• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Can I benefit from link aggregation?

S

stouffej

n00b
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
4
I am looking for some insight and suggestions on link aggregation. Here is my setup... I am a photography studio and I store all of my images on a file server. My server setup is the following...

Asus P5W64 WS Pro motherboard
Q6600 Quad core processor
8 GB RAM
Motherboard has two gigabit ethernet ports
Dual Raptors in RAID 0 for system drive
24 500 GB Drives in RAID 6 on Areca 1280 ML controller

I have two workstations that access the data on the server as well as a backup file server in a seperate building 100 feet away.

When downloading images to the server after a photoshoot data ranges from 30 gig for a typical photoshoot up to 160 gig for a large corporate job. Once on the server a nightly batch job backs up new and changed files only so in this example the full 30 - 160 gig plus any other files that were touched in the course of the day get transfered to the backup server. My RAID 6 can transfer at about 500 - 600 MB/sec.

My current network is cat 5 with a Linksys WRT54G. The slowness of running Adobe Bridge (high resolution thumbnail and image organizing software) from the workstations is unbearable. I'm not sure what the software pulls from the server but from the speeds it is running it feels like it is pulling the to full high res images (15 MB each).

I feel like if I add a gigabit switch to my setup I may as well get one with Link Aggregation. I am wanting to stay under $600 for my solution. Someone told me to look at the NETGEAR ProSafe GS716T ($279 on NewEgg). They also offer dual and quad port NIC cards. Does anyone have any advise on how to get the network speeds I need. If link aggregation is the way to go what is a cost effective switch / nic combination?
 
I am not too familiar with the motherboard in your server, but the Asus website says the NICs support teaming so you should be good there.

Honestly for switch I would recommend something a bit more high-end if you really want some speed. Perhaps an HP ProCurve gig switch. But, honestly, pretty much anything you get over a few hundo is going to be TONS better than that WRT you are using now. If you can spare about $900 bones you could pick up a Cisco 2970G-24ts off the eBays that will give you crazy speeds in your application.

 
I'd focus on upgrading the network to giga...before getting bogged down with getting teaming working.

Weak points I see now....
*CAT5
*Home grade little 4 port 10/100 switch

Points I'd consider for upgrading network performance
*Upgrade existing cables in building to 5e or 6...including jacks on walls, patch panel
*Go with a business grade giga switch...such as a Procurve.
*How to connect to that other building. Here's where things may get a little pricier...the building may be roughly 100 feet away...but how do you get current cables there? Conduit? What's that actual length end up being for the ethernet to go from switch to switch? Fiber may have to be considered...so switches on each end that can have a mini GBIC as an option...as well the two mini GBICs themselves. (often 250-400 each). As your distance increases...fiber will hold up better in keeping it fast under heavy loads.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
I'd focus on upgrading the network to giga...before getting bogged down with getting teaming working.

Weak points I see now....
*CAT5
*Home grade little 4 port 10/100 switch

Points I'd consider for upgrading network performance
*Upgrade existing cables in building to 5e or 6...including jacks on walls, patch panel
*Go with a business grade giga switch...such as a Procurve.
*How to connect to that other building. Here's where things may get a little pricier...the building may be roughly 100 feet away...but how do you get current cables there? Conduit? What's that actual length end up being for the ethernet to go from switch to switch? Fiber may have to be considered...so switches on each end that can have a mini GBIC as an option...as well the two mini GBICs themselves. (often 250-400 each). As your distance increases...fiber will hold up better in keeping it fast under heavy loads.
Click to expand...


I agree with this. Gigabit right off the bat will give you much better performance for your dollar.

If you are looking for gbics and fiber cables, let me know, I got a ton I'm looking to offload for peanuts.
 
totally OT (because the question has been beaten to a pulp with proper answers)

but raid0 in servers scare me....

workstations? ok.... servers? not so much...


raid1 those raptors
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top