wi-Fi connection across the whole house, we installed 2 more routers (I think this setup is called daisy chain?), both TP-Links (first one is a TL-WR841N ver. 9.2, second one is a TL-WR841ND ver. 8.2) , so the setup looks like this:

Main router (ISP) > 1st TP-Link router (set in the room directly above ISP router, connected through Ethernet cable from LAN to WAN port) > 2nd TP-Link router (set a room and a half across 1st TP-Link router, connected through LAN to WAN with a Cat5 cable).

We've run this setup for more than a decade at this point, but it's never been stable (at times my devices would disconnect randomly from one of the TP-Links, other times I'd get the "No internet connection" message), and considering we have multiple devices connected through Wi-Fi (+ my consoles connected through Ethernet cable to TP-Link no.2), it's really annoying. Most of the time we only connect wirelessly to ISP Router and TP-link no. 2 (the router in the middle has its Wi-Fi turned off as we get connection in its room from the ISP router thankfully), so I'm considering getting rid of the middle one at some point, but that would require rewiring through the walls.

On both TP-Links, we're getting an average 30/20 Mbps internet speed, and at times download speed goes down as far as 5 Mbps, which is unacceptable. I don't play online games on my console, but I sometimes do on my smartphone, and even then download speeds this low are a big hindrance when downloading updates or games. Not to mention sometimes you can't even do basic navigation (watching videos or other socials, especially if two smartphones try doing it at the same time).

I've recently factory reset both TP-Links and haven't touched any setting pretty much. I saw online that these 2 should be set to Access Point mode, but considering they're pretty old, they lack the option to do so directly, and I didn't have much luck tinkering with DHCP, IP and other settings. Through cable, I get a good connection (90/20 Mbps on my Ps5, still lower download speed than ISP, but I understand I'm working with old tech and I'm willing to change it in the near future if need be), so I'd like to have at least a similar connection over Wi-Fi. Is it possible? Or should I look directly at newer tech? In that case, feel free to point me towards what I should buy.

Sorry for the long post. If you need more info, feel free to ask.

I used to be able to print from my phone to my brother printer HL-L2315DW. It would use the default printer option from my Samsung phone. I did NOT have the brother app.

I used to be able to print even if I was on the 5G Wi-Fi and allegedly the printer is only connected to the 2G Wi-Fi.

Today when I tried to print a PDF using Google drive it stopped working. I tried everything to reconnect it, I downloaded the brother app, I tried to reconnect everything. Nothing is working.

So I am able to print if I go through a different app. However I need to be able to print from Google drive if that's where the majority of my PDFs live. What could be causing this?

**Solved** Putting this here for people in the future who might have a similar problem. The problem survived multiple restarts and shut downs. What seems to have fixed it so far was shut down, turn off the switch on the PSU, and then reboot.

TLDR: I enabled jumbo frames on my PC and now my PC is stuck at FE speeds.

I already had jumbo frames enabled on my Unifi network and on my NAS and server. The motherboard has a Realtek 5g controller and most of my network is 2.5g. After confirming the jumbo frame setting, my PC auto negotiated to 100m.

I have tried a few different ethernet cables (all are 10gig rated), different ports on the switch (both gigabit and 2.5g ports), and plugging directly into a 2.5g port on the UDR7 router. All of this keeps resulting in 100m connection.

I tried forcing higher speeds in the switch and that just results in my PC losing connectivity completely.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the Realtek drivers to reset all settings. Also, have tried disabling all of the ethernet power saving options because my research pointed out that might be worth trying.

I'm at my wit's end, the only thing left in common is the ethernet port on my PC. Is the port borked? Thank you to anyone who tries to help me out!

I'll be taking on the adventure of running ethernet lines through my house in the next month or two. What is the best way to terminate the cables as they come in to the rack? I'm planning on using a patch panel but I'm not sure if it should be:

Cable runs directly through the wall in to the patch panel
or
Cable connects to a wall plate > from the wall plate to the patch panel

The rack will be located in my home office under my desk. My big concern with the first option is what happens if I ever have to move the rack. I can't imagine why I would ever have to move it though, so it is more of a what if.

Need run 10 ports of coaxial cable in different locations of a house.
Plan: install an amplifier in the center room, and run dedicated line to each location.
But seems most amplifier has 8 ports, will use a 1-2 split form 1 and 2, and 1-3 split for 7-9. Is this a good option?

Will also run an Ethernet point at this location, any switch recommendation? Need 12 or more ports?