Home Network: Slow file xfer 1-way only problem

[Kooey]

I looked all around the net and could not find a cause/solution to this new issue I recently run into.

Setup:
Wired network consistent of 1 PC and 1 Laptop. Both connected at 100Mbps to a hub (Cables are ok, 100Mbps detected in both cases).

The problem is as follows:

-When transferring a file from Laptop to PC it runs fast
-When transferring a file from PC to Laptop it runs slow

-When issuing a transfer with the Laptop from the PC it runs slow
-When issuing a transfer with the PC from the Laptop it runs fast

So when the Laptop sends or is asked for a transfer, the PC receives it fast and when the PC sends or is asked for a file, the Laptop receives it slow.

PC: 3Com Gigabit LOM (3C940) 10/100
Laptop: Broadcom 440x 10/100

PC: 7200rpm s-ata drive
Laptop: 5400rpm s-ata drive

Test with Iperf: Laptop as Server, PC as Client showed around 6MB Transfer 5.4 Mbits/sec

Test with Iperf: PC as Server, Laptop as Client showed around 100MB Transfer 87 Mbits/sec

PC also controls ICS and PPPoE dsl connected to hub. When uploading/downloading, both PC and Laptop use the dsl at full speed without problems.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

[ErikD]

Laptop drives are slower in general, so you could just be seeing a lag due to the write speed of the laptop drive. Does it start out about the same speed, and then slow down?

[loop2kil]

also, since the pc's nic is a gigabit try and set it manually to 100 mbit under the nics properties. It might be slower because it's set to auto detect by defualt.

[Kooey]

Laptop drives are slower in general, so you could just be seeing a lag due to the write speed of the laptop drive. Does it start out about the same speed, and then slow down?

I can graph this better with an example:
A 60Mb archive transfers from the PC to the Laptop in 5 minutes
The same archive transfers from the Laptop to the PC in 5 seconds.

loop2kil: The hub and 3com utilities, detect my Nic is set to 100mbit, should I still manually set it to 100 Full-Duplex?

[loop2kil]

yeah, try it because i've had issues with auto detect nic's and online gaming before. This could also be a side effect...worth a try anyway.

messed with QOS yet?

[Kooey]

yeah, try it because i've had issues with auto detect nic's and online gaming before. This could also be a side effect...worth a try anyway.

messed with QOS yet?

Manually set to 100, still the same. QoS has 0% reserved.

[loop2kil]

some of the pro's will have to help you now...im out of ideers.

[Kooey]

Thanks for the help anyways loop.

[YeOldeStonecat]

How much RAM on each rig?
Bet the laptop hard drive is only 2 meg cache.....
Which antivirus on each rig?

[Kooey]

How much RAM on each rig?
Bet the laptop hard drive is only 2 meg cache.....
Which antivirus on each rig?

1Gb Ram on each.
Not sure on the Laptop HD buffer, what can I use to find out?
NOD32 on both systems.

[spdyvkng]

I experience the same problem:

2 GB file is on computer A. At computer B I browse to the file and copy it to a local disk, estimated transfer time is 5 mins.

700 MB file is on computer B. At computer B I browse to the file and copy it to a share on computer A, estimated transfer time isn't available... but it will take very long, no progress seen in several minutes.

700 MB file is on computer B. At computer A I browse to the file and copy it to a local disk on computer A, estimated transfer time isn't available... but it will take very long, no progress seen in several minutes.

Both computers have 2 GB ram, 100 megabit full duplex manually selected on a D-LINK DGE-530T Gigabit ethernet, Athlon 64, same MB, same HD set up. There are some differences, one has more HDs (the server) the other has better graphics card (the media PC), etc.

The router I use is an 3com office connect cable/DSL gateway 3C855.

Computer A can download a 700 MB file over the internet faster than it can get it from a share on computer B!!!!

Even streaming music is impossible between the two computers. (B is the fileserver. A is the media player/TV/Gaming rig/internet browser).

Paul

[mveeru]

Hey,

I too have the same problem as told by Kooey & spdyvkng

Is it a problem with the BroadCom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller?

This problem is really annoying me.

Does anybody have a solution for this?

Veeru

[davidm52]

I've been doing some lab testing of this same problem.
It has nothing to do with a slow PC on one end. I haven't nailed the exact issue yet but I believe if you set your 100Mb device to Auto it will resolve the problem.
My testing was also using a BC 440x 100Mb device.
On the 1000Gb side I tested with a Intel Pro/1000 and a BC 57xx 1000Mb set to Auto.
I also used iperf but saw similar issues by just copying files across.

The BC57xx had slightly better numbers but both Intel & BC were unacceptable.

Summary:
If the 100Mb device is set to Auto transfer rates were ~85Mb/s
If the 100Mb device is set to 100 Half-Duplex transfer rates were ~40Mb/s
If the 100Mb device is set to 100 Full-Duplex transfer rates were ~5Mb/s


I looked all around the net and could not find a cause/solution to this new issue I recently run into.

Setup:
Wired network consistent of 1 PC and 1 Laptop. Both connected at 100Mbps to a hub (Cables are ok, 100Mbps detected in both cases).

The problem is as follows:

-When transferring a file from Laptop to PC it runs fast
-When transferring a file from PC to Laptop it runs slow

-When issuing a transfer with the Laptop from the PC it runs slow
-When issuing a transfer with the PC from the Laptop it runs fast

So when the Laptop sends or is asked for a transfer, the PC receives it fast and when the PC sends or is asked for a file, the Laptop receives it slow.

PC: 3Com Gigabit LOM (3C940) 10/100
Laptop: Broadcom 440x 10/100

PC: 7200rpm s-ata drive
Laptop: 5400rpm s-ata drive

Test with Iperf: Laptop as Server, PC as Client showed around 6MB Transfer 5.4 Mbits/sec

Test with Iperf: PC as Server, Laptop as Client showed around 100MB Transfer 87 Mbits/sec

PC also controls ICS and PPPoE dsl connected to hub. When uploading/downloading, both PC and Laptop use the dsl at full speed without problems.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

[bugmenot]

Hi,

I found that the solution was to put both computers on autoconfiguration in the Duplex and Speed settings (instead of say, 100Mbps Full Duplex). I don't know why this works better, since both computers have NICs capable of 100Mbps, but it works, so I'm fine with it.