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Forum Discussion
Struggling With Low Speeds < 15MBps Over Gigabit
Hey Guys
I have been having a major PITA regarding transfer speeds ever since I purchased my 'ReadyNas Ultra 4 Plus' in May 2011.
Originally, I was only getting approx 5-6 MB/second and came to the conclusion that it was probably due to using 'Netgear Homeplugs', which apparently didn't support jumbo frames even though they were the 500MBps version .
I also discovered that the integrated Broadcom network adapter within my 'Dell XPS8300' didn't support jumbo frames either, despite that being Gigabit. :shock:
Requiring faster transfer speeds, I ditched the 'Netgear Homeplugs' and invested in an 'Intel Gigabit CT' network adapter as well as a TP-Link TL-SG1005D5 5-port unmanaged Gigabit switch.
This increased the speed to approx 10-12 MB/second and I've put up with that for a while now.
However after recently reading a webpage, 'Bott's Thoughts' dated 2010, I was disappointed to read that I should be expecting around 80 MB/second :shock: .
So I want to try and get to the bottom of this poor network performance once and for all.
Current set up consists of:
'ReadyNas Ultra 4 Plus'
RAIDiator 4.2.23 (v4.2.24 Available)
4 x 2TB SAMSUNG HD204UI - 5400RPM - RAID-5
4GB DDR2 Memory Upgrade
Auto Negotiation @ 1Gbit/Full Duplex
Jumbo Frames/Packets Enabled
IPv6 Disabled
Main PC
'DELL XPS8300'
Intel i7-2600 CPU @ 3.4GHz
Window 7 64-bit
2 x 1TB Western Digital WD10EALX - 7200RPM RAID-0
16GB DDR3
Disabled Onboard Broadcom Gigabit Network Adapter (No Jumbo Frame/Packet Support)
Intel Gigabit CT Network Adapter
Auto Negotiation @ 1Gbit/Full Duplex
Jumbo Frames/Packets Enabled = 9014
IPv6 Disabled
Router/Switch
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Firmware 1.06h
4 x Gigabit Ports
Jumbo Frames Enable by Default (Apparently)
DHCP Server
IPv6 Disabled
Unmanaged Switch
TP-Link - TL-SG1005D
5 x Auto-Negotiation Gigabit Ports
Belkin CAT5e Cables / All Tested
Currently, the ''Dell XPS8300' PC is connected directly to the 'Billion 7800N' router/switch (both upstairs), which is then connected to the unmanaged switch downstairs via CAT5e cable.
The switch is then connected to:
'ReadyNas Ultra 4 Plus'
MEDE8ER Multimedia Streamer
'SKY HD' Receiver
XBOX360 Slim
Samsung BD-C5900 3D Bluray Player
For test purposes:
I copied a 3.2GB file from the 'ReadyNAS' to the 'Dell XPS8300' and the average Windows reported read speed was approx 100MBps
I copied the same file back and the average Windows reported write speed was 11MB/second. :?
Moved the same file from the 'ReadyNAS' to the 'Dell XPS8300' and the average Windows reported read speed was approx 120MBps
Moved the same file back and the average Windows reported write speed was 10MB/second. :shock:
Done the same with a 'HP 8000 Elite USDT', which is also Gigabit and the results were similar.
The results from a utility called 'LAN Speed Test' (3GB test file to the same folder) show the following:
Average Read Speed: 29MB/second
Average Write Speed: 18MB/second
Surely the write speed to the 'ReadyNAS' should be better than 10-12MB/second?
The only thing I haven't tried is a direct cable connection between the 'Dell XPS8300' and the 'ReadyNAS' as I don't have a cable long enough as present.
Going to order a Belkin 20m CAT5e or CAT6 cable now and see if that improves speeds any.
Is there anything obvious I've missed?
Looking at the above, I'm now wondering whether the difference in drive speeds between the 'Dell XPS8300' and the 'ReadyNAS' is causing this.
