Slow LAN speed with fast disks
Hello I'm having a setup with two computers, one server and one everyday rig. I've mapped the HDD's from the server over on my everyday rig and using them like ordinary HDD's on that computer through the explorer interface. When I transfer files from one of the disks on the server over on one of my locad HDD's on the everyday rig I get about 80mb/s of transfer speed and the network graph is showing 75~% of usage - which I believe is pretty much the practical limit of my network. HOWEVER , if I transfer files from my local HDD over to the server, I only get 40mb/s , half the speed. I do not understand why it is like this, because the disks in both ends can read/write 80-100mb , so the HDD's shouldn't be the problem here. The HDD's are Western Digital Black 1TB (server) and Western Digital Raptor 150gb x3 in RAID 0 (everyday rig). Note: I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate RC (though I'm receiveing my retail copy tonight, I'll update if that gives me any changes). Note: I'm using CAT 6 cables, and a D-Link DIR655 router. I've also tried a crossed cable directly between the computers, but the performance was the same then. Note: I'm using the explorer UI on the everyday rig to transfer stuff, not some other protocol. Though, I tried with FTP, but the performance there was even worse. I'd be very happy if someone could help me with this problem :) Kind regards, Habitats.
January 8th, 2010 1:49pm

Installed retail now, looks like that fixed it. Getting 80mb/s now.
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January 9th, 2010 3:19am

Wait, there it is again. My network is slow. Sigh, I have no idea what's doing this :(
January 9th, 2010 8:43am

Since the slow down seems to happen in one direction (from the client to the server), it seems that it may be a configuration issue on the client. The client is Windows 7, but what is the server?Senior Consultant - SYSEDCO
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January 10th, 2010 7:32pm

This may be an issue at you server. Read performance may be faster as write performance. If your Server contains a Raid-Controller, check if the controller contains BBW-Cache. A Raid-Controller without processor (the Intel-Onboard cntroller f.e.) and wihout cache, are very slow in some raid modes
January 10th, 2010 9:44pm

The server is running a normal W7-RC setup. Nothing fancy there. I don't think it's my raid controller, I'm using an 8slot PCIe controller from HighPoint RocketRAID, and the performance is the same regardless of which disk I'm using (onboard controller or the external one...). This is frustrating.
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January 11th, 2010 3:21am

Hi Habitats, Since you mentioned that it worked after installing retail version, may I know what have been changed before the issue appears again? At this time, please also try the following: 1. Update the NIC driver on both computers. 2. Upgrade the firmware of the router: DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router Please Note: Since the website is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information. 3. Boot the two computers to Safe Mode with networking and check how it works. Hope this helps. Thanks.Nicholas Li - MSFT
January 13th, 2010 11:13am

Hi Habitats, Since you mentioned that it worked after installing retail version, may I know what have been changed before the issue appears again? At this time, please also try the following: 1. Update the NIC driver on both computers. 2. Upgrade the firmware of the router: DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router Please Note: Since the website is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information. 3. Boot the two computers to Safe Mode with networking and check how it works. Hope this helps. Thanks. Nicholas Li - MSFT This will likely work.Also provide info about ur ISP, any anti virus or firewalL if installed and any programs on both your computers which need access to internet( any torrent client, etc.)If you find things are working fine after the above steps may be all you will have to do is turn off a few services or programs at start up.If it is not slow you might need to invest and upgrade one of the hard ware devices. although it does not seem to be an issue because things started working fine after u upgraded from RC to retail.Hence it has to be either a program that you installed in the retail version of win7 or an update from microsoft.
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January 13th, 2010 11:39am

Sorry for the late reply. I'm unmarking the answer as it didn't really help me - though I appreciate the efforts. Both the computers already have the latest drivers directly from Marvell, and the router is running the latest stable firmware. I tried the safe boot like you said, but I ran into a problem. File sharing doesn't work in safe mode (even with networking turned on). I also tried to manually force it on by trying to start the server and file explorer services, but those wouldn't start. I couldn't connect to any of the other computers through either of them. And BTW, is there any benchmarking tools LAN purposes? Like a more exact way of testing LAN speeds? That way I could provide you with a little more concrete result. Should also mention that I've tested this with firewalls off and after a clean boot, but with the same result. About the part that it worked right after I installed windows; well, I have no idea what could have changed it. I'm not running any other applications that requres networking, and nothing else is stealing bandwidth. I've tested this with only the two computers linked up through the router, and with a crossover cable with the same result. Maybe the network adapter just isn't for-filling it's purpose? You mentioned that it might be an update from MS. This is possible, but how am I supposed to find out that? The updates don't exactly come with patch notes :/
January 28th, 2010 8:09pm

Both machines are running retail W7x64 ulti with updated drivers now and the performance is still far away from what it's supposed to be.
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March 2nd, 2010 8:06pm

You can try to disable "remote differential compressions" from the windows features. control panel > Programs and features > Turn Windows features on or off > uncheck remote differential compressions In some cases this works
September 1st, 2010 12:26am

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