2.5 gb ethernet port

[AsusStrix01]

Do I have to call Shaw to activate the 2.5 g ethernet port, mine always goes offline, even though I have a cat 8 cable thank you.

[mdk]

@AsusStrix01 -- no, it is not necessary to activate the 2.5 Gbps port on your XB7/XB8 cable-modem.

How can you tell that it goes offline? Message on your computer?

What Internet speed are you paying Shaw to provide? If you are paying for "Fibre+ Gig" or "Fibre+ Gig 1.5", then that port will transfer "bursts" of packets only at those speeds. Compare to using your Ferrari to drive to the nearest drive-through company -- you won't get the full performance that the Ferrari is capable of.

Do you have a 10/100/1000/10000 Ethernet network adapter inside your desktop computer, or just a 10/100/1000  network adapter? If the latter, your computer will only show up to 940 Mbits/second for downloads to it, presuming that you are paying for "Fibre+ Gig" (or faster). If you are paying for "Fibre+ 500", then 500 is what you will see, when using either a "CAT-5e" or a "CAT-6" or a "CAT-8" cable.

The network adapter is defined as millions of bits per second, i.e., base-ten scale, but Windows is reporting a multiple of 1024 bits per second, a base-two scale.  I would love to trade, one-for-one, my Canadian dollars for US dollars -- same name, but not the same worth.

Have you tried a different cable (CAT-5e up to 1000 Mbps, or CAT-6 over 1000 Mbps) ?

[AsusStrix01]

ok, the reason I know it goes offline is that my ethernet gets disabled I switch it over to the gb port on the modem, and its works, this only happens when my kids are online at the  same time my pc is brand new, and I have a 2.5 gb port on my pc do you have any sugestions

[mdk]

@AsusStrix01 -- before your computer goes offline, try:

1. hold-down the "Windows" key (bottom-left of your keyboard)
2. tap the "R" key
3. release both keys
4. into the small window that opens, type CMD and press Enter.
5. into the window that opens, type IPCONFIG and press Enter.
6. record your IP-address -- probably "10.0.0.xxx"
7. do the same for each of the childrens' computers that currently are Internet-connected
8. check that recorded IP-addresses are NOT identical

After your computer goes offline, ask your children if any of them have recently powered-on a computer (or smart-phone or tablet). Such a "new" device on your network may "steal" YOUR IP-address, forcing you offline, until you unplug/replug your Ethernet cable into the same/different socket on your Shaw router, which will cause your computer to "refresh" its network connection, to give you a different IP-address.

[AsusStrix01]

they are all different IP addresses.

[mdk]

@AsusStrix01 wrote: do you have any suggestions

That was my suggestion. 

After you go offline, if you unplug the Ethernet cable from your computer, and reconnect it, does Windows reconnect?  Have you tried a different cable?  What Internet speed are you paying for?