Re: Overall networking issue...

Jacob Tranholm wrote:
I have the problem that I have to install a server on a larger professional 100Mbit/s CAT-5 network (with about 100 desktop computers connected and up to 2-300 more on wireless connections). This network already has a well-functioning structure, where it is easy to transmit information at speeds up to 100Mbit/s (the network works). My problem is that I am not happy with the 100Mbit/s restrictions. The server already has gigabit network card(s)... And I am wondering how/if it will be possible to use the gigabit speed without having to change the basic structure of the network. Because the network is already up and running, I will get a hard time finding the funds to change everything, and since 100Mbit/s is sufficient in the vast majority of situations, it should not be necessary.

What would happen if one for instance attached a standard (cheap) unmanaged gigabit switch (eg. a D-Link DGS-1008D) for such a network. The server for one port, and the remaining 8 ports connected to the existing 100Mbit/s network (we can find 8 vacant ports in the existing structure). Would this give any increase in network speed with the possibility of 2 (or more) computers at the same time being able to use the data from the server at speeds closer to the 100Mbit/s. According to benchmarks the server can read and write the data quite a bit faster than required by a gigabit connection.

I apologize if this is an absolutely ridiculous question. My hands-on experience with this aspect of larger networks is unfortunately limited, and therefore I hope for constructive advice from you.

It all depends on hour network infrastructure. No single client is ever going to get more than 100 Mbit/s of course, but there might be ways to increase the aggregate throughput.

If you have a single large switch in the middle of the network, then you could upgrade the connection between your server and the switch. This might require new hardware on the switch.

You can do the same thing if your network has several switches at its core. Are the inter-switch links 100 Mbit/s or 1 Gbit/s? If the former and management is planning on upgrading them to 1 Gbit/s, are they planning to upgrade server links as well?

Finally, your cheap 'switch' solution also has the possibility of getting aggregate speeds up over 100 Mbit/s. It would be simplest to use a router, not a switch: put the server on its own subnet, and the other subnets use different links via level 3 routing. If you only use a level 2 switch, you need to have some way of keeping level 2 loop avoidance from dropping all but one link. I'm not sure that your dumb switch can do this.
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