Some routers require you to change the MTU value (maximum transmission unit) in Windows 7. This setting can also be used to speed up your internet connection.
I can’t reach website xyz.com, what should I do?
If you can’t reach a certain websites, but the same site is working for others, you should consider changing the MTU value as well. If the MTU value is set too high you will not be able to successfully ping the site and is then unreachable.
Change MTU via Software
One of the easiest way to change the MTU in Windows 7 is to use software like Ashampoo’s Internet Accelerator 3, which is currently available for free: Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 3 Giveaway.
There are other tools available that allow you to change the MTU quite easily. However, I prefer to do it manually.
Change MTU Manually
Tip: If you don’t have any problems with loading websites, you should properly not mess around with the MTU value or you might not be able to reach some websites. If you decide to change the MTU value anyway, keep this in mind so that you will know the reason why a certain website might be unreachable.
Let’s do it the good old-fashioned way!
1. Step Open the Network Connections
Here’s how: Control Panel / Network and Internet / Network and Sharing Center. In the sidebar click on Change adapter settings
2. Step Write down the name of your main adapter or remember it. E.g. Local Area Connection
3. Step Open up an elevated CMD. exe command prompt
4. Step Enter ping www.thisdoesnotexist234.com -f -l 1460 … where 1460 is the number of bytes of the package that we are sending out to ping the site. Make sure the site thisdoesnotexist234.com is actually a site that you can’t reach, because your MTU is too high.
Finding The Optimal MTU Value
6. Step Now, what we do next is to find out the best MTU value for your setup. We have to increase or lower the value 1460 until we find the correct value. The correct value is the highest number that still gets a successful ping Reply.
Do this:
If you the first one (fragmented) then lower the number 1460 until you get a Reply from. If you get the second one (Reply) then increase the number 1460 until you get a fragmented packet. The highest package size that is not fragmented and gets a successful reply is the best MTU value. Found the package size? Mine is 1464 bytes.
7. Step Add 28 to the package size (for the header that we send together with the package). 1464 + 28 = 1492 bytes
8. Step The optimal MTU value for my setup is 1492 bytes
9. Step Enter netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface “Local Area Connection” mtu=1492 store=persistent and replace Local Area Connection with the network from step 1-2.
10. Step You have successfully change the MTU in Windows 7! It’s now the optimal MTU value for your setup and all websites should be reachable.
11. Reboot
I have done this several times. I get to 1445 and it states packet needs to be fragmented but df set. I go to 1444 and it states request timed out. I’m connecting via wireless tether through triumph phone and barnacle tether. I’m using windows 7.
Excellent writeup.
Worked on my just bought Windows8/Acer netbook AO725 on MTNL Delhi Network.
As the net was working on my suse laptop and from random behaviour of few sites opening and few not opening, I knew it was MTU issue. I know how to set this on unix and even windosXP but as I am new to windows8, I was totally clueless about how to change MTU on windows8.
This writeup is hit on the head of nail.
The interface name was different for me so this was exact command I used.
C:\Windows\system32>netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface “Ethernet” mtu=1492
You can know the interface name using ipconfig command on cmd prompt.
There are lot of virtual interfaces names there which can create confusion.
Look for the interface with IP address assigned.
Lot of Thanks!
– Surinder