Forcing Connection over Ethernet

[JMcQueen]

I was wondering if anyone can help me with a problem as I dont know much about the ins and outs of networking.

I have currently have a PC and a WHS 2011 setup that I use as a plex server and general document storage server. Both are connected to the internet and wider network via wifi as the router is connected to the house master socket which is downstairs and I want each to be able to connect to the internet independently of the other being turned on.

I've run a cat 5 cable from each to a five port unmanaged switch and each PC can see ther other even if disconnected from wifi, so no problems there.

Because of the distance from the router, transferring files between the two is very slow over wifi (approx 10 MBPs) but if I disconnect one from the wifi network I can get 100 MBPs over the wired connection.

The problem is, I dont really want to have to keep disconnecting from the wifi network when I transfer files between the two PC's.

I've tried changing the bindings so that the ethernet connection is priority on both PC's but this hasnt made any difference.

So how do I force it to transfer between the two over the faster ethernet whilst maintaining a wifi connection to the internet?

 

[Haven]

Connect the switch to the router and then everything can be wired or unwired. Leave Wifi turned off on the server, and on your computer turn wifi on and off when needed.

 

[JMcQueen]

The router already has 4 gigbit ports but its located two floors below where my main PC & server is situated (a room I use as home office). I want the server connected to the wifi/internet at all times so that I can use Plex when out and about without needing to leave two PC's on.

I could connect the server directly to the router via etheret which would solve that problem, but obviously I wouldnt get 100 MBP/s transfer rates for large files between the server and pc.

 

[cortexodus]

I think you have things the way I'm showing on the left in the pic below. I suggest you configure things as shown on the right. I have a similar configuration and the systems on the switch side of the client bridge talk to one another at Gig-E speed while they talk to everything else on the network (router-side) at whatever speed I can get over Wifi. Granted, you'll need to acquire a bridge or a cheap-ass router that you can use in bridge mode (or install DD-WRT).

 

[JMcQueen]

Thats essentially correct (the cable modem and router are one device). Doesn't the wifi bridge need to connect to the main router via ethernet in order to repeat?

 

[Nicklebon]

Static routes.

For that matter you should not even need to do that. The wifi adapter and the ethernet should be on different networks. If you are sitting on the PC and connect to the ethernet IP of the server then it connect via copper.

 

[cortexodus]

Thats essentially correct (the cable modem and router are one device). Doesn't the wifi bridge need to connect to the main router via ethernet in order to repeat?

Nope, that's the whole idea of it being a bridge. You use the wireless client bridge as the "bridge" of communication between the switch upstairs, and the router/wifi AP you have downstairs. The machines upstairs will receive their IP addresses from the router (and so will the bridge for that matter), and they'll both get their internet connectivity, but the the PC and the Server (or anything else on that upstairs switch) would talk to each other through the switch instead of through the router.

Once again, though, you'll need an additional piece of hardware to do this. My suggestion is a cheap router that matches the speed of your wifi modem/router/AP and which either has an expressly defined "bridge mode" or, is capable of being flashed with DD-WRT (which is an entirely different subject)

If someone else knows how to make it work as you're asking with the existing equipment, that's worth trying first, for sure! I'm also curious about the possibility of a direct solution to your issue as it currently stands as well, but I do know that what I'm describing would solve the issue as I use that configuration everyday

 

[Biznatch]

Nope, that's the whole idea of it being a bridge. You use the wireless client bridge as the "bridge" of communication between the switch upstairs, and the router/wifi AP you have downstairs. The machines upstairs will receive their IP addresses from the router (and so will the bridge for that matter), and they'll both get their internet connectivity, but the the PC and the Server (or anything else on that upstairs switch) would talk to each other through the switch instead of through the router.

Once again, though, you'll need an additional piece of hardware to do this. My suggestion is a cheap router that matches the speed of your wifi modem/router/AP and which either has an expressly defined "bridge mode" or, is capable of being flashed with DD-WRT (which is an entirely different subject)

If someone else knows how to make it work as you're asking with the existing equipment, that's worth trying first, for sure! I'm also curious about the possibility of a direct solution to your issue as it currently stands as well, but I do know that what I'm describing would solve the issue as I use that configuration everyday

Except you lose half the bandwidth if you add a wireless bridge. Run a cable, it's worth the effort, and you only have to do it once.

 

[cortexodus]

Except you lose half the bandwidth if you add a wireless bridge. Run a cable, it's worth the effort, and you only have to do it once.

I think you're totally right, but that's still only an issue if you need your wireless devices to also be able to perform screamingly fast on the LAN. It certainly doesn't change that their link to the outside world is limited entirely by your ISP. In my case at least, the slowest wireless link on the network is still 72Mbps (on the 2.4GHz spectrum), which is plenty for 9/10ths of what I do, and a good 20Mbps faster than my internet has ever been.