EssayBoard

If you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 and noticed that your SMB data transfer speeds have dropped dramatically, you’re not alone. Many users have reported a significant slowdown, particularly when transferring files to network-attached storage (NAS) devices. Here’s what you need to know and how to solve it.

The Problem

After updating to Windows 11 24H2, you may see your file transfer speeds reduced from the usual 100MB/s or higher to as low as 4MB/s. This slowdown is often due to new security measures introduced in the update, such as SMB signing and encryption being enabled by default.

Why This Happens

Windows 11 24H2 has brought changes that enforce SMB encryption and signing to enhance security. While these features are beneficial for corporate environments or unsecured networks, they can create unnecessary performance overhead in secure LANs protected by robust firewalls like pfSense.

The Solution: Disable SMB Signing

Disabling SMB signing and encryption can restore your data transfer speeds to their former levels. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run the following commands:
   • reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters" /v RequireSecuritySignature /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
   • reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Parameters" /v RequireSecuritySignature /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
3. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Important Considerations

• Security: Disabling SMB signing reduces network security, so only do this if your LAN is secure (e.g., protected by firewalls, NATs, and strong user authentication).
• SMB Version: Ensure you’re using SMB 2 or 3 for modern security and performance features.
• No Guest Access: Avoid enabling guest access to maintain a reasonable security baseline.

Conclusion

If you’re operating in a secure local network and have noticed slower SMB transfer speeds after upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, disabling SMB signing can be a simple and effective solution. Remember, understanding and managing updates can help you avoid performance pitfalls and keep your system running smoothly.

We hope this helps you get back to transferring files at top speed!