News Reader wrote:
> SlickRCBD wrote:
>
>> I have two functional computers hooked up to a linksys router/switch
>> combination. One is a still functional older computer with a mere
>> 10baseT ethernet card. The other has a 10/100 card. My older computer
>> has a large hard drive, but I no longer have a working CD burner. I'm
>> trying to do a backup of a large amount of data using the newer XP
>> machine via ethernet. My question is this, based on a comment that
>> somebody made to me about linksys switches.
>> If I'm connecting to the computer with the 10 megabit card, will my
>> switch slow down to 10 megabits for all connections? I'm concerned
>> that attempting to surf the 'net while I wait for the files to
>> transfer will slow down my transfer process. Given that I have a 100
>> megabit card and router, it should be able to handle the traffic from
>> the old computer at the old computer's full speed without slowing down
>> the internet, which IIRC is only a 4 megabit connection. 10 + 4=14 <
>> 100, even when factoring in collisions. However, the switch slows down
>> to 10 megabits, I'd want to stick this operation overnight and have it
>> done while I sleep.
>
>
> The issue likely has less to do with the router/switch's capabilities
> than the fact that the computer you are browsing the Internet with is
> involved in a file transfer (CPU utilization, HD access, etc.).
>
> Each switch port is its own collision domain. Traffic from one host will
> not collide with traffic from another host. If you were using half
> duplex settings on a host and the switch port it was connected too, you
> could experience collisions between sending and receiving traffic on
> that physical link, but that is normal and not worth worrying about. The
> two will probably negotiate full duplex anyway.
>
> The FastEthernet port of your new system and the FastEthernet port of
> the switch it is connected to, can handle the combined throughput of the
> file transfer and Internet activities without difficult.
>
> The throughput of the transfer between the computers is limited by the
> Ethernet card in the old system. The switch receives data at a higher
> bit rate from the new system, will buffer it in memory, and forward it
> to the old system at the lower bit rate. The TCP protocol will also
> regulate the speed based on errors/retransmissions etc. The throughput
> of your Internet activities is limited by the ISP connection.
>
> The real issue is the resources of your new system, and whether they
> will be challenged by the combined activities (file transfer and
> Internet activity). Web browsing taxes your system less than streaming
> media or FTP downloads etc.
>
> Why not do a test transfer (~ 5min.) while using the Internet (in what
> ever way you intend), and see what happens?
>
> Best Regards,
> News Reader
Well, I've decided that I'll just run it overnight. I'll probably do a
test or two once it gets going, but I didn't do the math very well on
just how long it's going to take to transfer all the files at
10megabits. The last time I had to do a backup on this computer via the
network I only had a the original 4gb drive in that computer and
10mb/sec didn't take that long relatively speaking. I did the math based
on 100 megabits, and am too used to the gigabit ethernet at work that I
forgot how slow 10 megabites was. Kinda funny to call it slow, since I
remember comparing the speed of the serial-based Appletalk connection
between the older Macs at school vs the brand new Macs with Ethernet and
thinking the 10baseT ethernet was REALLY fast. Then again, I thought the
1GB drive in the [then] new server they installed at high school was HUGE.
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