If so, would the expected transfer rate be affected that much or is it more likely to be an external hardware or even a software/driver problem?
Any ideas welcome.
Oh, and if you got this far without losing the will to live, then well done! You deserve a medal! :D
I have been having a major PITA regarding transfer speeds ever since I purchased my 'ReadyNas Ultra 4 Plus' in May 2011.
Originally, I was only getting approx 5-6 MB/second and came to the conclusion that it was probably due to using 'Netgear Homeplugs', which apparently didn't support jumbo frames even though they were the 500MBps version .
I also discovered that the integrated Broadcom network adapter within my 'Dell XPS8300' didn't support jumbo frames either, despite that being Gigabit. :shock:
Requiring faster transfer speeds, I ditched the 'Netgear Homeplugs' and invested in an 'Intel Gigabit CT' network adapter as well as a TP-Link TL-SG1005D5 5-port unmanaged Gigabit switch.
This increased the speed to approx 10-12 MB/second and I've put up with that for a while now.
However after recently reading a webpage, 'Bott's Thoughts' dated 2010, I was disappointed to read that I should be expecting around 80 MB/second :shock: .
So I want to try and get to the bottom of this poor network performance once and for all.
Current set up consists of:
'ReadyNas Ultra 4 Plus'
RAIDiator 4.2.23 (v4.2.24 Available)
4 x 2TB SAMSUNG HD204UI - 5400RPM - RAID-5
4GB DDR2 Memory Upgrade
Auto Negotiation @ 1Gbit/Full Duplex
Jumbo Frames/Packets Enabled
IPv6 Disabled
Main PC
'DELL XPS8300'
Intel i7-2600 CPU @ 3.4GHz
Window 7 64-bit
2 x 1TB Western Digital WD10EALX - 7200RPM RAID-0
16GB DDR3
Disabled Onboard Broadcom Gigabit Network Adapter (No Jumbo Frame/Packet Support)
Intel Gigabit CT Network Adapter
Auto Negotiation @ 1Gbit/Full Duplex
Jumbo Frames/Packets Enabled = 9014
IPv6 Disabled
Router/Switch
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Firmware 1.06h
4 x Gigabit Ports
Jumbo Frames Enable by Default (Apparently)
DHCP Server
IPv6 Disabled
Unmanaged Switch
TP-Link - TL-SG1005D
5 x Auto-Negotiation Gigabit Ports
Belkin CAT5e Cables / All Tested
Currently, the ''Dell XPS8300' PC is connected directly to the 'Billion 7800N' router/switch (both upstairs), which is then connected to the unmanaged switch downstairs via CAT5e cable.
The switch is then connected to:
'ReadyNas Ultra 4 Plus'
MEDE8ER Multimedia Streamer
'SKY HD' Receiver
XBOX360 Slim
Samsung BD-C5900 3D Bluray Player
For test purposes:
I copied a 3.2GB file from the 'ReadyNAS' to the 'Dell XPS8300' and the average Windows reported read speed was approx 100MBps
I copied the same file back and the average Windows reported write speed was 11MB/second. :?
Moved the same file from the 'ReadyNAS' to the 'Dell XPS8300' and the average Windows reported read speed was approx 120MBps
Moved the same file back and the average Windows reported write speed was 10MB/second. :shock:
Done the same with a 'HP 8000 Elite USDT', which is also Gigabit and the results were similar.
The results from a utility called 'LAN Speed Test' (3GB test file to the same folder) show the following:
Average Read Speed: 29MB/second
Average Write Speed: 18MB/second
Surely the write speed to the 'ReadyNAS' should be better than 10-12MB/second?
The only thing I haven't tried is a direct cable connection between the 'Dell XPS8300' and the 'ReadyNAS' as I don't have a cable long enough as present.
Going to order a Belkin 20m CAT5e or CAT6 cable now and see if that improves speeds any.
Is there anything obvious I've missed?
Looking at the above, I'm now wondering whether the difference in drive speeds between the 'Dell XPS8300' and the 'ReadyNAS' is causing this.
If so, would the expected transfer rate be affected that much or is it more likely to be an external hardware or even a software/driver problem?
Any ideas welcome.
Oh, and if you got this far without losing the will to live, then well done! You deserve a medal! :D
36 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
- Sorry, I was confusing - I meant the packet stats.
I'd like to see the before, "after read", and "after both". Then I can separate data packets from acknowledgements. This is with jumbo frames off. StephenB wrote: I'd like to see the before, "after read", and "after both".
I get ya!- Duplicate
- Duplicate
StephenB wrote: I'd like to see the before, "after read", and "after both".
Well it took a bit of time and I mixed myself up a bit, but this is what I came up with:
To give everything a clean start, I have rebooted the ReadyNAS each time I carried out a test.
I only managed to do the tests with the Broadcom NIC enabled and Intel NIC disabled.
3.05GB MKV Test File
ReadyNAS
Auto Negotiation
Jumbo Frames: OFF
MTU: 1500
Broadcom NIC
Auto Negotiation
Jumbo Frames: OFF
Read Speed 116 MB/sec
Write Speed: 28.0 MB/sec
ReadyNAS
Auto Negotiation
Jumbo Frames: ON
MTU: 1500
Broadcom NIC*
Auto Negotiation
Jumbo Frames: ON
Read Speed 11.1 MB/sec
Write Speed: 10.0 MB/sec
The errors were as follows:
READ ERRORS - Jumbo Frames OFF (NAS > PC)
READ ERRORS - Jumbo Frames ON (NAS > PC)*
I wasn't too sure which ones you actually wanted, so I also tested for the write errors too:
WRITE ERRORS - Jumbo Frames OFF (PC > NAS)
WRITE ERRORS - Jumbo Frames ON (PC > NAS)*
*Apparently the Broadcom NIC doesn't support Jumbo Frames, but figured I'd do the tests anyway for a direct comparison.
Not sure if these make anything any clearer.- Average packet size in both directions is now easier to compute - it is around 1350.
The ping test is troubling. Can you try that with a direct connect? - MTU issues aside, something else to consider. I see your maximum write transfers seem to top out near 30MB/sec...
On my Pro 4, I'll max out at about 30MB/sec writes to the NAS if Full data journaling is set to "ON" on the NAS. Just to clarify, this is with the settings "Disable full data journaling" UNCHECKED and I've got a full LACP teaming setup going on via a GS108Tv2 switch direct from the desktop PC to the NAS. No router in the mix. Disabling data journaling pushes average speeds (writes) up to 80MB/sec with burst speeds in excess of 100MB/sec. However it's recommended you only disable full data journaling IF you have a UPS connected. Read speeds from the NAS remain pretty constant regardless of the setting.
I'm not using Jumbo frames as I have wireless devices on the network and whenever they're connected, even without active transfers, it kills the benefit of having jumbo frames enabled in terms of speed for me, based on what I've witnessed.
The above may be part of, or nothing to do with the problems your having, but it's another thing to consider. - I agree that full data journaling should be disabled - though I didn't realize the speed penalty was that severe. That is a simple setting to change (on the system\performance tab), so it is an obvious next step.
Long term, if you are going to leave full journalling off you should get a UPS for the NAS. (Actually in my view you should get a UPS for the NAS no matter how this is set).
Personally I am not a fan of jumbo frames. But at the very least, your home network should be able to carry the standard ethernet MTU. So even if we resolve the 30 MB/sec write problem, we should probably continue to sort that also. - I would make sure that the write-back cache is enabled on the Ultra 4.
Yes. "Enable disk write cache.", and "Disable full data journaling" should be checked. "Optimize for OS X" should be unchecked, and "Enable fast USB disk writes" is not relevant for this problem.benoitmabille wrote: I would make sure that the write-back cache is enabled on the Ultra 4.
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