Slow BlackArmor NAS performance with Asus RT-N56U Router

[Lasso]

Hi, i would be pleased if someone here can help me with my Router/NAS problem.

Yesterday I purchased a Asus RT-N56U Router hoping to be a good update for my 10 year old SMC 100MBit Barricade Router...
Everything works fine, changed IP Adress of the Router, enabled fixed IP's for NAS and PC, established Internet conn. etc.

Problem:
Then I tried to view some pictures on my Seagate BlackArmor NAS 220 (Linux based, so NTFS I suppose) and was shocked by the very very slow performance, took 5-10 seconds to view actual sized JPEG's (around 1-3 MBs). I tried it again with the old 100MBit SMC Router and it works fine. When I copy Movies on it, it has around 20-30 MB/s but I cant explain the slow performance just viewing JPEGS. The Media Service is enabled for this Folder.
Same with Movies, they need years to start, but with the old router there are no problems.

Some Facts about my System:
Network: Fixed IP's, changed standard-IP from RT-N56U as my standard Gateway PC: Windows 7 64 Bit
NAS: Linux based Seagate BlackArmor 220, fixed IP, Media Service for Music, Picture and Movies folder enabled
- everything is WIRED!

I dont know where it comes from but I think its the NAS but I dont know why it should be faster with a 10 year old 100MBit Router than with the new Gigabit RT-N56U? Do you have some suggestions?

 

[GregN]

Hi, i would be pleased if someone here can help me with my Router/NAS problem.

Yesterday I purchased a Asus RT-N56U Router hoping to be a good update for my 10 year old SMC 100MBit Barricade Router...
Everything works fine, changed IP Adress of the Router, enabled fixed IP's for NAS and PC, established Internet conn. etc.

Problem:
Then I tried to view some pictures on my Seagate BlackArmor NAS 220 (Linux based, so NTFS I suppose) and was shocked by the very very slow performance, took 5-10 seconds to view actual sized JPEG's (around 1-3 MBs). I tried it again with the old 100MBit SMC Router and it works fine. When I copy Movies on it, it has around 20-30 MB/s but I cant explain the slow performance just viewing JPEGS. The Media Service is enabled for this Folder.
Same with Movies, they need years to start, but with the old router there are no problems.

Some Facts about my System:
Network: Fixed IP's, changed standard-IP from RT-N56U as my standard Gateway PC: Windows 7 64 Bit
NAS: Linux based Seagate BlackArmor 220, fixed IP, Media Service for Music, Picture and Movies folder enabled
- everything is WIRED!

I dont know where it comes from but I think its the NAS but I dont know why it should be faster with a 10 year old 100MBit Router than with the new Gigabit RT-N56U? Do you have some suggestions?

I don't know the specifics here, router or NAS, anyone does please chip in. Just some general questions:

Old Router, New Router - Same Settings? IP, Netmask, DHCP, etc?

Ping time between Media PC and NAS? With old router?

Any Switches?

Media Service, what is that? Transport via Filesystem or Media Service?



If the NAS is running Linux, then it isn't running NTFS, more likely Samba to handle Windows file sharing.

Intel's NASPT, a performance toolkit, it can provide profile logs using their analysis tool, showing where time is being spent. I'd try running that and looking at the results. Maybe old and new routers.

Someone more familiar with the router can probably be more helpful.

 

[Lasso]

Thanks for your reply!

- Yes old and new router have identical settings.
- The ping is <1ms between the components
- No additional switches
- Media service is a feature of the NAS for media streaming as mediaserver (CIFS aso)

Something i figured out:

When I put the old SMC 100 MBit router as switch between Asus GBit router and the NAS and PC it works. But not with the NAS directly plugged into the 1000MBit Asus router

ISP---Asus1000MBit---SMC100MBit---PC+NAS : works

ISP---Asus1000MBit---SMC100MBit---NAS : works

|​

PC​

ISP---Asus1000MBit---SMC100MBit---PC : works NOT!

|​

NAS​

So might it just be a compatibility Problem between NAS and the new Asus router?

What I figured out too:
- changing an old CAT5 cable to CAT5e improved the issue a bit... around 1MB/s downstream from the NAS -.- The speed varies when switching positions of both CAT5e cables.
- via FTP protocol its the same slow speed

 

[GregN]

If cable makes a difference, and you've moved to Gigabit from what 10Mbs? and adding a faux switch in helps, all that makes a difference...

I've gotta ask, what are the distances separating the components?

Too far apart?

 

[Lasso]

Hi,

I switched from SMC Barricade Router with 100MBit to ASUS RT-N56U Gigabit.

Distance between components 2 metres.

 

[GregN]

Take a look at this thread

There is definitely an issue with the BlackArmour, are you running the latest firmware?

( lots of folks are reporting the same issue... )

One of the workarounds is to put a cheap gigabit switch (not dlink) between the NAS and the router.

Some folks have suggested it is related to MTU size....

 

[Lasso]

Hi Greg,

thanks for your investigations. Found this during my troubleshooting too.

Sadly the BlackArmor NAS is a diva and I'm going to buy a gigabit switch today and test it. Looking forward to post results this weekend.

I tested varying MTU sizes and disabling TCP improvements for Windows7 too, no change.

 

[Lasso]

It was the combination of Asus Router and Black Armor NAS. Putting a GB Sitecom Router between them solved the Problem.

 

[GregN]

It was the combination of Asus Router and Black Armor NAS. Putting a GB Sitecom Router between them solved the Problem.

So it will remain a eternal mystery: What the hell is up with the Black Armor NAS? Some kind of secret TCP/IP variation to befuddle normal humans?