I have been having issues with my HTPC lately playing movies from my Unraid server, and I think I have figured out it is some sort of network problem. I am on Unraid 5.0.3 and have a Gigabit network. I tested copying a 25.5GB file from the server to the hard drive of the HTPC, speeds starts out fast saying it is going to take around 4 minutes but then the speed will gradually decrease at what seems like an even rate the entire time it is making the copy. In the end it took 1 hour and 58 minutes to copy that file to the HTPC. I went to my other computer in the house also on the same wired network and copied the same file and it took 6 minutes, that's a heck of a difference and why I have problems I think. Now the HTPC is newer, fasted, solid state drive, very few programs installed, ect. So by rights it should be faster then my old desk top that has years worth of different junk installed on it.

 

Any way I don't think that Unraid is the issue but any good tips on how to track down they slow network speed on my HTPC?

The first things that come to mind are the cable, the port on your switch/router, restarting the router, and the device driver for the LAN chipset on the HTPC, and any anti-virus running on the HTPC.

I will try the cable, don't have anti virus on the HTPC. The switch and router have been restarted multiple times. Can't imagine it would be as simple as a new cable, but stranger things have happened.