Strange network slowness

[tucansam]

Hi guys.

 

I have an unraid server sitting next to my desktop workstation (Unraid 6.x, Windows 7).  Connected via gig-e, both NICs are gig.  Right now I am pulling data off my unraid server at 69.9MB/s according to Windows.  Cool.

 

The pair of systems is connected to the rest of my network with what is, essentially, a 100MB link.  Copying data from the unraid server to a machine downstairs usually gives me 10MB/s, and sometimes if I am doing a pair of copies at a time, I can get one stream to 9MB/s and the other to 4MB/s.

 

The problem is, when I am copying data from the unraid server to another machine over the 100MB link, any file browsing or copying done from my gig-e connected workstation results in 1-2MB/S.  So, I can be doing a 10MB/s copy form unraid to a machine downstairs, and a copy from unraid to my workstation is doing 1-2MB/s.  In addition, browsing the shares with Windows Explorer results in similar slowness, and many times timeouts.

 

Confirmed that this happens when pulling off the same drive, or different drives.

 

It seems that any time unraid is involved in file operations over the 100MB link, it forgets its connected via gig-e with my desktop.  At least that's my theory.  That something is limiting it to the slower speed, no matter where the client is.

 

Any advice on the matter would be appreciated.

[gubbgnutten]

Since you get "69.9MB/s according to Windows", at least something is working. 

 

What does your network look like? What is your "essentially, a 100MB link"? A power line adapter or something? How does everything fit together? Network switches? Hubs? Routers? Firewalls? Wifi? Carrier pigeons?

 

If you copy from your workstation to downstairs instead, do you experience the same problems?

[tucansam]

Downstairs, managed gig-e switch, primary unraid server, some esxi stuff, htpc stuff, my pfsense firewall, a Ubiquity Unifi AP, and one end of a Ubiquity Air Wire.  Upstairs, the other end of the Air Wire, a gig-e switch, secondary unraid server, and my workstation. 

 

Copying from my workstation to the unraid server downstairs, 7-10MB/s.  Copying from the upstairs unraid server to the downstairs unraid server, 7-10MB/s.  Copying from my workstation to the upstairs unraid server, 40MB/s (no cache disk) and 65-70MB/s reads. 

 

But if the secondary unraid server is doing something with any of the systems downstairs, then accessing it with my workstation plugged into the same gig-e switch is where the bottleneck presents.

 

[JorgeB]

In my experience it's not a good idea to mix gigabit with fast ethernet.

 

This is an example of what I  experienced before upgrading my lan to all gigabit, computer A and router were gigabit, computer B was fast ethernet,  copying something between both computers at fast ethernet speed turned the gigabit connection so slow that just browsing the net from computer A while the copy was in progress was painful, as soon as the copy finished speed would turn back to normal.

[tucansam]

I appreciate the replies, thanks.

 

There is no way to get gig-e upstairs (rental, can't run wires).  The Airwire setup works but was a quick fix.  I am thinking about upgrading my wifi ap to 802.11ac, and putting a pci AC adapter in my desktop, then moving my secondary unraid server downstairs to hang off the managed switch.  I'm hoping this will eliminate the network slowness.  Comments on that plan?  Unraid is running fine otherwise.

 

Thanks again.

[JonathanM]

Maybe segmenting the network would work? Keep the gig on their own subnets, and route between them?