Network Topology

I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm using an 8
port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which all have gigabit
NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet access and firewall
protection. I just replaced the Linksys router, so it is a recent revision
(I haven't upgraded the firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines, switch
and router is CAT5 cable.

Question:

Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network? Are there
any settings for the router that could be changed to produce higher speeds
over the network and internet? I'm on a cable connection.

Thanks!

Not likely that the CAT 5 cable is the problem unless it has not been
installed properly or has been damaged.
If you are using for example 5 PCs connected at the same time to the
Internet and doing large file transfers, then the speed of your Internet
connection to each PC will drop noticeably.

JS

"Jackson Brown" <jb@att.net> wrote in message
news:OZZLd1x7HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm using an 8
>port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which all have gigabit
>NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet access and firewall
>protection. I just replaced the Linksys router, so it is a recent revision
>(I haven't upgraded the firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines,
>switch and router is CAT5 cable.
>
> Question:
>
> Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network? Are there
> any settings for the router that could be changed to produce higher speeds
> over the network and internet? I'm on a cable connection.
>
> Thanks!

You'll never see gigabit internet speed in your lifetime. The speed across
the WAN port on your router is most likely 10Mbit, and your cable modem (or
DSL) is running at 3-5Mbit. You'll just see excellent transfer speeds
within the network... but then you could be running into an issue where your
harddrives aren't spinning fast enough to read or write the data to keep up
with the network.

My home network is pretty "zippy" even at 10Mbit--what else am I doing w/ my
time that I need to be in gigabit rush??

K


"Jackson Brown" <jb@att.net> wrote in message
news:OZZLd1x7HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm using an 8
>port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which all have gigabit
>NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet access and firewall
>protection. I just replaced the Linksys router, so it is a recent revision
>(I haven't upgraded the firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines,
>switch and router is CAT5 cable.
>
> Question:
>
> Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network? Are there
> any settings for the router that could be changed to produce higher speeds
> over the network and internet? I'm on a cable connection.
>
> Thanks!

"Jackson Brown" <jb@att.net> wrote in
news:OZZLd1x7HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:

> I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm
> using an 8 port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which
> all have gigabit NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet
> access and firewall protection. I just replaced the Linksys
> router, so it is a recent revision (I haven't upgraded the
> firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines, switch and router is
> CAT5 cable.
>
> Question:
>
> Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network?
> Are there any settings for the router that could be changed to
> produce higher speeds over the network and internet? I'm on a
> cable connection.
>
> Thanks!
>

Cable internet ISPs top out at about 6 Mbps bandwidth. The old 10-
Base-T connections on Cat-3 wire can support 10 Mbps which is higher
than your ISP can provide. Using Cat-5 wire into a 100-Base-T router
connection assures you that this is not the bottleneck. Your internal
network should work very fast but all your machines must share the
slower internet connection bandwidth. Just make sure that all your
gigabit cables connect up all 8 wires for Gigabit speeds (10/100-Base-T
only requires 4 wires and some cables are made that way).

HTH,
John

On Sep 4, 1:59 pm, "Jackson Brown" <j...@att.net> wrote:
> I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm using an 8
> port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which all have gigabit
> NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet access and firewall
> protection. I just replaced the Linksys router, so it is a recent revision
> (I haven't upgraded the firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines, switch
> and router is CAT5 cable.
>
> Question:
>
> Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network? Are there
> any settings for the router that could be changed to produce higher speeds
> over the network and internet? I'm on a cable connection.
>
> Thanks!

As previously stated, most high speed Internet access wire speed are
below 10Mbit. You will be unlikely to ever find a Gigabit Internet
access connect. Most DSL/cable provider have not ever consider to
only be an Internet access company so they "cap" the access over the
wire for their "shared" service (DSL/Telephone, Cable/TV.) The only
place you can find any type of bottlenecks is on your "local area
network" (LAN) in the form of:

Bad CAT 5 cable (CAT 6 should be better but more expensive!)
XP Pro (10 user can access on XP PRO shared PC at the smae time.)
Viruses and Malwares (anti-virus and anti-spyware a MUST, not an
option!)

