Gigabit Switch

[NorthernYankee]

I have been doing a lot of video editing and transfering of large files across my network and it just takes too damn long to move 4-7 gigs of data across a 100 network.

I was looking for a good Router with a gigabit switch built in, but no one makes one yet, so I am going to keep my Linksys Router and just buy a Gigabit switch and hook that up to the router so each computer is on the new switch and still has net access.

So I need recomendations on a switch, I was looking at this one but am open to any suggestions.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=35&scid=42&prid=528

--NY

[Ruantic]

I'm in the same situation, from the little bit of info I've found available the link-sys looks like a good choice. Nice timely thread, as i'm looking to purchase as well, i'll be watching to see if anyone else had had further experience..

[WesM63]

I don't know to much about gigabit yet. But linksys is owned by cisco so they can't be tooo bad. ;) I need a new switch since I donated my hub to LN.

[Player0]

I had a Netgear gigabit switch. Worked okay. Was only 2x faster than 100bT. Maybe 3x faster at times.

[SleepO]

I got a gigabit switch coming from the data department of the company I work for. I don't have any details on it at the moment but as soon as it shows up I will let you guys know.

[Farley]

Hi Northern Yankee,

I currently have a D-link 4 port Gigaswitch Shown here (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=77) No problems with it at all. My main reason for getting this one was rack mounting and cheapness. :rolleyes:

The Linksys your looking at seems like a good model, no expirance with it though.

One important thing you need to know about Gigbite network (which prompted me to come out of lurking) is your cable type. As reported but a few of your team mates gigabite isn't mush faster. Possible reason maybe the cable.

100 requires CAT5 solid recomended
1000 requires CAT5e solid required or Fiber.

This is slowly deminishing as technology finds way to pack more and more in to the genie bottle. I didn't see if your Linksys would work on regular CAT5.

There are some switches that can push the CAT5 to the 1000 speed. They are normally refered as Gigabite over copper. Of course you could just re-wire with fiber :Laugh: J/K

One more thing, do you need 5 ports full throtle 1000?? they do have switches that have only a couple of the total at 1000 speed (like an 8port 10/100 with 2-10/100/1000, a little cheaper, if you don't need the speed to all stations

Also Intel makes a nice cheap Gigabit NIC, about $40 @ Newegg


HTH

:D

[SleepO]

If going to a gigabyte switch I would recomend not even looking at cat5e and go pick up some cat6.

[Farley]

CAT6 will work too, I should of put Minimum requirment CAT5e :D Fiber is way too expensive and needs special tools to cut and splice

:D

[Drake]

:D:DWELCOME:D:D to Liquid Ninjas, Farley

You should come out of lurking more often, good info! :)

[Player0]

Cat5e works, but you will get better bandwidth with Cat6 generally.

Its not that expensive for a spool these days.

[sptw]

Hi Northern,
I could see your problem and if it is really a pain for you, i'd suggest you to change your mobo.With PCI 32bit/33MHZ, don't expect much difference between Ethernet10/100 BaseT and Gigabit 1000BaseT.This gigabit card use to use a 125 MB/s of bandwidth and concurrently you have a hard disc controller running 100/133 MB/sec, besides the others process running in background.This a serious bottleneck that limits the use of the gigabit on desktop usage, at least for PCI 32bit/33MHZ.I think 20%-30% is the maximum gain that you reach over 100BaseT.The only mobos that this situation doesn't apply are those that are using Intel 865 and 875P chipsets.The giga in this case are directly connected in northbridge.

[Player0]

Actually SPTW, Gigabit hardly touches the PCI bus. Although theoretically, it could use 125MB/s, it doesn't come close. Maybe 15-16MB/s is about the most I got out of it. I remember thinking that I could use Gigabit network in place of a shared HD. You know, run apps from the network instead of copying to my computers. HA! Fat chance. Not at the ridiculous speeds I got. Maybe 20MB/s peak is about what you can expect out of gigabit. I think 100bT measured out to something like 6-10 MB/s. I dont remember exact numbers, but I tested it very thoroughly and have it written down somewhere.

Those 100bT switches with 1000bT ports are for traffic balancing between switches. For example, I had two Dell 25 port switches. They were 100bT but had two 1000bT ports on them. We connected the switches via the 1000bT ports, so that workstations that needed to communicate through the switches had more bandwidth. For example, if a file server is on on switch, and a workstation is on another switch copying a huge file, the bridge between the switches is going to be saturated and traffic between the two switches will crawl between packets.

But if there was a 1000bT bridge, then when the copy was going on (at a maximum rate of 100bT), other cross-switch traffic will still have plenty of bandwidth left over. So those are what those switches are intended for. They also work well for file servers. If you connect the file server to 1000bT, and all the workstations at 100bT, then a few workstations can access the fileserver at a time at full speed, rather than just one. Only useful for multiple user environments.

The cheaper alternative for MU environments though is having a few 100bT nics in each machine rather than a single 1000bT NIC. Then load balance the 100bT nics. I've done this on a couple Windows machines, where I do a lot of heavy file serving and internet serving. One NIC would handle internet packets, the other file packets, and although this uses up more ports on the switch, it nearly doubles bandwidth (like 200bT instead of 100bT). But, I think im gettnig off topic :)

[sptw]

You're right Player0, then please forget i what i said before Northern.

[amdrules770]

I would advise to not get anything D-link. Every single d-link product I have purchased has gone bad, and not been very good when it did work. I would definitely recommend linksys though, they make good stuff.
this is all my dead d-link stuff:

24 port 10/100 rackmount switch
4 port router
3- 10/100 nics
8 port switch

[^7_of_9]

Originally posted by amdrules770
I would advise to not get anything D-link. Every single d-link product I have purchased has gone bad, and not been very good when it did work. I would definitely recommend linksys though, they make good stuff.
this is all my dead d-link stuff:

24 port 10/100 rackmount switch
4 port router
3- 10/100 nics
8 port switch

I prersonally use the D-Link DI-704 4 Port Router/Switch and haven't had a problem with it yet. Also I've used the DI-704 in many installations I've done for people as well and their's is still up and runnning now.

D-Link does have Excellent Warranty service. You thought about sending it in for service? If not you should!!

[^7_of_9]

Oh btw, Yes I do agree though Linksys DOES make some good products I use both D-Link and Linksys as well as an Intel Hub.

Currently sitting idle I have a 5 Port SMC hub as well as a 16 Port Linksys Hub and a 24 Port HP Hub.

[Player0]

Ive had some bad luck with DLink NICs, and one of the DLink routers. Ive had some trouble with Linksys too. Although, I suppose if you use enough of any product you will find faults.

Im on a Netgear phase right now though, they seem to be the most reliable for me. More expensive tho :P

[Mad3813]

hmmm, strange, installed maybe 150+ Dlink network cards and had no problems yet, amazing the things you have to do to get 200 year old Pentium 2's/3's talking on a novel network

:lizwhip: