Network file transfer speeds

[Catsrules]

Ok I have a server 2008 computer that is a my file server, and a windows 7 computer that is my client computer, I have been copying files back and for trying to figure out why my speed is so slow. And I found something interesting.
If I am at my client computer and copy a file from my server to my client, the speed starts at about 40mbs and then drops to around 29-30mbs. I try multiple times, with multiple files and it stay the same. So after being disappointed with my gigabit network, and went to my server, browsed to my client empty shared folders, and copied a file on my server to my client, and it was getting 66-68 mbps, throughout the transfer. Why is this, it is the same file coming from and going to the same computer. but I get different speeds one who starts the transfer.
Is there something that is setting priorities or something on the server?

My server is a dell powershot with 4GB ram 2x 3.66Ghz xeon proccessors 2x 74GB drive mirrored (my os is installed on those) 4x 147GB 10K drives Raid 5 (where my data is that I am trying to copy)
My Client is a custom built computer, 6GB ram 2.3GHz quad core phenom 9600 and 1TB hardrive 7200 RPM

By the way how fast should I be getting with a 10K raid 5 array over gigabit?

 

[riser]

While it appears the same, it really isn't.

You have a client requesting a file from the server. The client is copying that file from the server down to itself. Also, hard drive speeds in this case may also be an issue.

On the other end, you have the server pushing a file from itself to the client. The client is not requesting it.

I would imagine if you copied a file from your client to your server you should see higher rates as well.

Read/write on your client computer's HDD could potentially be a bottleneck.

The client is most likely set for programs to use memory and all that fun stuff. On the other hand the server is probably set to handle applications in the background.

Try setting NICs on the server and client to 1000/full. If you have it set to auto, it may change down to 100/full or duplex for the file copy.

How fast data transfers is really up in the air. Some people want to use the entire gigabit line. Reality of it is this: if you use 20% of the available bandwidth, your network is congested.

I would recommend doing a google search to find an application that can adequately test this out for you and point out what the bottleneck is. I don't know of an application by name but I know freeware ones exist for this kind of 'benchmarking.'

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

Turn off QOS where your tcp/ip settings are. QOS is a network throttle service. You'll want to disable it on your server and the clients. I would recommend you don't have all clients disable QOS tho as you'll see your network bandwidth plummet.

Quality of Service (QoS)

A communications network forms the backbone of any successful organization. These networks transport a multitude of applications and data, including high-quality video and delay-sensitive data such as real-time voice. The bandwidth-intensive applications stretch network capabilities and resources, but also complement, add value, and enhance every business process. Networks must provide secure, predictable, measurable, and sometimes guaranteed services. Achieving the required Quality of Service (QoS) by managing the delay, delay variation (jitter), bandwidth, and packet loss parameters on a network becomes the secret to a successful end-to-end business solution. Thus, QoS is the set of techniques to manage network resources.

Ok I have a server 2008 computer that is a my file server, and a windows 7 computer that is my client computer, I have been copying files back and for trying to figure out why my speed is so slow. And I found something interesting.
If I am at my client computer and copy a file from my server to my client, the speed starts at about 40mbs and then drops to around 29-30mbs. I try multiple times, with multiple files and it stay the same. So after being disappointed with my gigabit network, and went to my server, browsed to my client empty shared folders, and copied a file on my server to my client, and it was getting 66-68 mbps, throughout the transfer. Why is this, it is the same file coming from and going to the same computer. but I get different speeds one who starts the transfer.
Is there something that is setting priorities or something on the server?

My server is a dell powershot with 4GB ram 2x 3.66Ghz xeon proccessors 2x 74GB drive mirrored (my os is installed on those) 4x 147GB 10K drives Raid 5 (where my data is that I am trying to copy)
My Client is a custom built computer, 6GB ram 2.3GHz quad core phenom 9600 and 1TB hardrive 7200 RPM

By the way how fast should I be getting with a 10K raid 5 array over gigabit?

