Newbie Question: File transfers SLOW as hell with Google Nest (vs ASUS)

[ptcadoc]

Newbie here, I'm a health care professional so all this computer stuff is really difficult.  My ignorance will become clear as you read further so please be gentle LOL !  Will appreciate all the help.

 

My system:

• UNraid 6.8.3
• Motherboard: ASRock - H170M-ITX/ac 
• RAM: 8GB
• Processor: Intel Core i5-6400 CPU @2.7GHz
• Drives:  6TB + 4TB NAS drives.  One 120 GB SSD to host "appdata" and "system" files.  Have not set up cache for copying.  Have a 6TB drive not used and not in the array (yet) - debating on whether to set up parity or just use the disk
• Parity:  No parity (for now - have a 6TB drive on standby)
• NIC: 2 NICs each 1GB.  Using only one 

 

I recently migrated from FreeNAS to UNraid successfully.  What a breath of fresh air - interface so much more user friendly and ease of installing plugins etc etc. FreeNAS was slow as shit and the discussion boards were not helpful at all.  Shout out to several Youtubers including Spaceinvader and Illuminated Nerd - amazing videos 

 

The primary use of the server for me is 

1. Using PLEX like everyone else
2. Downloading health care and medical related videos from various medical websites and storing them on the server which means downloading on my Dell XPS 13 laptop then transferring over WiFi to the server.

Here are the "growing pains" I'm facing and would love some help/opinions

 

1. I had initially connected the server to an ASUS RT-AC88U router and using the 5G wireless was getting close to 25 MBps (around 200-250 Mbps) transfer speed.  As the home WiFi was spotty with no WiFI in at least one room (and an urgent need to have Wifi there) I invested in the Google Nest WiFi and suddenly network transfer speeds slowed to a CRAWL.  I'm talking 1 MBps type of speeds, which is appalling.  Even when sitting right next to the router.  Doesn't matter if I swap the Ethernet cable to one NIC vs the other.
   
   QUESTION:  Is there a good explanation why the speed is so bad with the Google Nest?  I'm skeptical it's all due to the 5G vs 2.4/5G of the Nest and are there settings that could be tweaked to make transfers faster?  Is this even an UNraid issue?
    
2. In order to get the "best of both worlds" I jerry-rigged my system as follows (and please feel free to roast me I'm sure it's insanely stupid) - PLEASE SEE DIAGRAM ATTACHED

• Internet from modem goes into the ASUS
• From a LAN port of the ASUS, ethernet cable to a Switch to which the server is plugged in
• In the ASUS router, only the 5G radio is turned on and I connect to this network only 
• From another LAN port of the ASUS, ethernet cable to WAN port of Google Nest WIFI router which has 2 other stations and spreads 2.4G WiFi throughout the house including the troublesome room

 

So far this arrangement has worked - all devices are connected to the internet and I can transfer files via the 5G ASUS network at much better speeds but ....... 

• WHen I connect to the 2.4 WiFi the server is not visible on my laptop "network".  I'd expect that I guess, it's a different network BUT ...... on my cellphone using an app called FileBrowser even when connected to the 2.4 WiFI I can see the UNraid server and access the shares.
  
  QUESTION: does this make any sense?  How come I can access my shares when connected to the 2.4G network using ONLY thephone? I'd like family members who connect to the 2.4 WiFI be able to access shares and is it possible with this arrangement?

 

 

Thank you in advance

[ptcadoc]

Bump

[Energen]

Love the diagram!

 

I'm not sure if any of this stuff related to Asus routers applies to your case since you're using two different routers on different bands, but it might be worth taking a peek at some of the options to see if anything helps.

 

https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/rt-ac87u-why-cant-i-see-my-shared-folders-when-using-5ghz-629156/

 

Aside from that, if you're able to verify that the Nest 2.4G network does route back to Unraid through the Asus (i.e. the Nest router is acting as an access point to the Asus, rather than it's own independent network), so that basically everything is working despite the speed.. not sure what your problem might be.  It would seem that it's a band / compatibility problem between the Nest and the Asus.

 

Since Unraid doesn't do anything with/on/to/for WiFi directly, it's not an Unraid problem specifically.

[Vr2Io]

Phone can access thr 2.4G usually because it already know/cache the hostname-IP of Unraid when it connect under 5G WiFi. You can try access Unraid by input it's IP.

But router should default block any SMB for WAN, otherwise critical security issus could happen.

 

BTW, you shouldn't connect NEST WAN to router, this will under NAT ( network adress translation ), you should connect to Nest LAN, and disable Nest DHCP function ( assign IP function ), only Asus perform IP assignment.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Benson