How to manually set the MTU size in Windows XP 2003 2000 Vista
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Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) in simple words is the maximum IP packet size in bytes, that can be transmitted over the underlying network. While most of time this never has to be changed from the default values there are instances when you need to alter the MTU sizes to fix certain network performance issues. A best and classic example would be with a Windows Exchange Server being accessed over an Internet VPN setup. This in most of the cases demonstrate the problem with MTUs and related issues.
In Windows, changing the MTU value from the defaults, require you to modify the TCP/IP parameters for the adapter in Windows Registry.
WARNING: Editing Windows Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. I do not guarantee that you can solve problems that result from editing registry. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
1. Click Start – RUN and type “regedit” and press enter.
2. Navigate to the following Registry Key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\<AdapterID>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SYSTEM
\CurrentControlSet
\Services
\Tcpip
\Parameters
\Interfaces
\<AdapterID>
In the right-panel, create a new DWORD named “MTU” with the value (say 1350 in decimal)
NOTE: To create a new DWORD, right-click, select New and select “DWORD Value” and enter the name (MTU here)
This sets the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) for that particular network adapter.
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So how do you find out the Adapter ID? I have 10 different adapters on my PC. This is NOT helpful at all.
To identify the interface, the following can help:
- Connect if not already the case with this interface.
- verify the interface has an IP (cmd prompt -> ipconfig /all).
- check other registry keys in the various (10 for you) interfaces for an entry like IPAddress or DhcpIPAddress to find the IP of your interface (refresh the registry if you connected the interface after opening the registry).
- Once found, you got it.
Hi This Good Information I have sloved my problem with this information good very good keep it up
Mi?a if you are not able to indentify your adapter maybe you don’t need to change MTU… Because you have not idea of what you are doing
MS sez this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314053
I’ve been grasping at straws trying to solve an odd problem that seems to have started in the last 6 months or so, noticed after I added a second home computer. Have roadrunner, surfboard cable modem, linksys befsr41 V2 firmware 1.47. Only when both computer are on, the packet loss is horrible – 20-30 % to all sites. With only one one, or when plugged directly into the surfboard with either computer, only get occasional single lost packet.
I run a large network but this simple problem is baffling me. I don’t have another Linksys so I can’t easily do divide and conquer.
Raargh
Thanks a lot . knowledge at Top of this page is great and i had same problem and i applied this knowledge and guess what? it worked. Thanks again..
This is ridiculous in linux this is done with “ifconfig adapter mtu ####”. Having to do something like this in the registry is absurd. And the fact that the adapter id is a GUID is even more absurd.
It worked! thanks.
It might seem easy in Linux, but then again you’ll have to figure out what your adapter name is anyways – it might be en0, wifi0, en2 etc etc. It’s not something that’s easy in either OS
ifconfig
That’ll show all network interfaces on linux and their names. Agreed that this registry nonsense shouldn’t be necessary. There’s an “advanced” button on the adapter properties window for a reason…