 

[Catsrules]

This is just on my home network, I have under 20 network devices, and around 10 computers, any only 5 users max So I don't think it will have that big of a bandwidth problem.

Here is another interesting thing about this, when I first got the server and install server on it, I was getting over 100 MBps between the same two computers, transferring 7 gb is a little over a minute, was very cool . Anyways I reinstalled windowes and moved the server to a different room and never got that speed again, 80 was the highest I have ever gotten since.


I will try turning off QoS, to see what happens.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

ya no idea. Maybe QoS was turned off before but it's on now.

This is just on my home network, I have under 20 network devices, and around 10 computers, any only 5 users max So I don't think it will have that big of a bandwidth problem.

Here is another interesting thing about this, when I first got the server and install server on it, I was getting over 100 MBps between the same two computers, transferring 7 gb is a little over a minute, was very cool . Anyways I reinstalled windowes and moved the server to a different room and never got that speed again, 80 was the highest I have ever gotten since.


I will try turning off QoS, to see what happens.

 

[Catsrules]

No joy on the QOS it didn't seem to make any difference
I will try changing the network to 1000/full instead of Auto. Will I need to change that back if I ever connect to a 100mbps network?

 

[Catsrules]

Nope changing network speed didn't seam to help. I did find a network benchmarking program. -
http://www.zachsaw.co.cc/?pg=lanbench_tcp_network_benchmark
It clams I was getting 776980kbps average, or 97 MBs server talking to Client, and 430000kbps client talking to server.
Client is stuck at 30MBps doesn't matter copying to server or copying from.
Tomorrow I think I might try a different computer, and do a crossover connection to see if that helps

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

If the computer only has a 5400/5900 rpm drive it's not going to transfer files very fast. It also depends if the gigabit ethernet port is on a PCI bus or a PCI-e bus. The difference is huge. You cannot get gigabit speeds with a gigabit NIC on a pci bus.

well kbps is kilobits so its actually 53750KB/s or 53MB/s which tells me the NIC is on a PCI bus. You likely have other limitations such as hard drive speed and available PCI bus bandwidth. So the 53MB/s 30MB transfer speed makes sense to me assuming it has those hardware limitations.

Nope changing network speed didn't seam to help. I did find a network benchmarking program. -
http://www.zachsaw.co.cc/?pg=lanbench_tcp_network_benchmark
It clams I was getting 776980kbps average, or 97 MBs server talking to Client, and 430000kbps client talking to server.
Client is stuck at 30MBps doesn't matter copying to server or copying from.
Tomorrow I think I might try a different computer, and do a crossover connection to see if that helps

 

[Catsrules]

Sorry I haven't responded for a bit, schools and work just got crazy busy. So I haven't been able to work on this. Hopfuly over the weekend i will have some free time to play with it.

If the computer only has a 5400/5900 rpm drive it's not going to transfer files very fast. It also depends if the gigabit ethernet port is on a PCI bus or a PCI-e bus. The difference is huge. You cannot get gigabit speeds with a gigabit NIC on a pci bus.

I think I am on a PCI-E bus, awhile back i was playing around with Ram Drives, and I could get like 124MBps between two computers copying a file between there ram drives over gigabit.
I have a 7200 rpm 1TB drive on my client computer and the server is in a Raid 5 with 4 10000 RPM Drives. I don't know what the max speed on any of those are but hopefully it is faster there 50MBps

well kbps is kilobits so its actually 53750KB/s or 53MB/s which tells me the NIC is on a PCI bus. You likely have other limitations such as hard drive speed and available PCI bus bandwidth. So the 53MB/s 30MB transfer speed makes sense to me assuming it has those hardware limitations.

