diff --git a/src/adapters/net.cpp b/src/adapters/net.cpp
index 74702bab..0b79e123 100644
--- a/src/adapters/net.cpp
+++ b/src/adapters/net.cpp
@@ -270,11 +270,11 @@ namespace net {
     request.ifr_data = reinterpret_cast<char*>(&data);
 
     if (ioctl(*m_socketfd, SIOCETHTOOL, &request) == -1) {
-      return false;
+      m_linkspeed = -1;
+    } else {
+      m_linkspeed = data.speed;
     }
 
-    m_linkspeed = data.speed;
-
     return true;
   }
 
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ namespace net {
    * about the current connection
    */
   string wired_network::linkspeed() const {
-    return (m_linkspeed == 0 ? "???" : to_string(m_linkspeed)) + " Mbit/s";
+    return m_linkspeed == -1 ? "N/A" : (to_string(m_linkspeed) + " Mbit/s");
   }
 
   // }}}