Thanks to all for the responses. The reason I ask is that my speed seems a
bit slower than it did before I replaced the netgear switch (previous switch
was gigabit 4 port) and linksys router. Also, I recently set up Remote
Desktop Connection between a few machines and it seems somewhat 'jerky' and
seems to respond a second or two behind. I was told in these NGs that this
was not normal. Any thoughts?

Thanks again,
Jack




"John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:Xns99A1831DD3F46wunderpsdrscray@138.126.254.2 10...
> "Jackson Brown" <jb@att.net> wrote in
> news:OZZLd1x7HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:
>
>> I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm
>> using an 8 port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which
>> all have gigabit NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet
>> access and firewall protection. I just replaced the Linksys
>> router, so it is a recent revision (I haven't upgraded the
>> firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines, switch and router is
>> CAT5 cable.
>>
>> Question:
>>
>> Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network?
>> Are there any settings for the router that could be changed to
>> produce higher speeds over the network and internet? I'm on a
>> cable connection.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>
> Cable internet ISPs top out at about 6 Mbps bandwidth. The old 10-
> Base-T connections on Cat-3 wire can support 10 Mbps which is higher
> than your ISP can provide. Using Cat-5 wire into a 100-Base-T router
> connection assures you that this is not the bottleneck. Your internal
> network should work very fast but all your machines must share the
> slower internet connection bandwidth. Just make sure that all your
> gigabit cables connect up all 8 wires for Gigabit speeds (10/100-Base-T
> only requires 4 wires and some cables are made that way).
>
> HTH,
> John
>

On Sep 4, 8:34 pm, "Jackson Brown" <j...@att.net> wrote:
> Thanks to all for the responses. The reason I ask is that my speed seems a
> bit slower than it did before I replaced the netgear switch (previous switch
> was gigabit 4 port) and linksys router. Also, I recently set up Remote
> Desktop Connection between a few machines and it seems somewhat 'jerky' and
> seems to respond a second or two behind. I was told in these NGs that this
> was not normal. Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks again,
> Jack
>
> "John Wunderlich" <jwunderl...@lycos.com> wrote in message
>
> news:Xns99A1831DD3F46wunderpsdrscray@138.126.254.2 10...
>
>
>
> > "Jackson Brown" <j...@att.net> wrote in
> >news:OZZLd1x7HHA.600@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:
>
> >> I have a small network that accomodates Vista & XP machines. I'm
> >> using an 8 port Netgear gigabit switch between the machines (which
> >> all have gigabit NICs) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router for internet
> >> access and firewall protection. I just replaced the Linksys
> >> router, so it is a recent revision (I haven't upgraded the
> >> firmware on it yet). Connecting the machines, switch and router is
> >> CAT5 cable.
>
> >> Question:
>
> >> Are the CAT 5 cables introducing a bottleneck into the network?
> >> Are there any settings for the router that could be changed to
> >> produce higher speeds over the network and internet? I'm on a
> >> cable connection.
>
> >> Thanks!
>
> > Cable internet ISPs top out at about 6 Mbps bandwidth. The old 10-
> > Base-T connections on Cat-3 wire can support 10 Mbps which is higher
> > than your ISP can provide. Using Cat-5 wire into a 100-Base-T router
> > connection assures you that this is not the bottleneck. Your internal
> > network should work very fast but all your machines must share the
> > slower internet connection bandwidth. Just make sure that all your
> > gigabit cables connect up all 8 wires for Gigabit speeds (10/100-Base-T
> > only requires 4 wires and some cables are made that way).
>
> > HTH,
> > John- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You should know that routers are not all created the same. Each
rounter manufacturer create their own unique router controls. Some
"may" include different "services" so it is possible that routers of
the "same" speed can truely have different "access" speeds.

Don't overlook the possibility that TCP settings (MTU, MSS etc) may be
different on the new router. This is more likely to affect PPPoE links than
PPPoA.

If the MTU is 1500, then try reducing it somewhat, say to 1460.

MSS should be 40 bytes less.