[HELP] Home Gigabit Network Speed Issue

[nyunyu]

Hi,

I wonder if any of you guys would help me with my network speed.

The problem:
For some not-yet-known reason, my file transfer speed between devices are really slow. For instance, transferring a movie file from PC to NAS or vice versa will only goes up to 11.2MB/s while everthing is on gigabit network.

Both my PC and NAS connected to the network using Cat5e cables and both are gigabit enabled. The cat5e used in concealed wiring are from the same bundle/roll. I'm using SG1016D switch and wonder if that is the culprit but the port led shows I'm on gigabit. I'm actually thinking to replace it with Mikrotik but don't want to simply replace without knowing what causing the slow speed.

The thing is, even though let's say the connection from 1st floor to 2nd floor is using 100mbps, I should still see 60MB/s average file transfers between my NAS and my PC since they're connected to the same gigabit switch. Correct?

Hopefully you could help me giving some idea what could be wrong and where should I look at or what should I look for to pinpoint the source of this issue.

These are the equipments:
Router: RT-N56U (PPPoE)
Router: TL-WR1042ND
Switch: TP Link TL-SG1016D
NAS: Synology 1512+ with 5x2TB WD Red.

 

[azazel1024]

Yes to what you are asking.

As for those speeds, 11.2MB/sec is indicative of a fast ethernet connection (IE 100Mbps) as that is roughly the max speed with overhead you get on a 100Mbps connection.

Even though the switch says gigabit, have you checked the network adpater properties for the machines in question? Does it SAY 1Gbps, or does it say 100Mbps?

Here is a quick test, pull the switch and connect the NAS and PC directly to each other. Since gigabit, they have auto-MDX (IE autocross over) so you don't need a cross over cable. Just set static IPs on both. Then test. Still get the same speeds? If you are getting obviously gigabit speeds, the switch is the issue. If you are getting the same speeds, the NAS or the PC are the issue (or the wiring).

If you had a long enough patch cord, I'd try connecting directly with that. Verify. If things are good, then try using the existing wiring to check, to verify if it is a wiring issue. If that checks out, must be the switch.

 

[nyunyu]

Found the culprit. Apparently the cable that connect from switch to my study room seems to be in bad condition seeing it only allows 802.3u and wouldn't allow 802.3z meaning no gigabit speed.

In the diagram above, study room's PC is connected to a router before connecting to the wall jack, so I tested direct connection and to my surprise the NIC reports link negotiated to 100Mbps. If I force my NIC to 1000Mbps, there are no link at all.

Tested the PC to NAS transfers in Master bedroom, got speed 110MB/s which is what I'm looking for.

So, bad news, got to redo the cabling for the wall jack. Now thinking to get RB2011UiAS-RM to replace both SG1016D and WR1042ND.
Logic being WR1042ND would be useless since it still operate on 100Mbps and RB2011UiAS-RM has both LACP and wireless so my PC in study room can just use WiFi and still would get better file transfer speed around ~75MB/s which is way more than a paltry 11.2MB/s.

 

[azazel1024]

What wireless setup and what distance? 75MB/sec would take an AC1750 setup and likely pretty close distance to manage that.

The RB2011UiAS-RM is not a wireless router, it is a router router. So I hope you aren't thinking you could get that and be able to wirelessly connect anything to it.

I am kind of confused as to why you are using the WR1043nd at all, unless you are using it for wireless or needed extra ports by the study PC.

Looking at your setup, it looks like all you need to do is fix the wiring and you are done. I don't see a reason for the RB2011UiAS at all, certainly not with how it sounds like you might use it. If you are using the WR1043nd as a wireless access point and where it is for best coverage and only have the single port, then go with a gigabit wifi router in AP mode to replace it.

 

[nyunyu]

Oh crap, just found out RB2011UiAS-RM does have wireless chip but doesn't have the necessary circuitry for it. I should get RB2011UiAS-2HnD-IN instead.
Can a Wireless N 300Mbps achieve 30MB/s ~ 75MB/s at least?
I use WR1042ND for wireless on the 2nd floor.

 

[abailey]

Be careful with the Routerboard routers. If you look closely at the speed test you will see they cannot do Gigabit throughput, even in bridge mode. They have even less speed in router mode. It looks like the best they can get (in perfect conditions) is 1.5Gb/s on a full duplex Gigabit link (2Gb/s). If you do get a Routerboard make sure it is a router with a built in switch. A built in switch will have hardware acceleration and should be able to keep up with a Gigabit full duplex connection. Personally, with switches being pretty inexpensive, I would keep your switching and routing separate.

 

[abailey]

Wireless N 300Mbit will give you around 12.3MB/s. If you have your Wireless N in N mode only (not mixed mode) you should get about 66% throughput, so 198Mbit/s aggregate. Then to compare it to wired connections that are full duplex you have to cut that value in half. So 198/2 or 99Mbit/s or 12.375MB/s. Being half duplex sometimes you can get a little asymmetrical on a download and get a little better speed, but not much.
Edit: Of course this assumes only one client on your wireless. Since wireless is a shared medium, then if you have more clients working wirelessly at the same time, they will share the bandwidth.

 

[azazel1024]

Oh crap, just found out RB2011UiAS-RM does have wireless chip but doesn't have the necessary circuitry for it. I should get RB2011UiAS-2HnD-IN instead.
Can a Wireless N 300Mbps achieve 30MB/s ~ 75MB/s at least?
I use WR1042ND for wireless on the 2nd floor.

