Slow file transefr over VPN - Not with GoodSync

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KuJaX

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So I have setup a VPN using Sonicwall router and Sonicwall Global VPN Client to access a file server, lets just name is F: for file server drive.

I mount it in Windows as F: using the //<name-of-fileserver-on-remote-server>

If I transfer a folder from F: to my local C: and it is, lets say, 30 mb it can take upwards of 2 minutes. HOWEVER, if I use Goodsync (file syncing application) the same 30 mb file will take 20 seconds.

I'm confused as to why that would be. Do they not use the same network protocol to pass traffic?

Any ideas to figure out why this would be the case?

I've read on some Sonicwall forums that file transfer is slow because of the Sonicwall Global VPN client, however, then wouldn't that too be true regardless of transfer method since both file server copy/paste and Goodsync copy/paste is using the Sonicwall global VPN client?
 
Windows shares are done by the CIFS protocol. The problem lies mainly with the roots of CIFS itself, which is based upon the pre-internet SMB (Server Message Block) protocol designed for low latency local area networks. The protocol is considered to be “chatty”, meaning negotiating operations on files requires a lot of back and forth communications between the client and server, which is exacerbated by the relatively higher latencies experienced on the internet.

The short, use FTP, HTTP, etc. after VPNing in to your network to transfer files
 
canna said:
Windows shares are done by the CIFS protocol. The problem lies mainly with the roots of CIFS itself, which is based upon the pre-internet SMB (Server Message Block) protocol designed for low latency local area networks. The protocol is considered to be “chatty”, meaning negotiating operations on files requires a lot of back and forth communications between the client and server, which is exacerbated by the relatively higher latencies experienced on the internet.

The short, use FTP, HTTP, etc. after VPNing in to your network to transfer files
Click to expand...

Hrrmm, so maybe Goodsync is using a differnet protocol.

The ease of "mount drive" in Windows is awesome. I could technically setup ftp and stuff, but it is a like of adhoc grabbing of files, and sometimes even opening them on the remote server (like a word doc, pdf, etc) to view it and even small 1mb files can take a minute to load all the way. With ftp, I would need to grab it first to local drive which will be fast but that is another step.

So any tools, software, or options for the ease of mounting the file server as a drive letter in Windows but using a different protocol that will be fast to access and even open/edit files on the remote server quickly?
 
KuJaX said:
Hrrmm, so maybe Goodsync is using a differnet protocol.

The ease of "mount drive" in Windows is awesome. I could technically setup ftp and stuff, but it is a like of adhoc grabbing of files, and sometimes even opening them on the remote server (like a word doc, pdf, etc) to view it and even small 1mb files can take a minute to load all the way. With ftp, I would need to grab it first to local drive which will be fast but that is another step.

So any tools, software, or options for the ease of mounting the file server as a drive letter in Windows but using a different protocol that will be fast to access and even open/edit files on the remote server quickly?
Click to expand...

You could do this.

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/map-an-ftp-drive-windows
 
KuJaX said:
Very interesting, could bypass the vpn if necessary....
Click to expand...

Effectively, it turns protocols that are better able to deal with latency into standard Windows mapped drives. Whether or not you use a VPN with it, is a different story.
 
KuJaX said:
Very interesting, could bypass the vpn if necessary....
Click to expand...
Using a VPN and then using SMB to access a network share is going to be &#8216;chatty&#8217; and work a bit more slowly than it normally would, especially without the VPN.

WebDrive mapping a drive letter over FTP or SFTP through the Firewall to an internal FTP/SFTP server would be a viable alternative and would probably be a bit faster. Also, since a VPN usually uses your Network Credentials (i.e. your username and password), if anyone were able to figure your credentials out, they could VPN in to your LAN and possibly gain access to more information than is necessary.

If you go with WebDrive to an internal FTP/SFTP server, the server would usually be configured to provide you access with just a subset of information on your LAN, which would be a bit more secure.
 
tested Webdrive, worked great, much faster, purchased. Thank you :)
 
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