Slow speeds in one part of my LAN

[eranj]

Hey guys,

I attached a diagram of my network: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/networkdiagramj.jpg/
I get slow speed on file transfers when one computer is connected to the first router in the 2nd floor and and seconds computer is connected to the second router.
I think that's because they all the transfers are processed on the default gateway.
That's because it is connected to the routers wirelessly, I think it slows down everything.
When two computers are connected to the same router, transfer speeds are fine.
*The DHCP server is only the Default gateway router*
I thought about making a router on the 2nd floor to act as default gateway for the floor, and to connect it to the main gateway router.
I don't know how to configure it right.
Please help!
Thanks!!!

 

[bill001g]

I assume you are coping files between shares on these machines ?

It should not use your main router for anything. You should actually be able to turn it off. Since both machines are on the same subnet they will use the MAC addresses to talk directly they only use the IP to get it started. This is key concept of what a default gateway is...if the ip is not in the same subnet they send it to the gateway everything else they talk directly.

Hard to say which routers you mean the boxes with ip 1.151 and 1.154 is all one big switch if you are connected to the lan ports. If you are connecting to box that has ip 1.100 then you have the powerline stuff in between . It is not uncommon for the powerline stuff to not transfer at the rated speeds. The best test is string a long ethernet cable temporarily in place of the powerline.

 

[eranj]

This is correct, I copy files between shares on these machines.
The powerline utility shows that the connection is speed is 98 Mbps.
The first computer is connected to 1.251 and the second to 1.100.
If I connect both to 1.100 the transfer speed is fine.
I thought about connecting 2 computers over the powerline adapters without any router and configure static ip addresses in order to check if the problem is because of this adapters.
Do you have some more ideas???
Please help as I suffer from this very slow transfer rates...
I need to copy HD movies to USB flash drive in order to watch them on a different computer... Can't stream it 🙁

 

[bill001g]

It not uncommon to have issues with the powerline devices.

Some people it is so bad they don't work at all. The 98mbs is just some number it makes up. If you get lots of errors it slows down a lot. Very simple things cause massive errors on these systems...vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer will almost always kill you. It varies greatly from house to house and depends a lot on what else is plugged in the house.

You can test the actual throughput with a tool called iperf It is a old linemode tool but works well and eliminates all the system overhead.

Really there is not a lot you can do if these devices don't work well. There is some variation between vendors but they are all affected by noise on the power lines.

 

[eranj]

Wow, thanks! I'll check it out.
I'll be happy to get any more relevant information, if you have something to add.