Nintendo Switch Slow Download Speed
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@Gblenn I would also like to add that I use Cloudflare's DNS servers for a good connection (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1). Without UPnP (nintendo switch really doesn't use it) with static port settings and manual DNS settings, the console flies. In the worst case, I measure 70/50 MBit on Nintendo's own test. I should note that I am connecting from a Telekom network and unfortunately there is a Telekom Vs Cloudflare problem in the world, I don't know how much this may affect my connection.
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@nbk333 So you are using the DNS forwarder in pfsense, not the resolver which is default??
Regardless, DNS is only used when you initiate a connection so whether you use CloudFlare, Google or pfsense resolver (which uses other servers by default) will not impact your dl/ul speed.
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@Gblenn I don't use a DNS forwarder under PFSense. I use manual DNS settings for the Nintendo Switch wired connection and they are from Cloudflare. Due to static DHCP, the console gets the reserved IP, which the static port is set to because of NAT type B.
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@nbk333 said in Nintendo Switch Slow Download Speed:
MTU on the Nintendo Switch (1400 is the default)
That seems moronic - the default mtu is 1500 everywhere else..
I would set the switches mtu to 1500 to match a typical network vs changing your network
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@johnpoz The MTU value cannot be 1500 if the network does not allow it. The optical router is also set to 1492. Based on testing, the maximum that the system can handle is 1464+28 headers, so I cannot set a value higher than 1492, because there is such packet loss that the connection can really be measured in bytes.
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@nbk333 the standard ethernet mtu is 1500.. If your internet connection is something that requires overhead like a pppoe connection or something ok.. Just wondering why the switch would default to 1400?
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@johnpoz Yes. I use a PPPoe connection because of an optical provider and the connection slows down a lot above a value of 1400. For me, only the value of 1400 is good, I'm sure that with a provider connection obtained via DHCP, the MTU of 1500 could be the winner.
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@nbk333 not really asking about your specifics - I wonder why they made the switches default 1400.. That seems odd to me..
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@nbk333 said in Nintendo Switch Slow Download Speed:
Hello Pfsense Community Members,
I tried to search for a similar post, but I couldn't find one of this nature, so I would like to ask for your help on the following topic.
I replaced an Asus router with a Topton hardware with Pfsense. I use a PPPoe connection with an optical router (pppoe passthrough) that is connected to the Pfsense "WAN" port. In addition to the basic firewall rules (RFC 1918 networks and Reserved Not assigned by IANA), two firewall rules are set up that block all incoming IPv4 and IPv6 traffic (I don't know if this is necessary at all, I came from the Linux world and always used it there). My Nintendo gets an IP with static dhcp but I have also tried a simple static IP. I have also played with the MTU and tried several DNS servers (provider's own, 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8). Currently, the Nintendo Switch is connected to a USB LAN. So far, the NAT type was D, so I set a static port on the outbound, so the NAT type is now B. The error is that when downloading or updating larger games, the game starts downloading at high speed, then stops at around 10% and the estimated time goes from 1-3 minutes to hours. In the traffic status, I see that it starts downloading at high speed, then slows down to about 50kbytes/sec and stays that way. Phones, tablets, computers work flawlessly, on my machine the speed is 900/900 Mbps all the time. What should I do to make the speed like it used to be? I didn't have such a problem with the Asus router, and if I connect the Nintendo Switch to my phone's hotspot, everything works normally.
Even in the case of an internet test, the Nintendo Switch measures a maximum of 60/30 MBit, what is the maximum that can be achieved with a cable? However, in the case of continuous testing, this also changes, and the speed is usually getting weaker.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Peter -
@nbk333 said in Nintendo Switch Slow Download Speed:
Hello Pfsense Community Members,
I tried to search for a similar post, but I couldn't find one of this nature, so I would like to ask for your help on the following topic.
I replaced an Asus router with a Topton hardware with Pfsense. I use a PPPoe connection with an optical router (pppoe passthrough) that is connected to the Pfsense "WAN" port. In addition to the basic firewall rules (RFC 1918 networks and Reserved Not assigned by IANA), two firewall rules are set up that block all incoming IPv4 and IPv6 traffic (I don't know if this is necessary at all, I came from the Linux world and always used it there). My Nintendo gets an IP with static dhcp but I have also tried a simple static IP. I have also played with the MTU and tried several DNS servers (provider's own, 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8). Currently, the Nintendo Switch is connected to a USB LAN. So far, the NAT type was D, so I set a static port on the outbound, so the NAT type is now B. The error is that when downloading or updating larger games, the game starts downloading at high speed, then stops at around 10% and the estimated time goes from 1-3 minutes to hours. In the traffic status, I see that it starts downloading at high speed, then slows down to about 50kbytes/sec and stays that way. Phones, tablets, computers work flawlessly, on my machine the speed is 900/900 Mbps all the time. What should I do to make the speed like it used to be? I didn't have such a problem with the Asus router, and if I connect the Nintendo Switch to my phone's hotspot, everything works normally.
Even in the case of an internet test, the Nintendo Switch measures a maximum of 60/30 MBit, what is the maximum that can be achieved with a cable? However, in the case of continuous testing, this also changes, and the speed is usually getting weaker.
Thank you in advance for your help!
PeterHi Peter,
Since the Nintendo Switch works normally through your phone hotspot and also worked correctly with the Asus router, I would focus on the pfSense configuration rather than the Switch itself.
A few things I would check:
NAT type: Getting from NAT D to B after configuring outbound NAT is a good sign. Make sure the Switch is using a consistent DHCP reservation/IP and that the required outbound NAT rule is applied to that address.
MTU: Since you're using PPPoE, the WAN MTU is usually lower than a standard Ethernet connection. Check that the PPPoE interface is using the correct MTU/MSS settings. An incorrect MTU can cause problems with larger transfers while normal browsing still works.
Disable the manual IPv4/IPv6 blocking rules temporarily: pfSense already blocks unsolicited inbound traffic by default on the WAN interface. You generally don't need additional rules to block all incoming traffic. Temporarily removing/disabling those rules can help determine whether they are contributing to the problem.
Try the Switch directly with Ethernet: Since you're currently using a USB LAN adapter, test another Ethernet adapter/cable if possible. Also check the negotiated link speed on the pfSense interface.
Check pfSense logs and states: Start a large download on the Switch and watch the firewall states/traffic. If the connection becomes stalled around the same point each time, look for dropped packets, retransmissions, or MTU-related issues.
Try MSS clamping: With PPPoE, testing an MSS value such as 1452 or slightly lower can help if packets are being fragmented or dropped. The exact value depends on your ISP and PPPoE setup, so I would test rather than assume.The fact that the Switch's internet test gradually drops from around 60/30 Mbps is particularly interesting. I would first test the PPPoE MTU/MSS configuration and the USB Ethernet adapter before changing DNS settings. DNS is unlikely to cause an established game download to fall to ~50 KB/s.
Also, I wouldn't expect the Switch to achieve anything close to your PC's 900/900 Mbps in its built-in internet test. The important point is whether the performance is significantly worse than it was through the Asus router.
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