TP-Link 2.5GB PCIe Network Card (TX201) – PCIe to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Network

Hardware Support
8

Hi,

What happens after you run:

sudo rfkill unblock ethernet

?

In respect of speed, does all of your hardware meet 2.5 Gb speeds, for example are you using CAT6 Ethernet cable?

" To achieve 2.5 Gbps on Ubuntu 24.04 when currently limited to 1 Gbps, you must ensure that all physical components (cables, switches, and NICs) support 2.5 Gbps and that the auto-negotiation settings are correctly configured in the OS.

Hardware and Cabling Requirements

  • Cable Quality : You must use Cat 6 or higher cabling; older Cat 5e cables often fail to negotiate speeds above 1 Gbps reliably.
  • Switch/Router Compatibility : Your switch or router must have a dedicated 2.5 GbE port ; standard Gigabit ports will cap the connection at 1 Gbps regardless of the NIC capability.
  • NIC Support : Verify your network card supports 2500baseT/Full, as some older drivers or hardware may not advertise this speed by default.

Software Configuration on Ubuntu 24.04

  • Verify Link Modes : Run ethtool <interface_name> to check if "2500baseT/Full" appears in the Supported link modes . If it is missing, the driver may be outdated or the hardware incompatible.
  • Force Speed Temporarily : Use the command sudo ethtool -s <interface_name> speed 2500 duplex full autoneg on to force the link to 2.5 Gbps and verify the connection stabilizes.
  • Make Permanent : To ensure the setting persists after reboot, configure your network manager (Netplan or NetworkManager) with the following parameters:
# Example for Netplan (in /etc/netplan/*.yaml)
ethernets:
  enp3s0:
    dhcp4: true
    link-local: [address]
    # Note: Speed settings are often handled via ethtool hooks or nmcli

Alternatively, use nmcli for NetworkManager:

nmcli connection modify <connection_name> 802-3-ethernet.auto-negotiate yes 802-3-ethernet.speed 2500 802-3-ethernet.duplex full
  • Bridge Issues : If the interface is part of a bridge, ensure the bridge is not locked to 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps; removing the interface from the bridge temporarily can help isolate the issue.

AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts."