Why is A to B faster than B to A on a WIRED network?

[Mediaman]

Why is A to B faster than B to A on a WIRED network?

On my vista machine, I can see 6 other XP pc's. Regardless of how I connect to them (ie Start/Network, or Run Command /IP Address, or Shortcut to IP address, the response is IMMEDIATE for any PC I try to connect to.

But the reverse is not true. While on any XP machine, I can see all other machines, but regardless of how I connect to them (ie Entire Network, drilldown, or Run Command / IP Address, or Shortcut to IP address, the response is SLOW for any PC I try to connect to ; it can take up to 10 full seconds to see the structure beneath the remote PC.

I read the the file sharing tips. I have only one shared directory on each PC (C:\users) and I have only one mapped drive on each PC, and have only one machine (the Vista) with Computer Browser (ie its turned of on all other machines). All IP addresses are static and sequential. Norton runs on PC01, but all other PC are trusted (by their IP addresses). AVAST runs on all XP machines. See network diagram attached. PC01 is the vista machine. Main router (A) is DIR-655. Switches are Netgear GS605. Other APs are non-gigabit Trendet TEW 452BRP's. As to gigabit NICS, I do plan to upgrade, but for now only the Vista has a gigabit card, so thats not the issue (ie works well in one direction not the other). I cant impagine hittting a 100 Mbps limit just by connecting???

So why are Vista-to-XP requests fast but XP-to-Vista or XP-to-XP requests slow, on a wired network?? Is it simply VIsta? or simply becuase its the ComputerBrowser?

Are there tools where I can measure LAN performance in BOTH directions betwenn two or more PC's ??? I tried Speed Meter Pro but it want particularly helpful. I used NetMeter but I dont think it would help re this directional behavior?

The behaviour among the XP machines is consistent and is a follows:

For example, on PC02:

- list of all Conected PC under Entire Network - instant
- click on say PC03 ; wait 10 seconds for directory contents
- click on say PC07 ; wait 10 seconds for directory contents
- go back to PC03 ; instant
- go back to PC07 ; instant

Any suggestions?

 

[tipstir]

Wow you like to draw these network mappings this time in levels. What are those blue boxes I can't make them out.

 

[Mediaman]

We digress, but as to the diagram, the blue boxes are the wireless Trendet TEW 452BRP access points...but recall, my issues relates to all my wired PCs. The levels were to give me a visual representation of where equipment physically exists in the house (vs just logical). It gets better actually - I drew it in powerpoint and activated hyperlinks for everything, so I can now just click on a router to configure it, or click on a PC to view contents. I only posted a snippet...rest of the diagram has links to vendor support sites, pdf docs, IP info, shortcuts to tools, etc. And I set it up as part of a bigger slide deck, so I have one tab for computer/networks, but other tabs for each of TV cable house wiring, audio/video eqmt, telehpones, etc Came out nice ; all in one spot. Now I just need to spend as muich time figuring out why my XPs are behaving the way they are !

 

[tipstir]

Tim how about these:

 

[tipstir]

We digress, but as to the diagram, the blue boxes are the wireless Trendet TEW 452BRP access points...but recall, my issues relates to all my wired PCs. The levels were to give me a visual representation of where equipment physically exists in the house (vs just logical). It gets better actually - I drew it in powerpoint and activated hyperlinks for everything, so I can now just click on a router to configure it, or click on a PC to view contents. I only posted a snippet...rest of the diagram has links to vendor support sites, pdf docs, IP info, shortcuts to tools, etc. And I set it up as part of a bigger slide deck, so I have one tab for computer/networks, but other tabs for each of TV cable house wiring, audio/video eqmt, telehpones, etc Came out nice ; all in one spot. Now I just need to spend as muich time figuring out why my XPs are behaving the way they are !

I see you use trendnet devices I had purchased one and took it right back where I got it from. Anyway I am impress with your shots look 3D. I need to sit down and design what I have. The images above is just the basic idea of it all. Second one Tim had mention could work. I find DLINK and Trendnet expensive while the OEM are dirt cheap. But they don't have Gig switch yet though.

So you're including everything you have on the network then..

 

[Mediaman]

I see you use trendnet devices I had purchased one and took it right back where I got it from. Anyway I am impress with your shots look 3D .... I find DLINK and Trendnet expensive while the OEM are dirt cheap. But they don't have Gig switch yet though..

The trendnets are my 'interim' APs ; these are the ones I pickup up for $20 each. No issues to date. The DLINK has gigabit ports.

Second one Tim had mention could work. ..

Not following your comment here..

So you're including everything you have on the network then..

Yes.

 

[tipstir]

The trendnets are my 'interim' APs ; these are the ones I pickup up for $20 each. No issues to date. The DLINK has gigabit ports.


Not following your comment here..


Yes.

Second image where you see N and G access points. Tim was saying you could set up both. I only have the one right now. So you found access points for $20 where?

 

[tipstir]

I had purchased two of the N wireless routers it also can be use as access point by flipping the switch on the side. Awful router..

I also have two of these High Power G Wireless Routers (125mbps) a.k.a access points as well. The make awful routers but make very good wireless access point for a price. Never had any trouble them. Wish there main N had worked out better.

 

[tipstir]

I have more buffalo tech equipment from PCI to PCMCIA high power turbo and High Speed cards and this what I call wireless drop anywhere last image...

None of these are cheap but today they're expensive if you could find one.

 

[Mediaman]

I guess I will give Qcheck a shot again, but I am still get CHR0200 errors.

 

[tipstir]

I guess I will give Qcheck a shot again, but I am still get CHR0200 errors.

What type of error? Qcheck I can't get that to work on none of my systems, I guess it needs something that I block off the system to run.

CHR0200: The %1 connection attempt timed out.

 

[Mediaman]

Yup same error ( even with firewalls off)

Error was detected at Wed Aug 27 20:11:33 2008
Error was detected by the Console.
The return code was 4.
CHR0200: The TCP connection attempt timed out.

The log message was:
CHR0211:
Partner address: 10.0.xx.xxx
Service Quality:
Partner port number: 10115
Communications errno: 10060
Call: connect

Error was detected at line 1543 of file:
"&(#) commtcp.c V316, 12-Jun-01"
Call traceback:
0 pairthrd_setup
1 pairthrd_execute_presetup
2 commtcp_connect_initiate
3 commtcp_handle_errno_extended
4 status_capture_error_extended​

 

[Mediaman]

QCheck results

More troubleshooting...


Response Time and Throughputdon’t work, but Trace route does work. I selected TCP protocol

Further:

Using IP addresses,
PC01 to PC05 Latency: 1 ms
PC05 to PC01 CHR0211 error message

Using host names,
PC01 to PC05 Latency: 7302 ms
PC05 to PC01 CHR0211 error message

So a few observations right there:

-ResponseTime and Throughput dont work, only Trace Route
-results for host names over IP address are orders of magnitfue different
-it only works in one direction

 

[tipstir]

I use two programs to test out the LAN - I don't go to any business without these two..

WS_PING_PACK_PRO (not free but you can try it out)
http://goinside.com/99/3/wsping.html

LAN SPY (freeware tools)
http://lantricks.com/lanspy/

I had brought this to work when I was doing Project Coordinating / Manager to see who on our domain had Windows XP SP2 installed. Works great! Users always ask how did you know I got the SMS update. I have my ways I had said.

If you let LAN SPY scan the entire network it will tell you a lot of things.. You can turn features off also.

I need to know who was logging onto one network PC in our domain, by using Lan Spy I was able to find the user by ID and give him a call sure enough my techs were able to find that PC and shut it down.

On a home network it works pretty much the same..

 

[Mediaman]

Ahhh, from IP Switch

Thanks , will check it out. Not to pricey either...

 

[Mediaman]

OK, so for 10/100, are these throughputs typical or slow? Ran with WSPingPro

Something may be questionable here as I get identical results on any computer I run this on.

50 packets (packet Size= 1024)
54576 bytes in 50 ms.
throughput: 16.38 megabits/sec
average:8.73 megabits/sec
median:8.89 megabits/sec


50 packets (packet Size= 4096)
290014 bytes in 99 ms.
throughput: 32.76 megabits/sec
average:23.43 megabits/sec
median:25.04 megabits/sec

 

[tipstir]

OK, so for 10/100, are these throughputs typical or slow? Ran with WSPingPro

Something may be questionable here as I get identical results on any computer I run this on.

50 packets (packet Size= 1024)
54576 bytes in 50 ms.
throughput: 16.38 megabits/sec
average:8.73 megabits/sec
median:8.89 megabits/sec


50 packets (packet Size= 4096)
290014 bytes in 99 ms.
throughput: 32.76 megabits/sec
average:23.43 megabits/sec
median:25.04 megabits/sec

Interesting results.. What happens when you run LAN SPY above. Check the TLL.

How you ever used this: (100% freeware)

Although it says for wireless you can use the same settings for wired The bar is based on your download speed you get from your ISP ex. 20mbps is what I get so you see it all the way to the left.

This one is for the WAN

This one is for the LAN and see the 80 you can change that to 72 to get higher performance. I recommend testing at 80 then test at 72. Might have to reboot the box. Also the LAN Buffer Request is set to 16KB, you can increase that by 32KB, and 64KB is the max. Default from Microsoft is 8KB. I set everything to 16KB 16,384.. Downloader box would be 32KB. Everything else is 16KB.

Also make sure your onboard NIC CPU is enabled on XP, MCE, 2003, Vista. To do this you need to go into the registry.


This is disabled by default.

Open the registry find the key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\
Parameters]
and create and DWORD value if does not already exist DisableTaskOffload.Modify it to 0=use the processor or 1(default)=do not use the processor.

Now reboot all the boxes you have and run these test again...

 

[Mediaman]

Interesting results.. ...

How do they compare to yours??

What happens when you run LAN SPY above. Check the TLL. ...

All I see is Time to Live (TTL) : 128

 

[Mediaman]

Also make sure your onboard NIC CPU is enabled on XP, MCE, 2003, Vista. To do this you need to go into the registry.


This is disabled by default.

Open the registry find the key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\
Parameters]
and create and DWORD value if does not already exist DisableTaskOffload.Modify it to 0=use the processor or 1(default)=do not use the processor.

Now reboot all the boxes you have and run these test again...

On my Vista machine DisableTaskOffload already exists and says 255. Are you saying change it to 0 or 1 or leave it alone?

The XP machines that I checked did not have the entry.

 

[tipstir]

On my Vista machine DisableTaskOffload already exists and says 255. Are you saying change it to 0 or 1 or leave it alone?

The XP machines that I checked did not have the entry.

If you found in Vista then you're okay then. Is the Vista box slow on the network. I've been busy trying to flash my Buffalo stuff with dd-wrt which is a real pain to do, finally got it to work on WDS box. But can't get my media network player to connect to the HTPC server.