Abailey mostly covered it, but absolutely not.

300Mbps converted to straight Bytes is 37.5MB.sec, so nothing like 75MB/sec.

Then there is overhead, etc, etc.

A PERFECT connection on 11n with zero dropped packets at maximum speed is ~76% of the rated speed (the rest is error correction overhead). That works out to 28.5MB/sec. Rarely will you ever see that. I have no 2.4GHz interference in my house and I have an awesome client. On my one really good N600 access point connecting at 300Mbps on 2.4GHz I get 23MB/sec, on 5GHz I can get 25MB/sec. On my better AC1750 router on 2.4GHz 300Mbps I can get 28MB/sec, right up at the theoretical limit once error correction is taken in to account.

Get a wall in the way and the best is more like 22MB/sec or so.

JUST LIVE WITH THE SWITCH YOU HAVE! There is no indication it is not working correctly, you have a wiring issue. What is it you need a routerboard for? Other than a play thing. As a switch, it will not work nearly as well, unless you need an L2/3 SDS or a SDR router. In either case, it isn't nearly as fast as dedicated hardware.

You have a perfectly good switch.

You have a wired connection from your core network to your study PC. Why would you want to switch to wireless? It'll be slower and cost you a chunk of money to implement.

As a comparison on speed, my AC1750 router and laptop with an AC1200 wifi card in it, operating at 867Mbps link rate (cause that is what it'll do, dual stream, 11ac) line of sight at the sweet spot I can get 62MB/sec with a tail wind.

Move a bit further away and still line of sight and it is 52-55MB/sec. Get a wall in the way at the same distance (maybe 20ft away) and it is low 40's MB/sec. Still pretty good, but performance does drop off quickly.

I'd keep everything you currently have. If you only have the single network jack in the room and have no option to run a 2nd wire for the WR1043nd and the study PC seperately, I'd ditch the WR1043nd and just get a basic gigabit router. For example, TP-Link WDR3600 is pretty darned good (that is what I have getting me 23/25MB/sec), gigabit ports, all for around $50-55 new. That'll take those pesky fast ethernet ports out of the equation and give you 5GHz too.

 

[nyunyu]

Actually what I'm aiming for is to get good transfer speed between my NAS and my PC. I thought if I replace the WR1042ND with new wireless router, I can skip using the bad cable and just use wireless to get better speed.

Anyway, even if I ditch the 1042ND and get WDR3600, it will still limited to 100Mbps link and will never exceed 11.2MB/s transfer speed, right?

 

[fistv]

As far as replacing the cable it might be as simple as attaching a pull string SECURELY to one end and pulling it back. You could also attach the new cable and pull both [use the string for future pulls back]. When you tie it wrap the joint in good slick electrical tape and make sure the wrapping is tapered, it may end up 2feet long. I'd also put some lube on it, you don't want anything to catch or snag. Use two people, one to pull the other to keep any kinks out and some reverse tension.

 

[nyunyu]

As far as replacing the cable it might be as simple as attaching a pull string SECURELY to one end and pulling it back. You could also attach the new cable and pull both [use the string for future pulls back]. When you tie it wrap the joint in good slick electrical tape and make sure the wrapping is tapered, it may end up 2feet long. I'd also put some lube on it, you don't want anything to catch or snag. Use two people, one to pull the other to keep any kinks out and some reverse tension.

I wished it's that easy. Unfortunately, the existing cable didn't even twitch when I tried pulling it at one end, although haven't got the chance to climb into my cellar and try pulling at the other end though.

Will keep in mind of your advices, good idea of using lube on the cable. Thanks.

 

[abailey]

In my experience 90% of the time I have encountered a bad cable it is either with the connector or where the cable comes into the connector. I would try to put new ends on the cable and give it another try.

 

[fistv]

I wished it's that easy. Unfortunately, the existing cable didn't even twitch when I tried pulling it at one end, although haven't got the chance to climb into my cellar and try pulling at the other end though.

Will keep in mind of your advices, good idea of using lube on the cable. Thanks.

You may not be able to do it with one pull either, not if it comes down and makes a 90 to run though some floor joists and then back up. As Abailey said, pick up two cat 5e jacks at home depot, CE-Tech is what I picked up on monday at HD, comes with a tool for seating for the hobbyist , you want to use the B wiring not the A on BOTH ends. Might want to pick up two surface mount boxes and face plates as well. Use an xacto knife to slit the sheath, lightly, you don't want to cut through the whole thing, just the sheath. If you are working on the floor have a piece of wood on your lap to act as a desk, don't try seating them on your skin or jeans.

 

[azazel1024]

In my experience 90% of the time I have encountered a bad cable it is either with the connector or where the cable comes into the connector. I would try to put new ends on the cable and give it another try.

So far 99% of my "not reaching desired speed" has been all about the cable termination. Either a bad crimp or a bad punch down.

The two times it was a bad cable, once was that a staple got driven through the cable breaking one of the wires in a twisted pair and the other time was that the cable was probably kinked too strongly (about a .2" radius 180 turn in the cable, probably from someone getting it caught on something and yanking when it was looped up) and broke one of the twisted pairs in the cable.

The other 60-100 odd times I've had to diagnose a bad ethernet cable, it has been 90% poor crimping and 10% bad punch down.

Oh, once it was a bad keystone jack (in my house in this case, my 2yr old daughter broke a contact off the keystone with a pen). So try reterminating first with new keystone jacks and see what happens.