Dell Computers - Dell and Gigabit Switches

Author

Dell and Gigabit Switches

Iatros

2005-02-23, 11:45 pm

I just got a new Dell XPS for home A/V work (much cheaper than a G5
and still runs Windows software). I was going to replace my old 8250,
but I have just thought that it might be a good idea to keep it side by
side with the XPS to act as a storage unit for the very large AVI files
with which I work. However, transfers of 2 gig files are laborious
even using my 10/100 ethernet home network.

I'm pondering whether I could get a significant speedup using a gigabit
switch along with gigabit cards for the two Dell machines. I guess I
would need Cat6 cables to connect the two Dell machines to the switch,
then I would have to connect the switch to my Netgear router to have
access to the rest of my home network and my DSL modem. But it should
work, shouldn't it?

Anybody done this already with success (or failure)?

Tom Scales

2005-02-23, 11:45 pm

"Iatros" <hchilds@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:1109208922.607687.315440@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>I just got a new Dell XPS for home A/V work (much cheaper than a G5
> and still runs Windows software). I was going to replace my old 8250,
> but I have just thought that it might be a good idea to keep it side by
> side with the XPS to act as a storage unit for the very large AVI files
> with which I work. However, transfers of 2 gig files are laborious
> even using my 10/100 ethernet home network.
>
> I'm pondering whether I could get a significant speedup using a gigabit
> switch along with gigabit cards for the two Dell machines. I guess I
> would need Cat6 cables to connect the two Dell machines to the switch,
> then I would have to connect the switch to my Netgear router to have
> access to the rest of my home network and my DSL modem. But it should
> work, shouldn't it?
>
> Anybody done this already with success (or failure)?
>

Yes, it works fine. I have my 2400, 4550 and Thinkpad X40 all connected via
Gigabit to a Linksys 8 port gigabit switch. I don't recommend the Linksys
as it has a VERY loud fan (I'll replace it one of these days).

It does make a difference on large video files, but not as much as you'd
hope. I get around 200mbps throughput, which is roughly 4-5 times as fast
as the 100BaseT. Of course, they never run at rated speed. I suspect I
could get it to be a touch faster if I tweaked it.

Tom

Patrick L. Parks

2005-02-23, 11:45 pm

Iatros wrote:
> I just got a new Dell XPS for home A/V work (much cheaper than a G5
> and still runs Windows software). I was going to replace my old 8250,
> but I have just thought that it might be a good idea to keep it side by
> side with the XPS to act as a storage unit for the very large AVI files
> with which I work. However, transfers of 2 gig files are laborious
> even using my 10/100 ethernet home network.
>
> I'm pondering whether I could get a significant speedup using a gigabit
> switch along with gigabit cards for the two Dell machines. I guess I
> would need Cat6 cables to connect the two Dell machines to the switch,
> then I would have to connect the switch to my Netgear router to have
> access to the rest of my home network and my DSL modem. But it should
> work, shouldn't it?
>
> Anybody done this already with success (or failure)?
>

When you said that your speeds with 10/100 were laborious, what sort of
time did the file transfer take?

If you are running a 10/100 hub, you might even consider just replacing
it with a switch. With a switch you get Full Duplex connections and
this can make a dramatic improvement over a hub.

William P.N. Smith

2005-02-24, 5:45 am

"Iatros" <hchilds@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>I'm pondering whether I could get a significant speedup using a gigabit
>switch along with gigabit cards for the two Dell machines.

Probably. I get about 200 megabits on my gigabit segment of my home
LAN between modern machines with integrated gigabit NICs. Can't say
for sure how PCI cards limited bandwidth would effect things, but it
ought to be somewhat faster...

Leythos

2005-02-24, 8:45 am

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 05:50:32 -0500, wrote:
>
> "Iatros" <hchilds@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> Probably. I get about 200 megabits on my gigabit segment of my home
> LAN between modern machines with integrated gigabit NICs. Can't say
> for sure how PCI cards limited bandwidth would effect things, but it
> ought to be somewhat faster...

I've bought about 30 Dell Gig switches and had to return 6 in the last
year. I've since moved to 3COM and other vendors.

One thing to consider, between two machines, with gig connections, is the
buffer settings, and that you should be using at least CAT5E cable (yes,
CAT5 will work, but E and 6 has better noise rejection). We've tested a
lot of default installs and found that when selecting 1000 many NIC's
don't adjust the TX/RX buffers above the 100 base settings, adjusting the
buffers makes a BIG difference. Also you can start looking at Jumbo Frames
is the cards/switch are compatible with each other.

--
spam999free@rrohio.com
remove 999 in order to email me

joltman

2005-02-24, 8:45 am

Iatros wrote:
> I just got a new Dell XPS for home A/V work (much cheaper than a G5
> and still runs Windows software). I was going to replace my old
8250,
> but I have just thought that it might be a good idea to keep it side
by
> side with the XPS to act as a storage unit for the very large AVI
files
> with which I work. However, transfers of 2 gig files are laborious
> even using my 10/100 ethernet home network.
>
> I'm pondering whether I could get a significant speedup using a
gigabit
> switch along with gigabit cards for the two Dell machines. I guess I
> would need Cat6 cables to connect the two Dell machines to the
switch,
> then I would have to connect the switch to my Netgear router to have
> access to the rest of my home network and my DSL modem. But it
should
> work, shouldn't it?
>
> Anybody done this already with success (or failure)?

If you're just going to use it for storage, couldn't you just take the
hard drive out of the 8250 and put it in as a second hard drive in the
XPS? Then you won't have to worry about going over the network.
-joltman

Tom Scales

2005-02-24, 8:45 am

"joltman" <joltman@geocities.com> wrote in message
news:1109251537.411794.241580@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> Iatros wrote:
> 8250,
> by
> files
> gigabit
> switch,
> should
>
> If you're just going to use it for storage, couldn't you just take the
> hard drive out of the 8250 and put it in as a second hard drive in the
> XPS? Then you won't have to worry about going over the network.
> -joltman
>

Obviously that works. In my case, the Dimension 2400 with all the disk is
the 'family' server, so everyone uses the video and does their backups to
it. Very handy.

Tom

Iatros

2005-02-24, 11:45 pm

Joltman--

The XPS already has two fast SATA drives configured for RAID 0 for
speed. It also comes with a Broadcom Gigabit adapter (hear, hear!).
The 8250 has two 120 gig WD1200JB in it and a couple more empty slots
(non RAID as of yet).

I was musing about a simple way to back up and store the 2 to 8 gig AVI
files. I may try the gigabit route since the switch won't be too
expensive, and cat 6 cable from the two machines to the switch need
only be 3 feet. As to rearranging parts in the case, I can do it, but
I am getting to an age where I don't wish it unless really necessary.

Iatros

2005-02-24, 11:45 pm

I have not worked with a switch before. My home network uses an 8 port
Netgear router/firewall connected to the DSL modem and hardwired with
Cat5e to the house ports. I wonder if the switch self-configures or
will I have to do a little TCP/IP programming as I did the router?

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