"Slow" gigabit network

Hi all.

I've installed a server solution using Windows Server 2003 and Windows
XP clients. The server gets its 1Mb ADSL connection through a router
and a 10/100 card, while a 1Gbit card (CNet) connects to a 5 port
1Gbit switch (cnet) which connects to the rest of the computers on the
network, all using identical 1Gbit network cards. I'm using CAT5e
cables to all computers.

The problem I'm having is that file sharing speeds between the
networked computers are rather slow - maximizing at around 16-17
MB/sec when copying to or from the server. I'm at a loss finding out
why this is so. Has anyone had any experiences with this?

/Vic

Peformance of a path has 'many' components other than the wire/nic speed.
These include (but are not limited to) the internal bus speed of processors,
processor speeds, queueing delays, internal bus speeds of the switches, port
forwarding parameters (i.e. store and foward vs cut-through), other
application loads on the processors, etc. etc. etc.
al
"Victor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Hi all.
>
> I've installed a server solution using Windows Server 2003 and Windows
> XP clients. The server gets its 1Mb ADSL connection through a router
> and a 10/100 card, while a 1Gbit card (CNet) connects to a 5 port
> 1Gbit switch (cnet) which connects to the rest of the computers on the
> network, all using identical 1Gbit network cards. I'm using CAT5e
> cables to all computers.
>
> The problem I'm having is that file sharing speeds between the
> networked computers are rather slow - maximizing at around 16-17
> MB/sec when copying to or from the server. I'm at a loss finding out
> why this is so. Has anyone had any experiences with this?
>
> /Vic

You should start by looking in the server, clients, switch speed+duplex.
Are all the devices Auto-Negociated or 100, Full-Duplex or mixed?
whatever you do make them all same configuration (auto-neg or 100-Full)

Shai.

"Victor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Hi all.
>
> I've installed a server solution using Windows Server 2003 and Windows
> XP clients. The server gets its 1Mb ADSL connection through a router
> and a 10/100 card, while a 1Gbit card (CNet) connects to a 5 port
> 1Gbit switch (cnet) which connects to the rest of the computers on the
> network, all using identical 1Gbit network cards. I'm using CAT5e
> cables to all computers.
>
> The problem I'm having is that file sharing speeds between the
> networked computers are rather slow - maximizing at around 16-17
> MB/sec when copying to or from the server. I'm at a loss finding out
> why this is so. Has anyone had any experiences with this?
>
> /Vic

news.microsoft.com wrote:
> You should start by looking in the server, clients, switch
> speed+duplex. Are all the devices Auto-Negociated or 100, Full-Duplex
> or mixed? whatever you do make them all same configuration (auto-neg
> or 100-Full)

If its gigabit then it will be full duplex.

"Robert Moir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> news.microsoft.com wrote:
> > You should start by looking in the server, clients, switch
> > speed+duplex. Are all the devices Auto-Negociated or 100, Full-Duplex
> > or mixed? whatever you do make them all same configuration (auto-neg
> > or 100-Full)
>
> If its gigabit then it will be full duplex.

They're all set to Auto Negotiate. I tried setting them all to
1000Mbps Full duplex, but this didn't make any difference.

/Vic

Victor wrote:
> "Robert Moir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
>> news.microsoft.com wrote:
>>> You should start by looking in the server, clients, switch
>>> speed+duplex. Are all the devices Auto-Negociated or 100,
>>> Full-Duplex or mixed? whatever you do make them all same
>>> configuration (auto-neg or 100-Full)
>>
>> If its gigabit then it will be full duplex.
>
> They're all set to Auto Negotiate. I tried setting them all to
> 1000Mbps Full duplex, but this didn't make any difference.

It wouldn't - Gigabit ethernet runs at full duplex so if it was running at
1.0Gb then it was running full duplex.

"Robert Moir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<utBn$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Victor wrote:
> > "Robert Moir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> >> news.microsoft.com wrote:
> >>> You should start by looking in the server, clients, switch
> >>> speed+duplex. Are all the devices Auto-Negociated or 100,
> >>> Full-Duplex or mixed? whatever you do make them all same
> >>> configuration (auto-neg or 100-Full)
> >>
> >> If its gigabit then it will be full duplex.
> >
> > They're all set to Auto Negotiate. I tried setting them all to
> > 1000Mbps Full duplex, but this didn't make any difference.
>
> It wouldn't - Gigabit ethernet runs at full duplex so if it was running at
> 1.0Gb then it was running full duplex.

Ok - thanks. I'm still puzzled by the speed. It's such a simple setup:
server <-> switch <-> workstation, so there shouldn't be too many
hurdles. I've measured the transfer speed with a tool called Qcheck
(2.1) and this verified the transfer speed to be ~150 Mbps. Faster
than my previous 10/100 setup, but not quite up to 1 Gbit.

/Vic

Victor wrote:
> "Robert Moir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:<utBn$(E-Mail Removed)>...
>> Victor wrote:
>>> "Robert Moir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
>>>> news.microsoft.com wrote:
>>>>> You should start by looking in the server, clients, switch
>>>>> speed+duplex. Are all the devices Auto-Negociated or 100,
>>>>> Full-Duplex or mixed? whatever you do make them all same
>>>>> configuration (auto-neg or 100-Full)
>>>>
>>>> If its gigabit then it will be full duplex.
>>>
>>> They're all set to Auto Negotiate. I tried setting them all to
>>> 1000Mbps Full duplex, but this didn't make any difference.
>>
>> It wouldn't - Gigabit ethernet runs at full duplex so if it was
>> running at
>> 1.0Gb then it was running full duplex.
>
> Ok - thanks. I'm still puzzled by the speed. It's such a simple setup:
> server <-> switch <-> workstation, so there shouldn't be too many
> hurdles. I've measured the transfer speed with a tool called Qcheck
> (2.1) and this verified the transfer speed to be ~150 Mbps. Faster
> than my previous 10/100 setup, but not quite up to 1 Gbit.

Well two things to keep in mind are that the network connection between two
machines will run as fast as the slowest point between those machines. I
know thats obvious, but it is worth remembering because even a small hiccup
can do you a real dis-service.

What about the network cards? Are they "on board" ones on the motherboards?
Have you checked the support forums for the manufacturers (especially any
unofficial user forums) for problems?