No 776980 kilobits is 94.8 megabytes
Double check Source
http://www.matisse.net/bitcalc/?input_amount=776980&input_units=kilobits&notation=legacy

@dadiggle
I don't know what the term "rat" is, can you explain?
I am using windows 7 clients, and server 2008 server, So all windows stuff. Don't know what protocol it using to transfer stuff, just basic windows file sharing.
All NTFS files systems.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

I was referring to 430000kbps - networking is a 2 way street. your client does 53MB/s but your server does 93MB/s. That tells me the client has a pc with a NIC that's on a PCI bus. Not your server. In computers the slowest speed is usally used.

ALso you may have a PCI-e card in a pci-e slot but the controller might be PCI so it's limited that way. There are so many variables when it comes to stuff like this.

Sorry I haven't responded for a bit, schools and work just got crazy busy. So I haven't been able to work on this. Hopfuly over the weekend i will have some free time to play with it.



I think I am on a PCI-E bus, awhile back i was playing around with Ram Drives, and I could get like 124MBps between two computers copying a file between there ram drives over gigabit.
I have a 7200 rpm 1TB drive on my client computer and the server is in a Raid 5 with 4 10000 RPM Drives. I don't know what the max speed on any of those are but hopefully it is faster there 50MBps



No 776980 kilobits is 94.8 megabytes
Double check Source
http://www.matisse.net/bitcalc/?input_amount=776980&input_units=kilobits&notation=legacy

@dadiggle
I don't know what the term "rat" is, can you explain?
I am using windows 7 clients, and server 2008 server, So all windows stuff. Don't know what protocol it using to transfer stuff, just basic windows file sharing.
All NTFS files systems.

 

[Catsrules]

I was referring to 430000kbps - networking is a 2 way street. your client does 53MB/s but your server does 93MB/s. That tells me the client has a pc with a NIC that's on a PCI bus. Not your server. In computers the slowest speed is usally used.

ALso you may have a PCI-e card in a pci-e slot but the controller might be PCI so it's limited that way. There are so many variables when it comes to stuff like this.

O sorry I forgot about that other number
Yeah I am useing a built in nic, and it was a cheap motherboard so it very well could be. Is there anyway to tell on an onboard card?

But if it is the PCI wouldn't it be slow both ways, Sending and receiving?

 

[Plumble]

Are you using an Atheros onboard gigabit Lan?

 

[Catsrules]

Are you using an Atheros onboard gigabit Lan?

No I am using a Realtek RTL8168C(p)/8111C(P) Family PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC

Well i guess that answers if it is a PCI or PCI-E card

@dadiggle
Yes all Checksum setting are set to Rx & Tx Enabled. I will disable them and see if I get a speed increase.
All I have is the windows firewall, no antivirus or anything like that, that is running in the background.
I will also disable the firewall as well and see what happens.

I did some looking at my drive and I got this bench mark sight
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storage/display/1tb-hdd-roundup-3_7.html#sect0

Mine is the Hitachi 7K1000.C drive. So they are saying I can get 120 MBps read speed with that drive with large files?
But the later in that article they did a wright test and it got around 60-75MBps. That is around what the server was getting copying something to the client. So I guess the drive was slowing it down on the copy to client from server test.

 

[Catsrules]

No improvement, on disabling checksum stuff and firewalls stuff .

FYI, to make the problem more interesting my netgear GSM7224 24port layer 2 switch arrived in the mail, and I replaced the existing home switches with this one. I am sure it has it own built in stuff that will try to mess with my copying test.

 

[Kewlx25]

Try this command. Auto-tuning is mainly to help with high latency links like satellites, but some times it messes up.

netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

If it doesn't make a diff, set it back to enabled. Really, enabled or disabled shouldn't make almost any difference unless you have a high ping.

For me, I went from ~150mbps to 946mbps. Transferring 114MB/sec over SMB2.0+IPv6+Jumbo-packets using 1.5% cpu gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

I can't wait to get an SSD. Right now I just have a single 7200rpm drive. I wonder if I could go faster than 114MB with an SSD.

P.S. 114MB is only achievable for me with large unfragmented files near the front of the HD.

