Topic 'Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds' in forum 'Linksys' - dslreports.com http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11431120 en Fri, 25 Mar 2022 11:15:32 EDT Fri, 25 Mar 2022 11:15:32 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11501105 or 1MB slower than other benchmarks against full duplex 100baset card.. so its not the NIC.. so i created a completely compressed file, no extention. i think i compressed it 3 times, just to make sure that the nic has to transmit every bit of it, and the slug has to write it all to.. 105MB 110,201,297 bytes. 21 seconds, or 5mb/sec

pc / realtec 10/100/1g nic
linksys wrt54g
linksys slug *lan connected*
2x WD 120gb 7200rpm drives]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11501105 Mon, 04 Oct 2004 19:17:48 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11497593 After formatting using the NSLU2 tool, you can't then just attach the drive directly to a Windows box.
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I had the same problem, sometimes I need to carry the USB drive around to copy to it. So: it is a 160 GB Maxtor. After NSLU2 formatted it, it has a 158 GB ext3, some small ext3 and a Linux swap partition on it. Then I take Partition Magic 8 and split the large ext3 partition into 3 parts, making the 2nd and the 3rd partition to NTFS and FAT32, respectively. So, now it is working from the network, can be directly connected to XP and 98SE, also. This is what I needed.
Yes, a strange thing happenned during the partition moving: this was the order of the partitions before resize:
large ext3, 158 GB
small ext3
swap

and after the resize:
50 GB ext3
small ext3
80 GB NTFS
28 GB FAT32
swap

So, somehow the NTFS and the FAT32 came after the ext3 pratitions... Maybe it is normal, or I set something I dont remember, but it is wrking this way :))

Just a hint for everybody.

Partition Magic was free (after rebate) last week in CompUSA.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11497593 Mon, 04 Oct 2004 12:16:25 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11439452
I duplicated a folder containing 307 files and one subfolder of digicam JPEG images by copying and pasting it to the same data partition of my WinXP Home laptop. This copy-paste duplication took ~60 seconds.

The total size was 225.4 E10^6 bytes. Those are not binary storage MB, but base 10 units for calculating throughput. I drag-and-drop copied the folder to/from the NSLU2 for both write and read operations. I "timed" activity using the start and stop of the big spike of activity as shown in Netmeter.

Write - 66 secs = 27.3 Mbps
Read - 96 secs = 18.8 Mbps

Factors that might influence transfer speeds:

•The source of the copied folder was a data partition on the 4200 RPM, 40 GB HD on my laptop. Because my laptop had an effective "thoughput" of only ~30 Mbps during the copy-paste operation, I think it is likely that my laptop's HD could be limiting the measured transfer speeds.

•A Maxtor 7200 RPM, 8 MB buffer, 160 GB drive in a Kingwin EXShuttle 2000 case was the destination.

•The transfers were routed through the switch portions of an SX41 AND WRT54GS over 50 foot of CAT 5e cable.

On a side note, the power consumption of the NSLU2, the HD, and the HD enclosure is 16-17 watts on HD idle.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11439452 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 12:38:57 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438830 said by jsimmons:
... I still freak out though when the car goes "silent" at stoplights. ...
Yes I agree. Second only to total silence when the car is "started".
A co-worker refuses to ride with me any more because he "can't deal with it". Meaning "silent" is something he thinks a car should "not be".
Lest I go more off topic I will stop there.
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438830 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 10:58:45 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438554 said by JimThePCGuy:
Sorry, I just bought a Toyota Prius 6 months ago and running a PC just for what the NSLU2 does isn't "GREEN" in my book any more.


Congrats on the Prius. I've ridden in one and I must say they are quite nice. I still freak out though when the car goes "silent" at stoplights. :o. Anyway, I applaud you on your "green" decision and hope the car gives you many years of service. :D
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." - Albert Einstein ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438554 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 10:13:58 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438522
Just curious. Sounds like your environment might be more conducive to taking some realistic measurements. If you are so inclined and willing. Can you run a couple of what I call "reasonably realistic" scenarios and share the results? Here are some suggested tests:

1: A Windows XP Backup session where you back up about 200 Megabytes of Local PC data to a file (the target file being on the NSLU2 device, of course). Time the backup and calculate the throughput. This represents creating/writing a large file, typical of how the NSLU2 would be used in backup program operations.

