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Gigabit Network?



  RS Clio 200
I work in IT and so I'm pretty computer literate, but networks aren't my strong point so I'd like to run something by people before I spend any money.

I'm looking at buying a NAS box at some point for storing music etc etc and opinions on the web seem to be that NAS without gigbit network is a waste.

My current network is a (Sky) Netgear DG834 ADSL + four 10/100 ethernet ports. I have a cat5e cable through the wall & ceiling to a Netgear WGPS606 four port 10/100 switch plus print server (with wireless disabled.)

PC1 is cabled to the DG834 and has an inbuilt gigabit network card. PC2 is cabled to the WGPS606 and has an inbuilt 10/100 nic. My wife has a laptop that connects wirelessly to the DG834.

Now I think I am correct in that if I want to go gigabit I can't mix the 10/100 devices with gigabit devices.

I also have a spare netgear wireless USB "dongle".

So ignoring the laptop, as this has no choice but to connect to the network via the DG834 my plan is:

Buy a second Netgear wireless dongle and fit one to pc1 and (my existing) one to pc2. I'll then disconnect pc1 from the dg834 and pc2 from the wgps606. All machines should then be able to access the web wirelessly via the dg834.

The WGPS606 and its attached printer would then be moved and plugged straight into the DG834. I think at this point all machines would then also be able to print.

Then I'd buy a gigabit nic for pc2 and a gigabit switch. pc1 and pc2 would be plugged into the new gigabit switch.

At this point I think I'd have two discrete networks. A wireless network for the internet, the printer and the laptop.

A gigabit network for pc1 and pc2.

Hopefully this all makes sense. Would this work? Am I thinking along the right lines here? Thanks for any input and sorry for making this so long.
 

rctempire

ClioSport Moderator
Right ok.
Cat5e and Cat6 will work together, only difference will be speed issue. Nothing else.

Wireless WILL slow down performance for the network for the PCS. so if you want to reep the benefits of CAT6 then run CAT6 to all the pcs, upgrade the routers/switches to cope with CAT6 if you really want it.
Wireless will only run at 55Mbps or below, however i believe that 54Mbps is a MAX it will ever achieve at the moment (Pre N).

PCs connecting together may have a good backbone, but you need to upgrade the router/switch and the network cards to handle a Gigabit network.

Right now, i really doubt you would fully utilise a 1 Gbps network at all.
However you can MIX and match, just expect the network to bottle neck at the slowest devices.
 
cat5e will run gig not a problem at all 99% of devices are auto sensing regarding port speed so you can run a mixture quite happily
 
  RS Clio 200
I cant change the DG834 - it's provided by Sky and the Broadband settings are locked into the unit. I'm still within my first 12 months of the contract so I can't start "hacking" into it to try to get the user/password out of it.

This means I'm stuck with this and its 10/100 network. That's why I thought I'd try to create two networks.

The wireless network would have no connectivity to the wired network (except of course each pc would be connected to both).

My thought was -

wireless network = dg834, pc1 with a "dongle", pc2 with a "dongle", laptop and print server (maybe wirelessly)

gigabit network = pc1 with inbuilt nic, gigabit switch, pc2 with new gigabit nic.

Would a NAS box be too slow over a 10/100 network? That's the issue that's started me on this "trek" and why I want so seperate 10/100 and gigabit.
 
I cant change the DG834 - it's provided by Sky and the Broadband settings are locked into the unit. I'm still within my first 12 months of the contract so I can't start "hacking" into it to try to get the user/password out of it.

This means I'm stuck with this and its 10/100 network. That's why I thought I'd try to create two networks.

The wireless network would have no connectivity to the wired network (except of course each pc would be connected to both).

My thought was -

wireless network = dg834, pc1 with a "dongle", pc2 with a "dongle", laptop and print server (maybe wirelessly)

gigabit network = pc1 with inbuilt nic, gigabit switch, pc2 with new gigabit nic.

Would a NAS box be too slow over a 10/100 network? That's the issue that's started me on this "trek" and why I want so seperate 10/100 and gigabit.


what drugs are you on !!!


just buy a gig switch and connect teh pc's to it then connect print server to gig switch or the router it really doesnt need to be any harder than that
 
  Chelsea tractor
Wireless will only run at 55Mbps or below, however i believe that 54Mbps is a MAX it will ever achieve at the moment (Pre N).
Aren't they only about 20% efficient? So you'll only really get around 10Mbps actual transfer speed anyway.
 
  Revels Mum & Sister
cat5e will run gig not a problem at all 99% of devices are auto sensing regarding port speed so you can run a mixture quite happily

I with him. I have cat5e runs in numerous places running through GIG NIC cards and Switches no problem at all.

100MB should be enough for what your doing though
 
  RS Clio 200
I cant change the DG834 - it's provided by Sky and the Broadband settings are locked into the unit. I'm still within my first 12 months of the contract so I can't start "hacking" into it to try to get the user/password out of it.

