Increasing peer to peer LAN bandwidth

I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
duplex ethernet ports.
Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables) simultaneously
to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only interested in
speeding-up file transfer between the two machines (huge DV files).
OS is XP Pro.
If this isn't possible, both mobo's have firewire ports, but the shortest
cable I could get away with is 7m, and AIUI, firewire is limited to 5m -
has anyone successfully used firewire networking with a single cable
longer than 5m (ie without using a firewire repeater)? I believe I
could achieve about 400Mbps using firewire networking, or have I
missed something?
Any help/pointers much appreciated.
--
Rob





Rob Hemmings

Rob Hemmings wrote:
> I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> duplex ethernet ports.
> Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables)
> simultaneously to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only
> interested in speeding-up file transfer between the two machines
> (huge DV files).
> OS is XP Pro.
> If this isn't possible, both mobo's have firewire ports, but the
> shortest cable I could get away with is 7m, and AIUI, firewire is
> limited to 5m - has anyone successfully used firewire networking
> with a single cable longer than 5m (ie without using a firewire
> repeater)? I believe I
> could achieve about 400Mbps using firewire networking, or have I
> missed something?
> Any help/pointers much appreciated.

How about changing to Gigabit cards - e-Buyer code 51593 only £21 each,
seems easier and faster?

"Rob Hemmings" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:bmjks3$95p$(E-Mail Removed):

> I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> duplex ethernet ports.
> Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables)
> simultaneously to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only
> interested in speeding-up file transfer between the two machines
> (huge DV files). OS is XP Pro.
> If this isn't possible, both mobo's have firewire ports, but the
> shortest cable I could get away with is 7m, and AIUI, firewire
> is limited to 5m - has anyone successfully used firewire
> networking with a single cable longer than 5m (ie without using
> a firewire repeater)? I believe I could achieve about 400Mbps
> using firewire networking, or have I missed something?
> Any help/pointers much appreciated.
> --
> Rob
>

Might be wise to check whether the link speed is the bottleneck
before you invest effort and cash. Try monitoring the bandwidth
used with XP's Performance Monitor when doing a file transfer to
check it out.


--
BRG
===
http://www.brgservices.co.uk/

In article <bmk3qq$lvv$(E-Mail Removed)>,
"Steve Walker" <spam-(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

[SNIP]
>
> How about changing to Gigabit cards - e-Buyer code 51593 only £21 each,
> seems easier and faster?
>

Does anyone sell gigabit crossover cables?

JAB.

--
Jonathan A. Buzzard Email: jonathan (at) buzzard.me.uk
Northumberland, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1661-832195

"BRG" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns9415CBA5B91A6BRGxxx@62.253.162.114...
> "Rob Hemmings" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> news:bmjks3$95p$(E-Mail Removed):
>
> > I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> > duplex ethernet ports.
> > Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables)
> > simultaneously to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only
> > interested in speeding-up file transfer between the two machines
> > (huge DV files). OS is XP Pro.
> > If this isn't possible, both mobo's have firewire ports, but the
> > shortest cable I could get away with is 7m, and AIUI, firewire
> > is limited to 5m - has anyone successfully used firewire
> > networking with a single cable longer than 5m (ie without using
> > a firewire repeater)? I believe I could achieve about 400Mbps
> > using firewire networking, or have I missed something?
> > Any help/pointers much appreciated.
> > --
> > Rob
> >
>
> Might be wise to check whether the link speed is the bottleneck
> before you invest effort and cash. Try monitoring the bandwidth
> used with XP's Performance Monitor when doing a file transfer to
> check it out.

It's not that much of a problem (current single 100Mbps link is close
to the theoretical max.), more of an ergonomic thing. I'll sit there and
wait for a couple of minutes, but 8+..
--
Rob

On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 19:02:16 GMT, BRG
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:


>> I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
>> duplex ethernet ports.

>> Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables)
>> simultaneously to effectively give me a 300Mbps link?
>Might be wise to check whether the link speed is the bottleneck
>before you invest effort and cash. Try monitoring the bandwidth
>used with XP's Performance Monitor when doing a file transfer to
>check it out.

I'm not sure of the accuracy of XP's performance monitor.

For what it's worth I recently tested a file transfer (10MB) over
wireless between a XP Home machine and a 98 1st edition machine.

The XP had a 54mbps card but the sending unit had a 11mbps card so I
would have assumed transfer would have been at 11mbps.

Anyway XP's network monitor showed the transfer at between 24/36 mbps
with an occasional 48mbps

I timed the file transfer and 10MB took 61 seconds which equals about
1.3mbps and good old SYSMON on the Win98 machine showed a KB per
second rate as around 187 which in mbps is about 1.4

Obviously the timing is the best guide, SYSMON gives a similar reading
and XP's Network Monitor is well out.

