Cat6 and WHS for max. throughput?

[k.jacko]

Hi all,

ok, i'm part way through replacing ALL my cat5e network with cat6 modules, patch panel and cabling.
Bear with me before you scream "Why, there's no need!?"
Having already completely replaced one segment, i've tested the speed and its no better than the cat5e segment that it replaced. Copying data between the pc and nas was the same (12MB/s) so a decent 100mbit speed, but not what i was hoping for. I accept that cat6 installation is fussier than cat5e and i haven't met ALL the criteria as regards radius bend etc, but still, and increase in speed was expected.
Now, i'm summising that even though the nas has a gigabit rated nic, the hdd controller doesn't work as fast as better ones and so the speed is never likely to increase. It was a cheap nas enclosure after all. (running 2 x 500gb sata spinpoints in raid 0).
So....i was thinking, replace the nas with Windows Home Server on a new build pc with gigabit lan adaptor. Now, WHS issues aside, i'm hoping that this should then increase my throughput speeds to nearer a 1000mbit network. I'd be happy with maybe 40MB/s transfers (considering overheads etc)
Does this sound reasonable to you guys?

I think the theory is there, just not sure if it truly will give me better speeds. My switch is a 24-port 3com gigabit one, so everything on the network will be gigabit certified.

Any comments will be appreciated. :)

[Lynx]

Have you upgraded router and everything to gigabit? Is your pc itself a gigabit ethernet compatible mobo too?

[k.jacko]

All pc's on my network have gigabit nics.Everything goes through the gigabit switch. The cable router obviously connects into the switch to allow internet access across the network, so thats not really a factor in data transfer (unless from the internet).

[wonderlust]

My server (win2003) as all my pc's are, is running Gigabit, I have a Netgear 8 port Gigabit switch. I get about 40-50 transfer speeds ( according to Vista/7RC).

Cat5 cables, Server driver does NOT support jumbo frames (onboard Nvidia)

[k.jacko]

thanks wonderlust, that speed would be preferrable for me :)

[wonderlust]

Your welcome.

In my case I just swapped the switch from a 10/100 one to the Gigabit one and got 4 times the performance, shame I bought the switch from a certain pixel lunitic company it was cheap and came with a free Gigabit PCI card looked like a good deal on paper. shame it came with a Euro PSU. Thanks Sky broadband for the correct UK PSU :D (Same PSU as the free DG834GT routers they send out when one dies ;))

[k.jacko]

i did consider using server 2003, but all our pc's are vista hp, and cannot join a domain, so seemed a waste of time really.

[wonderlust]

You dont need to connect via a domain.

My Server is not running as a Domain Controller, just using a workgroup :)

as long as you set up the smae user name and passwords on the server and the pcs for each user that is all that is required.

Wehn I need to use a DC for anything I have one set up in a VM ;)

[k.jacko]

i know mate, i just see it as overkill for just serving files. hence the possibly implementaton of WHS, which you can access from the web in an easier manner too.
Lot more expensive than WHS as well. :)

[wonderlust]

depends lol ;) Technet subsription covers all the costs if you want to save a load od money ;)

[k.jacko]

sommat wrong with your right eye guvnor? ;)
I hear ya buddy....i hear ya! :D

[wonderlust]

lol two words... slic bios

[jonwoad]

two words here... too right! :)

[k.jacko]

two words here.....what the...?

[jonwoad]

one word... google :P

[k.jacko]

one word....thanks!


lol, ok, enough!

[wonderlust]

so that way you will no longer have any issues with Vista and domains ;)

[k.jacko]

eh?
from what i read, it helps crack the oem activation.
How does that help with my query?

[wonderlust]

it doesn't actually crack anything.

A Slic bios just contains information the same as say a Dell or HP system does.

Once a PC has one you cannot just install Vista and have it activated, it's a little more complex. But assuming that you have both a Slic bios and the other requirements then yes Vista will auto activate. It also allows, not that many people with branded machines realize, free upgrades to a better version of Vista, of course assuming that you have the appropriate media and serial number.

[k.jacko]

ahaa....i get ya now, thanks.
might look into it.

[wonderlust]

With a little luck M$ will not change this for Windows 7 ;)

[jonwoad]

Heres hoping :)

[wonderlust]

Toms has just done a very good article about home gigabit networking and why we never see the full potential of 125MB/s

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gigabit-ethernet-bandwidth,2321.html

Makes for a very good read.

[Aaron]

Interesting..

[Nifty]

I think that 111Mb/s doesn't take into account error-checking information and other overheads. Their benchmark is probably just measuring the useful data received and not the actual bandwidth used.

I think it might be reasonable to say that 14Mb/s might be used for extra packet information.

[k.jacko]

just to revisit this thread guys. I put a WHS server in, added a pci gigabit nic and am not getting 30MB/s up and down, so i'm fairly happy with that.
Thanks for all the input.