This means I'm stuck with this and its 10/100 network. That's why I thought I'd try to create two networks.

The wireless network would have no connectivity to the wired network (except of course each pc would be connected to both).

My thought was -

wireless network = dg834, pc1 with a "dongle", pc2 with a "dongle", laptop and print server (maybe wirelessly)

gigabit network = pc1 with inbuilt nic, gigabit switch, pc2 with new gigabit nic.

Would a NAS box be too slow over a 10/100 network? That's the issue that's started me on this "trek" and why I want so seperate 10/100 and gigabit.


what drugs are you on !!!


just buy a gig switch and connect teh pc's to it then connect print server to gig switch or the router it really doesnt need to be any harder than that


But back to my original question - if I mix 10/100 devices and gigabit devices on the same network do all devices drop down to 10/100?

If thats the case I buy a new gigabit switch, connect it to my adsl modem (with built in 10/100 switch - I can't change this it was supplied by sky) and it all runs at 10/100, and I've just wasted my money
 
NO it will be fine IF you connect the pc's and nas to teh gig switch first that way its gig all the way it will only stop down to 10/100 as it leaves the gig switch towards the router

print server can be connected anywhere router or switch
 
actually it gives you 6 gig :) 1gig x3 duplex = 6gig

but of course the end machine needs the same or greater as does the switch a home gig swich wont have a backbone fast enough to handle it
 

rctempire

ClioSport Moderator
But back to my original question - if I mix 10/100 devices and gigabit devices on the same network do all devices drop down to 10/100?

If thats the case I buy a new gigabit switch, connect it to my adsl modem (with built in 10/100 switch - I can't change this it was supplied by sky) and it all runs at 10/100, and I've just wasted my money

No, devices WILL run at the gigabit, but the devices at 10/100 will run at 100 generally. Also there will be a bottle neck of never achieving "true" gigagbit.

The adsl modem will never give gigabit speeds or improve the adsl connection because it will only recieve at a max of 24Mbps (example). So that will still bottle neck your network.


Basically every network has a bottle neck somewhere, keep it fast internal and most people will be happy, most people will really hate internet as its "too slow".
 
  RS Clio 200
But back to my original question - if I mix 10/100 devices and gigabit devices on the same network do all devices drop down to 10/100?

If thats the case I buy a new gigabit switch, connect it to my adsl modem (with built in 10/100 switch - I can't change this it was supplied by sky) and it all runs at 10/100, and I've just wasted my money

No, devices WILL run at the gigabit, but the devices at 10/100 will run at 100 generally. Also there will be a bottle neck of never achieving "true" gigagbit.

The adsl modem will never give gigabit speeds or improve the adsl connection because it will only recieve at a max of 24Mbps (example). So that will still bottle neck your network.


Basically every network has a bottle neck somewhere, keep it fast internal and most people will be happy, most people will really hate internet as its "too slow".


The main point is not so speed up the internet. I don't expect it to have any effect as the ADSL modem is restricted to 10/100 anyway. I want to put a NAS box on the network and it's seems a waste to stick it on a 10/100 network.

I also backup the machines over the network so I'm hoping that speed of backup would improve if the two machines (one backing up to the other) were on gigabit.
 

rctempire

ClioSport Moderator
The main point is not so speed up the internet. I don't expect it to have any effect as the ADSL modem is restricted to 10/100 anyway. I want to put a NAS box on the network and it's seems a waste to stick it on a 10/100 network.

I also backup the machines over the network so I'm hoping that speed of backup would improve if the two machines (one backing up to the other) were on gigabit.
Ahh, i was clearing a point up incase you thought it would speed up the internet.

There is no waste on putting it on a 10/100 network at all. The network speed would improve yes. So backing up will have a difference, just the expectation of achieving 1gbps is unrealistic.
 

KDF

  Audi TT Stronic
I cant change the DG834 - it's provided by Sky and the Broadband settings are locked into the unit. I'm still within my first 12 months of the contract so I can't start "hacking" into it to try to get the user/password out of it.

This means I'm stuck with this and its 10/100 network. That's why I thought I'd try to create two networks.

The wireless network would have no connectivity to the wired network (except of course each pc would be connected to both).

My thought was -

wireless network = dg834, pc1 with a "dongle", pc2 with a "dongle", laptop and print server (maybe wirelessly)

gigabit network = pc1 with inbuilt nic, gigabit switch, pc2 with new gigabit nic.

Would a NAS box be too slow over a 10/100 network? That's the issue that's started me on this "trek" and why I want so seperate 10/100 and gigabit.


what drugs are you on !!!


just buy a gig switch and connect teh pc's to it then connect print server to gig switch or the router it really doesnt need to be any harder than that

Thank you ! finally a decent reply.
 
yes it is but due to network layout its our biggest gig switch so has to go where it is now :(

im getting another soon enough for the other end of the fiber
 


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