October 7, 200916 yr I currently have a DLink DIR-625 10/100 wireless router feeding a Cisco 24 port 10/100 switch. I have my unraid server connected to the switch as well as many other devices (computers, xbox 360s, PS3, and PCH C-200) My question is this: If I were to buy a gigabit switch such as the D-link 8-Port Unmanaged Switch (DGS-1008D), would it benefit me at all? Would I gain better speed if I plugged my Unraid server and PCH C-200 into the gigabit switch since they both have gigabit capability? I was thinking of taking the router into the gigabit switch and then to the 24 port 10/100 switch. I am looking to try and increase the speed from the unraid server to the PCH C-200 for streaming blu rays. Right now the PCH C-200 streams the blu rays fine from the 10/100 switch but I am wondering if adding the gigabit switch for about $70 CDN would benefit me even more. Would this benefit me at all or am I wasting my money? Thx
October 7, 200916 yr Streaming media files does not take very much bandwidth. What you are concerned about is the maximum bandwidth a stream requires, not the average bitrate. It's the peaks, the bursts, that are responsible for stutter if they are limited. But although blu-rays require more than other media files, if you aren't seeing any stutter with them, then a gigabit switch won't make any difference. It may help though if you want to simultaneously stream files to different stations. Where a gigabit switch will really help is file transfers. Copies from your unRAID server will be roughly triple the speed. Writes to the server will be faster too, especially to the Cache disk.
October 7, 200916 yr Author Thx. It looks like the gigabit would be worth it just for the file transfers
October 7, 200916 yr Author Would the gigabit switch make a different if my other network PCs are only 10/100 NIC cards?
October 8, 200916 yr Author Well I added the gigabit switch in between my 10/100 router and my 10/100 switch and it improved write speed to the Unraid a little. Instead of 4.6MB/s I now get 5.2MB/s. Not a big increase. I think it may have to do with my office machine that I am using to transfer to my unraid. The office machine only has a 10/100 NIC card in it. I am not sure the gigabit switch is really worth the $70 right now to get an extra 600K in write speed.
October 8, 200916 yr Would the gigabit switch make a different if my other network PCs are only 10/100 NIC cards? No difference whatsoever. That gigabit switch can only negotiate a 100mbit connection with your 100mbit NIC. Just get some gigabit NICs for your PCs. They are now dirt cheap anyway. Only then you can have a gigabit connection.
October 8, 200916 yr Author I just added a gigbit NIC card in my office machine and there is also one in my unraid server and they are both connected to the gigabit switch. I am still only getting 6.5 MB/s when transferring from the office machine to the unraid server I am almost ready to give up and just go back to what I had. I thought it would have been quicker now but it is not. What am I doing wrong?
October 8, 200916 yr Like purko says you should just switch your network to GbE. Unlike purko says a GbE switch WILL marginally help your traffic (esp. the more points you have connected) because switches have a total bandwidth ceiling, that (esp. for cheapo 10/100 switches) is not SO hard to hit (again when you have many ports connected) and is much higher on GbE switches (because they are made to cope with much bigger traffic).
October 8, 200916 yr Author I do have the two machines that I am using to transfer on a GbE switch and both machines have a GbE NIC card. Does the MTU have anything to do with it? Both the office machine and unraid server are set to 1500 MTU.
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