2: Pick a Local PC directory with a lot of small files (like the \windows\system32 directory) and copy the directory to the NSLU2. Calculate total bytes, transfer time and throughput. This represents a typical type of network copy operation and invokes a lot of "create new file" operations on the NSLU2.

3: From the PC copy the backup file created in #1 from the NSLU2 back to your local PC hard disk. Time and calculate throughput. This represents reading a large file from the NSLU2.

Maybe these tests will give some numbers that people can use for comparison. Thanks in advance if you decide to do it. :)
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." - Albert Einstein ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438522 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 10:08:52 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438395 said by jsimmons:
I had an old stripped-down PC laying around. So I just built a small file server with it. Used my small left-over IDE drives for the OS and stuck a cheap 200 Gig drive in for backup storage and voila - a full featured file server.

Still, the physical size of the NSLU2 is a drawing point and as you imply - its probably good enough for most users who aren't as concerned about raw speed. Its more about convenience.
Sorry, I just bought a Toyota Prius 6 months ago and running a PC just for what the NSLU2 does isn't "GREEN" in my book any more. That's why the NSLU2 looked so nice. Virtually zero power consumption. Maybe when I upgrade the Thinkpad I'll dedicate the old one to SMB serving.
Thanks.
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438395 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 09:46:14 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438371 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438371 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 09:41:50 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438275
Still, the physical size of the NSLU2 is a drawing point and as you imply - its probably good enough for most users who aren't as concerned about raw speed. Its more about convenience.
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." - Albert Einstein ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438275 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 09:21:40 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438241 said by jsimmons:
... Just wasn't ready to plunk down the $80 for one + a couple hundred more for a big USB disk ...
For me it was the other way around. I plunked down the $$$ for a big USB disk first and got REAL TIRED of carrying it from PC to PC to do my weekly backups. So I plunked down a little more and got the NSLU2. So now I fire off ALL my backups CONCURRENTLY every week and then not worry about when they finish. No muss no fuss.
Not REAL fast but fast enough and I didn't have to go out and purchase any additional backup software either.
BTW this isn't a total backup solution. More a "oops I deleted a file or directory and need to get it back'. If you want something to rebuild your system from ground zero you'll need something better.
Still it certainly meets MY needs I just wish it was a little faster for day to day file serving.
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438241 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 09:13:43 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438105 said by JimThePCGuy:
Well my measly 700Mhz Dell Desktop with a Gigabit adapter beats the pants off my NSLU2 as a SMB file server. No hardware assist/offload on the Dell just basic XP/Pro.


And it probably would beat the pants off of it with just a 100 Mbit NIC too ;). I doubt the CPU in the NSLU2 is anywhere near as powerful as a 700 MHz pentium. If it was, then the NSLU2 would have to address heat dissipation, power consumption, etc. etc. I'm just skeptical that there is sufficient horsepower inside the NSLU2 to perform like a PC-based file server. Of course I could be proven wrong. The NSLU2 has certainly interested me as a NAS appliance for the home environment, but I was skeptical about its performance from the beginning. Just wasn't ready to plunk down the $80 for one + a couple hundred more for a big USB disk just to find out. I'll hunt around for some benchmark tests and see if I can spot anything that looks informative, and post a link if I do. :)

Edit....
Here's a ZDnet review.
»reviews-zdnet.com.com/Li ··· 762.html
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
- Albert Einstein
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11438105 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 08:44:52 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11437822 said by vulture99:
After formatting using the NSLU2 tool, you can't then just attach the drive directly to a Windows box.
The original poster suggested attaching the disk to a "computer". Nowhere did he mention a "windows box".
:)
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11437822 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 07:20:46 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11437814 said by jsimmons:
Even a high-end Pentium 4 server with Gig-E NIC will strain hard to keep up with high packet rates on a gigabit net. Thats why high-end file server have to use TCP offload network interfaces... Custom processor + TCP protocol embedded in firmware on the NIC to offload the strain of gigabit packet processing from the main server CPU. I think Linksys would have to price the device right out of the market if it provided a gigabit nic and sufficient processing capacity to fully use it. :huh:

Perhaps a run of the mill Gig interface and a small boost in processor speed would help some. However, for a small entry level "home NAS" device, the existing NSLU2 is fine for most home users... Performance is probably not the key design point for Linksys.
Well my measly 700Mhz Dell Desktop with a Gigabit adapter beats the pants off my NSLU2 as a SMB file server. No hardware assist/offload on the Dell just basic XP/Pro. Compared to that machine the NSLU2 is a slug. When you get several PCs pulling/pushing files to/from the NSLU2 the sluggishness is obvious.
I don't expect any one PC to push a Gigabit interface to its capacity but the aggregate of several PCs could. ESPECIALLY when doing concurrent backups and backups are one of the things the NSLU2 is touted for.
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11437814 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 07:17:57 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11437121 said by tlhIngan:
Of course, you can always try hooking your hard drive up to your computer and measuring speeds that way to make sure it isn't the drive...

Actually, I can't. The NSLU2 requires that the attached drive be formatted using the NSLU2's format (ext3, I believe, with special directories set up for the Samba shares, etc.). After formatting using the NSLU2 tool, you can't then just attach the drive directly to a Windows box. At least, it didn't work for me. And in the manual it says in big bold letters that you can't do it.

I can mount the drive on my Linux box and transfer files that way, but don't know of a good way to measure throughput to the disk. Suggestions?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11437121 Mon, 27 Sep 2004 01:42:33 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11436184
Another point of overhead is the USB bus. Just because it can do 480mbps, doesn't mean you'll get it all. In most benchmarks, USB 2.0 is still slower than Firewire-400 (architectural issue in USB - can't be fixed easily).

Of course, you can always try hooking your hard drive up to your computer and measuring speeds that way to make sure it isn't the drive...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11436184 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 22:58:36 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11435062
Perhaps a run of the mill Gig interface and a small boost in processor speed would help some. However, for a small entry level "home NAS" device, the existing NSLU2 is fine for most home users... Performance is probably not the key design point for Linksys.
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
- Albert Einstein
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11435062 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 20:36:00 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11434954 said by jsimmons:
... I don't think having Gigabit ethernet would help much - again because the processor in the NSLU2 would still have to process every network packet thru the TCP/IP stack and that places a huge load on the processor when the packet rates get high.
Well when I suggested I would like the NSLU2 to support Gigabit it was assumed Linksys would provide the hardware to backup such speed. I didn't suggest they just slap a Gigabit adapter on the box as is. That would be like a pig in lipstick.
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11434954 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 20:22:43 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11434699 --
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." - Albert Einstein ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11434699 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 19:56:04 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11434259 I would have thought they would have made it able to use 1Gb but they didn't.
:(
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11434259 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 19:03:01 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11433571
Any other advice? Thanks. I'm measuring the network speeds with AnalogX NetStat Live, btw.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11433571 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 17:23:21 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11432642 schja01, thanks for the tip! Because the closest thing to documentation my new OEM 7200 RPM Maxtor drive was shipped with was the bubble wrap around it :D, I searched the Maxtor Knowledge Base and came up with this:
Maxtor hard drives are shipped with a "write verify"; feature. The "write verify" feature is enabled to provide a basic level of protection against any mishandling of the drive during shipping. When Write Verify is enabled, the WRITE performance of the drive is affected as a read occurs for each write. This feature is enabled only for the first 10 power cycles after which the feature will be disabled. A power cycle is the normal shutdown operations of the computer, including turning the power off. To disable the feature you can power on and off your machine ten times or use the WVSET Utility (advanced users only).


The write performance of my NSLU2 has been limited to about 30 mbps to the Maxtor drive as well and I don't think that I've power cycled the drive all of 10 times yet.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11432642 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 14:45:21 EDT Re: NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11432276 Read speed should not be affected.
J
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I am Dyslexic of Borg. Fusistance is retile. Your ass will be laminated. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11432276 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 13:40:44 EDT NSLU2 and transfer speeds http://www.dslreports.com/forum/NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11431120
I recently set up an NSLU2 on my network, along with a Maxtor 300GB drive. On my WinXP box, I mapped a drive to the Maxtor via the NSLU2. When transferring files I'm only getting a transfer speed of about 30Mb. I was expecting faster speeds - I normally see 70-80 Mb when transferring files across the network. Is this due to:

* The 5400 RPM Maxtor drive
* The NSLU2 limiting speeds
* something else?

Thanks.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/NSLU2-and-transfer-speeds-11431120 Sun, 26 Sep 2004 10:12:20 EDT