diff --git a/examples/ipv4_multicast/main.c b/examples/ipv4_multicast/main.c
index 7e255c35a..e32602521 100644
--- a/examples/ipv4_multicast/main.c
+++ b/examples/ipv4_multicast/main.c
@@ -572,6 +572,7 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 	uint8_t count, all_ports_up, print_flag = 0;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
+	char link_status_text[60];
 
 	printf("\nChecking link status");
 	fflush(stdout);
@@ -591,14 +592,9 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 			}
 			/* print link status if flag set */
 			if (print_flag == 1) {
-				if (link.link_status)
-					printf(
-					"Port%d Link Up. Speed %u Mbps - %s\n",
-					portid, link.link_speed,
-				(link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ?
-					("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
-				else
-					printf("Port %d Link Down\n", portid);
+				rte_eth_link_to_str(link_status_text, 60, NULL,
+						  &link);
+				printf("Port %d %s", portid, link_status_text);
 				continue;
 			}
 			/* clear all_ports_up flag if any link down */
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-jobstats/main.c b/examples/l2fwd-jobstats/main.c
index 47a3b0976..bb86fe654 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-jobstats/main.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-jobstats/main.c
@@ -689,6 +689,7 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 	uint8_t count, all_ports_up, print_flag = 0;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
+	char link_status_text[60];
 
 	printf("\nChecking link status");
 	fflush(stdout);
@@ -708,14 +709,9 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 			}
 			/* print link status if flag set */
 			if (print_flag == 1) {
-				if (link.link_status)
-					printf(
-					"Port%d Link Up. Speed %u Mbps - %s\n",
-						portid, link.link_speed,
-				(link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ?
-					("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
-				else
-					printf("Port %d Link Down\n", portid);
+				rte_eth_link_to_str(link_status_text, 60, NULL,
+						  &link);
+				printf("Port %d %s", portid, link_status_text);
 				continue;
 			}
 			/* clear all_ports_up flag if any link down */
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c b/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c
index b2742633b..24c0f5df6 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 	uint8_t count, all_ports_up, print_flag = 0;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
+	char link_status_text[60];
 
 	printf("\nChecking link status");
 	fflush(stdout);
@@ -472,14 +473,9 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 			}
 			/* print link status if flag set */
 			if (print_flag == 1) {
-				if (link.link_status)
-					printf(
-					"Port%d Link Up. Speed %u Mbps - %s\n",
-						portid, link.link_speed,
-				(link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ?
-					("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
-				else
-					printf("Port %d Link Down\n", portid);
+				rte_eth_link_to_str(link_status_text, 60, NULL,
+						  &link);
+				printf("Port %d %s", portid, link_status_text);
 				continue;
 			}
 			/* clear all_ports_up flag if any link down */
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/main.c b/examples/l3fwd/main.c
index 24ede4290..274b8fbcd 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/main.c
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/main.c
@@ -810,6 +810,7 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 	uint8_t count, all_ports_up, print_flag = 0;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
+	char link_status_text[60];
 
 	printf("\nChecking link status");
 	fflush(stdout);
@@ -833,14 +834,9 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 			}
 			/* print link status if flag set */
 			if (print_flag == 1) {
-				if (link.link_status)
-					printf(
-					"Port%d Link Up. Speed %u Mbps -%s\n",
-						portid, link.link_speed,
-				(link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ?
-					("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
-				else
-					printf("Port %d Link Down\n", portid);
+				rte_eth_link_to_str(link_status_text, 60, NULL,
+						  &link);
+				printf("Port %d %s", portid, link_status_text);
 				continue;
 			}
 			/* clear all_ports_up flag if any link down */
diff --git a/examples/link_status_interrupt/main.c b/examples/link_status_interrupt/main.c
index 9bbcadfcf..749471256 100644
--- a/examples/link_status_interrupt/main.c
+++ b/examples/link_status_interrupt/main.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ print_stats(void)
 	const char clr[] = { 27, '[', '2', 'J', '\0' };
 	const char topLeft[] = { 27, '[', '1', ';', '1', 'H','\0' };
 	int link_get_err;
+	char link_speed_text[16];
 
 		/* Clear screen and move to top left */
 	printf("%s%s", clr, topLeft);
@@ -131,9 +132,10 @@ print_stats(void)
 
 		memset(&link, 0, sizeof(link));
 		link_get_err = rte_eth_link_get_nowait(portid, &link);
+		rte_eth_link_to_str(link_speed_text, 16, "%M", &link);
 		printf("\nStatistics for port %u ------------------------------"
 			   "\nLink status: %25s"
-			   "\nLink speed: %26u"
+			   "\nLink speed: %26s"
 			   "\nLink duplex: %25s"
 			   "\nPackets sent: %24"PRIu64
 			   "\nPackets received: %20"PRIu64
@@ -141,8 +143,7 @@ print_stats(void)
 			   portid,
 			   link_get_err < 0 ? "Link get failed" :
 			   (link.link_status ? "Link up" : "Link down"),
-			   link_get_err < 0 ? 0 :
-					(unsigned int)link.link_speed,
+			   link_get_err < 0 ? "0" : link_speed_text,
 			   link_get_err < 0 ? "Link get failed" :
 			   (link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX ? \
 					"full-duplex" : "half-duplex"),
@@ -445,6 +446,7 @@ lsi_event_callback(uint16_t port_id, enum rte_eth_event_type type, void *param,
 {
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
+	char link_status_text[60];
 
 	RTE_SET_USED(param);
 	RTE_SET_USED(ret_param);
@@ -457,13 +459,8 @@ lsi_event_callback(uint16_t port_id, enum rte_eth_event_type type, void *param,
 		       port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
 		return ret;
 	}
-	if (link.link_status) {
-		printf("Port %d Link Up - speed %u Mbps - %s\n\n",
-				port_id, (unsigned)link.link_speed,
-			(link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ?
-				("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
-	} else
-		printf("Port %d Link Down\n\n", port_id);
+	rte_eth_link_to_str(link_status_text, 60, NULL, &link);
+	printf("Port %d %s\n", port_id, link_status_text);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -478,6 +475,7 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint16_t port_num, uint32_t port_mask)
 	uint16_t portid;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
+	char link_status_text[60];
 
 	printf("\nChecking link status");
 	fflush(stdout);
@@ -497,14 +495,10 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint16_t port_num, uint32_t port_mask)
 			}
 			/* print link status if flag set */
 			if (print_flag == 1) {
-				if (link.link_status)
-					printf(
-					"Port%d Link Up. Speed %u Mbps - %s\n",
-						portid, link.link_speed,
-				(link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ?
-					("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
-				else
-					printf("Port %d Link Down\n", portid);
+				rte_eth_link_to_str(link_status_text, 60, NULL,
+						    &link);
+				printf("Port %d %s", portid,
+				       link_status_text);
 				continue;
 			}
 			/* clear all_ports_up flag if any link down */
