File transfer from SMB network slow in OSX

[SDAVE]

Hi,
if anyone could help me out that would be great.

Basically I have a network shared SMB server, via gigabit lan (Windows 2008 server) and this machine serves to 2 machines. One is a Mac Pro (with Windows Vista as the second OS) and the other one a Vista machine.

I get about 120MB/sec per ethernet LAN under Vista (from the Mac Pro). Also get the same under the native second Vista machine.

But the problem is, once I use OS X, the speed jumps down to only about 50MB/sec, when I mount from the same LAN.

The screenshot is attached in this post.

The point is, OS X, with similar settings in Vista, reads the same network files slower than Vista on the Mac Pro. Very weird indeed. I don't think it's the LAN port on the Mac Pro nor my server, since on the Mac Pro, Vista reads it blazingly fast, but not OS X. What kind of bottleneck do you think I am running into?

Thanks

[belvdr]

What if you set the NIC to auto negotiate in OS X?

If the link comes up at gigabit speeds, you'll have to be at full duplex, so auto negotiation works 99% of the time everywhere I have used gigabit.

[geoffreak]

Try messing with the MTU.

[belvdr]

Try messing with the MTU.

Bad idea. Let's say you crank the MTU up to 2000 bytes. If the MTU on the switch is not set identically to that of the client, it will fragment the packet, causing further degradation.

1500 bytes is the standard MTU. Considering XP worked fine, I wouldn't bother with it.

[1ne]

I have the same problem with my Windows Home Server. It has nothing to do with speed and duplex. My Cisco Layer 3 switch is all hard coded. I was going to look into it. Got too many things on the go. :D

[assembled]

Have you tried running iperf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iperf) ?

I think you'll find that the network connection is fine, and its just the SMB stack on your Mac Pro

You could also try and compare FTP transfer speeds

[belvdr]

I have the same problem with my Windows Home Server. It has nothing to do with speed and duplex. My Cisco Layer 3 switch is all hard coded. I was going to look into it. Got too many things on the go. :D

Just because the switch is hard coded doesn't mean the device connected to it runs the same speed/duplex. Even the latest HP servers, when set to auto negotiate, will link at 100/Half to a switch hard coded at 100/Full.

[1ne]

Just because the switch is hard coded doesn't mean the device connected to it runs the same speed/duplex. Even the latest HP servers, when set to auto negotiate, will link at 100/Half to a switch hard coded at 100/Full.

Huh? Agreed and disagreed.

Yes you are correct just because switch is hard coded it does not mean the device will run the same speed and duplex. If your case, you should force the server to 100/full and hard code the swiitch to 100/full. What kind of switches does your company run?

[belvdr]

Huh? Agreed and disagreed.

Yes you are correct just because switch is hard coded it does not mean the device will run the same speed and duplex. If your case, you should force the server to 100/full and hard code the swiitch to 100/full. What kind of switches does your company run?

We use Cisco exclusively for switches. Yeah, I know about hard coding both ends. It's what I do. :)

What part did you disagree on?

[SDAVE]

What if you set the NIC to auto negotiate in OS X?

If the link comes up at gigabit speeds, you'll have to be at full duplex, so auto negotiation works 99% of the time everywhere I have used gigabit.

Thank you!
You were absolutely correct, it seems that if I set it to auto, it uses the full speed. Weird, I've always set up the networks manually, but OS X seems to hate that.

Do you know of a way to test the speed of the network though? I only have one internal drive in my Mac Pro, and it only pushes 68MB/sec. Maybe once I get a RAID0 setup in here, I could fully see the high speed of the network.

Have you tried running iperf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iperf) ?

I think you'll find that the network connection is fine, and its just the SMB stack on your Mac Pro

You could also try and compare FTP transfer speeds

Yeah, it seems that OS X doesn't like manual settings, for some odd reason.

But thank you for the help!

[belvdr]

Thank you!
You were absolutely correct, it seems that if I set it to auto, it uses the full speed. Weird, I've always set up the networks manually, but OS X seems to hate that.

Do you know of a way to test the speed of the network though? I only have one internal drive in my Mac Pro, and it only pushes 68MB/sec. Maybe once I get a RAID0 setup in here, I could fully see the high speed of the network.

No problem. The only way you'll really be able to nail the speed of the link is to have:

1. Very fast write devices on the other end. Reading data and pushing to the network is easy to overcome.
2. Many users hitting the same link all at once.

Check this out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gigabit-ethernet-bandwidth,2321.html

[assembled]

as I posted above, the way to check available bandwidth, is iperf http://trepullins.net/05-17-2008/testing-network-throughput-with-iperf

[1ne]

We use Cisco exclusively for switches. Yeah, I know about hard coding both ends. It's what I do. :)

I am pretty sure when it comes to L3 switching and routing on Cisco switches and routers, I am very confident on what I am doing and my skillset. And it is what I do for a living. Purely Cisco Data and Wireless. I do have my CCNP. Unless you have your CCIE in R&S and Wireless don't make it sound like I am a idiot. Especially when it comes to networking and wireless. Thank u. Otherwise... :rolleyes:

[belvdr]

I am pretty sure when it comes to L3 switching and routing on Cisco switches and routers, I am very confident on what I am doing and my skillset. And it is what I do for a living. Purely Cisco Data and Wireless. I do have my CCNP. Unless you have your CCIE in R&S and Wireless don't make it sound like I am a idiot. Especially when it comes to networking and wireless. Thank u. Otherwise... :rolleyes:

So you're pretty sure you're very confident? It doesn't sound that way.

I have no idea why you are being overly sensitive, as all I said was I knew what you were talking about and that I have experience in this. I never once said or implied you had no clue what you're talking about. I said I knew about hard coding both ends and that I am a network engineer. If you took offense to that, you're reading too much into it and/or looking for something to argue about.