Geoff Lane

"Rob" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bmkgh2$mru$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "BRG" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:Xns9415CBA5B91A6BRGxxx@62.253.162.114...
> > "Rob Hemmings" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > news:bmjks3$95p$(E-Mail Removed):
> >
> > > I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> > > duplex ethernet ports.
> > > Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables)
> > > simultaneously to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only
> > > interested in speeding-up file transfer between the two machines
> > > (huge DV files). OS is XP Pro.
> > > If this isn't possible, both mobo's have firewire ports, but the
> > > shortest cable I could get away with is 7m, and AIUI, firewire
> > > is limited to 5m - has anyone successfully used firewire
> > > networking with a single cable longer than 5m (ie without using
> > > a firewire repeater)? I believe I could achieve about 400Mbps
> > > using firewire networking, or have I missed something?
> > > Any help/pointers much appreciated.
> > > --
> > > Rob
> > >
> >
> > Might be wise to check whether the link speed is the bottleneck
> > before you invest effort and cash. Try monitoring the bandwidth
> > used with XP's Performance Monitor when doing a file transfer to
> > check it out.
>
> It's not that much of a problem (current single 100Mbps link is close
> to the theoretical max.), more of an ergonomic thing. I'll sit there and
> wait for a couple of minutes, but 8+..
> --
> Rob

PS, I'd really appreciate any kind of answer to my original questions.
--
Rob

Rob Hemmings <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> duplex ethernet ports.
> Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables) simultaneously
> to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only interested in
> speeding-up file transfer between the two machines (huge DV files).
> OS is XP Pro.
I wonder if you could do it this way:

Set the IP address of each interface to a different subnet.
Modify the routing tables so that each interface routes to only one
interface on the other machine (the one it's physically connected to).
Run a FTP server on the machine that has the file.
Run a FTP client on each of the local interfaces to pull different
file segments from the other machine (I don't know if anything is
available off-the-shelf that can do this).
Sit back and listen to the disk on the server thrashing.
Join the segments to recreate the original file.

Seems like a load of hassle though. Actually it sounds like a fun
project for an ICS student.

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) .com...
> Rob Hemmings <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> > duplex ethernet ports.
> > Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables)
simultaneously
> > to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only interested in
> > speeding-up file transfer between the two machines (huge DV files).
> > OS is XP Pro.
> I wonder if you could do it this way:
>
> Set the IP address of each interface to a different subnet.
> Modify the routing tables so that each interface routes to only one
> interface on the other machine (the one it's physically connected to).
> Run a FTP server on the machine that has the file.
> Run a FTP client on each of the local interfaces to pull different
> file segments from the other machine (I don't know if anything is
> available off-the-shelf that can do this).
> Sit back and listen to the disk on the server thrashing.
> Join the segments to recreate the original file.
>
> Seems like a load of hassle though. Actually it sounds like a fun
> project for an ICS student.

Ta for the input. Yeah, it does sound like a lot of hassle, but you've
given me food for thought. I don't see why it can't be done entirely
in software, but my old brain is now long past being able to program
a new (I think) transport layer (last thing I wrote was in Modula-2!)
Might get in touch with our Computing Science dept. and suggest it
as a project for someone though!
Cheers,
--
Rob

"Rob Hemmings" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

> I have a couple of systems each of which has three 100Mbps full
> duplex ethernet ports.
> Is it possible to use all three (using three X-over cables) simultaneously
> to effectively give me a 300Mbps link? I'm only interested in
> speeding-up file transfer between the two machines (huge DV files).
> OS is XP Pro.
> If this isn't possible, both mobo's have firewire ports, but the shortest
> cable I could get away with is 7m, and AIUI, firewire is limited to 5m -
> has anyone successfully used firewire networking with a single cable
> longer than 5m (ie without using a firewire repeater)? I believe I
> could achieve about 400Mbps using firewire networking, or have I
> missed something?
> Any help/pointers much appreciated.

Is this any use?
http://heroinewarrior.com/firehose.php3

> Super fast throughput over cheap ethernet.
>
> One day while waiting 3 hours for a movie to transfer you stared teary eyed
> at some dual ethernet ports and wondered if they could be somehow combined
> for ultra high speed file transfers.
>
> FIREHOSE gives you that power. FIREHOSE gives you a basic data transfer over
> multiple network devices supporting TCP/IP layers. Stripe multiple 100Mbit,
> Gigabit, 10 Gigabit, or firewire to give one humungous pipe for firehosing
> your gigabytes and gigabytes of data.
>
> Unlike RAID striping, FIREHOSE striping load balances the network devices so
> every ounce of bandwidth is utilized. Combine a 400Mbit firewire eth device
> with a 100Mbit eth device to get 500Mbits of power. Combine 10 100Mbit
> ethernet ports for a gigabit pipe. The number of devices which can be
> striped is limited only by imagination and budget.