Network Switches Amazingly Slow

[oracleguy]

I have a networking problem that has been bothering me for a long time.

I have 3 nBase NH-2024 24-port switches and under extreme or even light load they are just slow.

If I download from my apache server accross the network it goes at a good 9mb/sec but drag and drop in windows and gaming is slow.

For example, with 28 people in a CS match on the network people get between a 15-40 ping and its unacceptable.

Any ideas? I've reflashed the firmware on all the switches and its all setup for force100 at full duplex.

[sage45]

Hmmm...

Have you checked your cabling??? This can sometimes be the problem however, not always...

Also, are your computers auto-negotiating 100Mbps or set to 100Mbps/Full Duplex as well???

Do you have Internet access, if so, what type and what is the rated speed of that connection (from the modem/device to the first switch)???

Are you linking your switches using the uplink ports, this uses a standard cat5 patch cable, whereas if you are linking them via standard port to standard port they require the use of a crossover cable...

-sage-

[oracleguy]

Originally posted by sage45
Hmmm...

Have you checked your cabling??? This can sometimes be the problem however, not always...

It should be okay but its kind of a wild card cuz people bring their own cables to hook their computers in.


Also, are your computers auto-negotiating 100Mbps or set to 100Mbps/Full Duplex as well???

They should be... I mean windows says its linked up at 100mbps but i don't know where in windows you could look up to see if its connected at half or full duplex.


Do you have Internet access, if so, what type and what is the rated speed of that connection (from the modem/device to the first switch)???

There is no internet access on this peticular network. Everything is self-contained.


Are you linking your switches using the uplink ports, this uses a standard cat5 patch cable, whereas if you are linking them via standard port to standard port they require the use of a crossover cable...

We are linking them via cross-over cables... they support a fiber uplink module but those are ubsurdly expensive.


I'll try doing some more googling on it but I've been searching my brain for ideas and can't think of a thing.

[sage45]

It should be okay but its kind of a wild card cuz people bring their own cables to hook their computers in.

I'd suggest going out and getting enough patch cables that way you can guarantee a good connection... Besides a batch of plenum Cat5 patch cables shouldn't cost that much...

They should be... I mean windows says its linked up at 100mbps but i don't know where in windows you could look up to see if its connected at half or full duplex.

If they are set to auto negotiate then they should connect the same as what the ports on the switches are hard set to... But you should be able to go to properties under network neighborhood, select the properties of the NIC and see what your Speed and Duplex are hard set to... Also I'd test setting a PC to 100/Full... 9Mbps from a 100Mbps port raises a big alarm in my mind...

We are linking them via cross-over cables... they support a fiber uplink module but those are ubsurdly expensive.

This right here worries me... Are you using a connectivity port for the crossover or are you using the RJ45 Uplink Port for it???

-sage-

[oracleguy]

Also I'd test setting a PC to 100/Full... 9Mbps from a 100Mbps port raises a big alarm in my mind...

I said 9 Megabytes not bits. So 9MB a sec is like 72 Megabits per second.

I did some more googling last night and found some tech document on the switches and it said that if the switch is hard set to 100MBps and full duplex there maybe a problem with the client not running at full duplex because it doesn't negotiate or something like that. So I'm gonna try setting all the ports to auto-sense at full duplex. Does that sound right?

And I'm gonna have to check on those uplink ports... I thought they were on uplink ports but some minions might of changed it.

[sage45]

Yah that sounds right... ;)

Minions huh... :p

-sage-

P.S. --> Sorry bout the MB, but when you said 9mb as opposed to 9MB, I was thinking you meant 9Mbps which is Megabits whereas 9MB would be Megabytes (I wanna slap the person who came up with that... :p) Some people do not know the dif, I was just ensuring that you did... :)