If I setup iperf to bidirectional, my integrated NIC caps out around 1.5gb up+down.

 

[Catsrules]

I think I fixed the problem, when I installed server 2008, I accidentally picked the data Center edition. I am still not sure what the difference is between the two are and it seamed to work fine so I didn't bother to change it, but I guess Microsoft licensing and activation thinks there is a difference, because it wouldn't accept the key, who would have thought .

Anyways I ended up having to reinstall server and this time selecting the correct edition I got (standard), and now I am getting ~60 MBps both ways.

So does the data center limit speeds or handles data transfers differently because it is designed to handle huge amount of clients?

By the way I tryed WSTTCP and was only getting 23 MBps both ways (this was on the old system)

 

[Catsrules]

only notice this question now. A RAT can be a good thing or a bad thing depends whos using it. Its a REMOTE Administration TOOL. You are using the server for filesharing so dont bother about that. Its more for remote administration.

O Ok, I just use the Remote Desktop, if I need to do anything remotely. and I just have OpenVPN get me in so I can connect without port forwarding stuff.

What FTP client do you use btw?

I use the built in windows one, if I am on a public computer and was quick access to something, not in my SFTP. But I will use fireFTP for everything else, when I am trying to get to my SFTP. I use fireFTP because I normally have a Firefox window open anyways and it is a quick easy access to it. But honestly I personally don't use FTP that much, because I have OpenVPN and I can get access to everything I need from there. I just have other people use my FTP, if they need to send me a big file or if I need to send a file to someone else, it come in quite handy to have around.
And I use FileZilla as the FTP/SFTP server.


Yeah server 2008 standard is fine for what I am going to use it for. A little over kill actually .

Are you talking about the temp file that is created with the fsutil command?

So what size would I want it, for a Gigabit connection.

 

[Catsrules]

you can use the same size. you got a bench before you did a reinstall. around 20 if im correct. now give it another go. see what speed you get. portforwarding might help but only on the clients side. You use a vpn? Encryption also slowdown transfer speeds. you can give WS FTP a try i think they offer a trail. http://erclk.about.com/?zi=5/32Jj But start with temp file instructions i gave you and start hunt down the source. Do everything as i directed. If everything seems to be in order do a disk benchmarking. How many partitions do you have on your client machine btw?

This is only on my Local network speed testing, my internet is way to slow to even think about these speeds. So there isn't any VPN or other type of encryption going on, on my tests.

Wow I am very pleased with this test, the temp file standard windows copy from client to server was jumping around 95-110MBps range but the copy server to client was only 60-70, that would be my Hard drive wright speeds slowing stuff down there.
I ran WSTTCP and was getting between 96-98MBps both ways.

So why does the temp file go so fast when like an ISO image goes slower?

 

[Catsrules]

Best answer selected by Catsrules.

 

[Catsrules]

Cat did you look on the disk map if the image file was not fragmented?

It shouldn't be fragmented it was on the workstation computer for like a day, then I copied it over to the server for a test. I don't have a disk map. at least I don't think I do, on win7.

 

[Guest]

Just had similar issue with bad performance during data transfer on a Windows 2008 server running on VMware vSpere5.0. But it wasn't the diskperformance in general or the Vmware platform. The root cause was a checkmark which by mistake had been set in the box "Compress files and folder" on the drive where we experienced bad performance. (Right-click the drive and select "Properties" and check the box in the bottom of the Properties window.

Just for the reference and for others to check. Sometimes one forget to check the most obvious when troubleshooting.

/Flemming

 

[sandeep1982]

1)open the registry and browse the following branch:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanworkstaion'.

2)if the following entries aren't already there, Create the DWORDs 'MaxCmds','MaxThreads' and 'MaxCollectionCount' under this branch.Assign them a value of 30,30and 32 respectively.

3)After you restart your system, you should experience an increase in the performance of your network transfers.
Enjoy your increase network speed,.............................................