Thoeretical Networking Question!

[Rik]

I have 2 pc's networked on a 4 port 10/100 router with the Internet being shared via a wan port.

My question is, is it possible to get more bandwidth by having 2 connections to each pc?

I know it wont make any difference to the Internet connection but I was wondering if i could get more bandwidth between the two pc's?

My main pc already has a 10/100 pci card in it and has gigabit built-in and I have built-in 10/100 on the second pc and have several spare 10/100 pci cards.


I will add I'm an absolute novice when it comes to networking.

 

[Po`Girl]

No,you can`t get more bandwidth.

In fact, you would get about half the bandwidth.

See Nodsu`s post

 

[Rik]

Thanx for the info Po' Girl. That post talks about getting more speed from a net connection to some degree and i know i definitely wont get that.

I was just wondering if i would get a bit more lan speed between 2 pc's.

 

[tipstir]

Rik you can get more speed between the two, You can disable the hidden bandwidth robber 20% that each Windows OS has well in XP/2003. I don't know if that is in Vista though? You can increase buffers, dnscache, lanmanworkstation and TCP as shown on my blog.. tipstir.blogspot.com under network tweaks. Also a very quick router cpu does help where one has no bottleneck issues. Run TCP Optimizer off www.speedguide.net optimize the LAN Buffer and use some of your RAM to do that. That's hat I do and run a very quick 500MHz Router. I don't have Giga ports but just 10/100 set to auto unless I was able to manage the ports on CISCO switch and router like I do at work. But for home use you can as fast OS, NIC card and router will allow. So your answer is yes it can be done!

I've tested this several times with all 4 routers I have and the latest one from Buffalo for 2007 WZR2-G300N 500MHz 16MB of RAM is the quickest one I've ever use for a home base router. To transfer a 300MB file in under 30 seconds from two different floors isn't bad for me as it was 60 seconds with a 150MHz router with 8MB of RAM. Still the tweaks are in place though. I know guys at work tell me it takes 10 or more minutes to transfer files on their networks.

 

[Rik]

Thanx for the very useful info there tipstir.

I will have to set it all up and do some experimenting.

 

[Nodsu]

If you want twice the speed with interface bonding between two systems, then you need an advanced switch that supports this kind of stuff (trunking) or use crossover cables.

 

[Rik]

Just had a thought. I have 2 routers, dunno if that will help.
They are 1 - Accton CheetahAccess AC-IG1004.
And 2 - 3com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Cable/DSL Gateway.

This is unexploerd territory for me as I am a complete noob to networking.

Both have 4 rj45 ports, a wan port each, and the 3com has wireless which I dont intend on using.

 

[tipstir]

I take it you're using the other router the wireless one as access point? The Accton CheetahAccess AC-IG1004 is that wired? Okay it's wired then, I just seen the specs..

if you launch under run: gpedit.msc

Under Adminstration Templates
Under QOS Packet Scheduler
Under Limit reservable bandwith

By default it's Not Configured
If you enable it and change it from 20% Bandwidth limit % to 0
On each PC

 

[Po`Girl]

I don`t want to start any trouble here :haha: but this is what Nodsu said HERE

about the QOS idea -

No. This is pure rubbish.

The 20% number means that a program can ask Windows to make sure that the program always gets 20% of your bandwidth when needed.

......None of this reservable bandwidth is somehow "held back" when no program has requested it.

 

[tipstir]

Really I've tested it out though.. Try it it won't hurt!

 

[Rik]

Would you recommend using 1 or 2 routers tho?

 

[tipstir]

I use two, but one is used as wireless access point. The other I have disabled the wireless to be use as wired router. The work great. The 3Com Wireless does it have access point?

 

[Nodsu]

The two routers don't make much of a difference..

You can get 2x the speed wth one switch if you always make two connections even with one router (unless the builtin switch is total crap). For example copy one file over one NIC and another file over the other. Both transfers will be at full speed.

Maybe read this: http://www.intel.com/support/network/sb/cs-009747.htm

 

[Rik]

Thanx a lot guys and gals, I will take all the info on-board and will see how it goes.

The help and opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

[tipstir]

Let's say two router does make sense if you have a large house with more than one floor. Basement (family room), Main Floor (living room, dinning and kitchen), Upstairs (bed rooms), Attic (den), you might want to send the wireless signal out on the back patio deck near your pool, hot tub or way out backyard just enought for the wireless to cover.

Let's take my setup, I have everything in the main network closet room with a door the basement (family room). I have another network closet room upstairs so that it doesn't look like there are so many wires. I keep the second router (wireless access point B, G but used for G54/125) there. That handles all the 3 bedrooms and attic den and all the way down to the first floor and basement. I use extra 4db gain ANT it has two high power amps to broadcast the signal at 100%. The first router is also wireless B, G54/125, N/300, but can't be use as it would knock out my wireless media boxes so that would be more over kill. So it has it wireless features disabled.

4 wireless laptops (all have 20% disabled)
1 wireless desktop with wired NIC (have 20% disabled)
4 wired desktops (all have 20% disabled) tweaked for extra buffers
7 wired Media MVP (network streaming A/V boxes connected) SD/HDTV
1 wireless drop for one wired MediaMVP.

Covers -
HTPC Server
MVP Server
File, Web, Print, Music Server

Anything more my electric bill would be higher.. All laptops shutdown to save power. The above is stable, I just finished a migration of a new router to use with the access point. Still testing the integration in the network. So far so good.