Pimp My LAN

[driggins]

Greetings,

I'm a long-time computer geek, but networking is new to me. So, please forgive these softball questions.

My goal is to have a solid, lighting-fast network. Here is a diagram of my LAN layout.

The two switches shown in the diagram are Linksys SD2005 models.

All devices have gigabit interface cards. I'm not sure if cabling is Cat 5 or Cat 5e. Does this deserve my attention?

Would I be better served by connecting all of the devices individually to a single switch?

Would I get better network performance from a higher-end switch? If so, do you have recommendations?

As small as my network is, does it matter if this switch is managed/unmanaged (bear in mind that I don't yet know HOW to manage a switch)?

Is it worth my time to make custom ethernet cables so they are not longer than necessary? I have a few cables that are much longer than they need to be.

What else can I do to improve the speed and performance of my LAN?

 

[thiggins]

All devices have gigabit interface cards. I'm not sure if cabling is Cat 5 or Cat 5e. Does this deserve my attention?

For short patch cables, it doesn't matter. For long runs (room to room), you should be using 5e or 6.

Would I be better served by connecting all of the devices individually to a single switch?

Only if you have high traffic between the two switches that is overloading the 1000 Mbps link (in each direction)

Would I get better network performance from a higher-end switch? If so, do you have recommendations?

No. Gigabit switching is a well-developed technology.

As small as my network is, does it matter if this switch is managed/unmanaged (bear in mind that I don't yet know HOW to manage a switch)?

See Smart Switch How To - Part 1: What A Managed Switch Can Do For Your Small Network to answer this question.

Is it worth my time to make custom ethernet cables so they are not longer than necessary? I have a few cables that are much longer than they need to be.

No.

What else can I do to improve the speed and performance of my LAN?

Make sure the gigabit Ethernet interfaces in your computers use the PCIe bus.

 

[jdabbs]

It does not appear that the SD2005 supports jumbo frames. Whether or not you will realize a benefit from jumbo frame support depends on the type of network traffic.

 

[Fritze]

Make sure the gigabit Ethernet interfaces in your computers use the PCIe bus.

Mine are PCI, what limitations will I see.

 

[Jesse B]

Mine are PCI, what limitations will I see.

The PCI bus is capable of about 133MB/s. Gigabit ethernet is capable of a theoretical max of 125MB/s. Therefore, if you try to run more than one connection off the PCI bus, you won't be able to achieve full gigabit speeds.

 

[00Roush]

The PCI bus is capable of about 133MB/s. Gigabit ethernet is capable of a theoretical max of 125MB/s. Therefore, if you try to run more than one connection off the PCI bus, you won't be able to achieve full gigabit speeds.

In theory you can get full gigabit speeds from the PCI bus but in my experience it is more like 60-80 MB/sec for file copies over the network. It does depend on how old the hardware is though. I have found that older P4 machines (2.4 Ghz-3.0 Ghz) and some Athlon XP machines with a Intel PRO/1000 MT PCI card are around the 60-80 MB/sec range. A little while ago I had a Athlon 64 X2 (Nforce 4 based motherboard) computer that I tested the same Intel PRO/1000 MT PCI card in and saw around 110 MB/sec for file copies to and from my server.

00Roush

 

[Jesse B]

In theory you can get full gigabit speeds from the PCI bus but in my experience it is more like 60-80 MB/sec for file copies over the network. It does depend on how old the hardware is though. I have found that older P4 machines (2.4 Ghz-3.0 Ghz) and some Athlon XP machines with a Intel PRO/1000 MT PCI card are around the 60-80 MB/sec range. A little while ago I had a Athlon 64 X2 (Nforce 4 based motherboard) computer that I tested the same Intel PRO/1000 MT PCI card in and saw around 110 MB/sec for file copies to and from my server.

00Roush

True, with decent hardware you can get pretty much full Gbit speeds from PCI. I was just pointing out the fact that if you're trying to run 2 or more NIC's from PCI, they will suffer from the limited bandwidth.