Legacy NAS PC in Gigabyte LAN

[Barbwier]

I have a Pentium (s) 133Mhz with 544MB RAM that I am using as a NAS with NASFREE(now NAS4FREE) software in a network 10/100.
Currently the transfer speed ranges from 1mb to 3mb.
I intend to upgrade to a Gigabyte 10/100/1000 network.
What would be the impact it will have on my NAS?
The transfer speed will improve or am I limited to the small processor?

[raulfg3]

he transfer speed will improve or am I limited to the small processor?

both, you transfer probably improve to 10 or 20 MB/s but is't really limmited by your CPU.

Because cost of a new NIC is only a few €, perhaps you can try and test.

[crowi]

It also depends on your other network components you use. If you don't have a complete 1000MBit infrastructure (cables, router, switches) it won't improve the speed

Also it is worthwhile to invest in a new mainboard, the new versions have much better power efficiancy compared to Pentium D/5 .

[Barbwier]

he transfer speed will improve or am I limited to the small processor?

both, you transfer probably improve to 10 or 20 MB/s but is't really limmited by your CPU.

Because cost of a new NIC is only a few €, perhaps you can try and test.

Thanks for the reply.
If the improvement would be 10/20mb.
then i think its a good trade.
On the onther hand because a CPU like this and memmory is low i need SWAP in one of the drives.
If i turn off swap the NAS will reboot on big files.
Is there some way to make the transfer packs smaller so i dont need swap or it has no importante impact in the system?

[b0ssman]

A pentium 133 is ancient.
Check what the CPU usage is during the transfer but I would not have high hopes. Have a look at eBay for a used atom boards.


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[Barbwier]

A pentium 133 is ancient.
Check what the CPU usage is during the transfer but I would not have high hopes. Have a look at eBay for a used atom boards.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The CPU usage ranges from 50% to 100%
So even if i upgrade to a Gigabit LAN there would not be a higer transfer rate ?

[b0ssman]

Depending on the nic chip used there might be a slight improvement if you use an active nic (Intel) especially if you have a Realtek chip at the moment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Barbwier]

It also depends on your other network components you use. If you don't have a complete 1000MBit infrastructure (cables, router, switches) it won't improve the speed

Also it is worthwhile to invest in a new mainboard, the new versions have much better power efficiancy compared to Pentium D/5 .

Thanks for the reply,
The hole purpose of using a legacy harware is recicle and to eliminate the need of new hardware.
If my goal was to get a new rig then this post here would not make sence.
My goal is to upgrade all my network to gigabit. but if that would not make diference in the NAS unit then it defites the purpose of the upgrade.
So if the resolution to my question is that the speed is limited by the CPU and there is no diference if upgrade or not.
Then i would consider geting out of the NAS once for all.

It would make eny diference upgrading from 10/100 to 10/100/1000 lan or the CPU limites that and i cant do it ?

[b0ssman]

the pentium 133 was from an area where the normal network speed was 10 mbit and twisted pair was just getting introduced and bnc or token ring was the predominant network type used.

i remember that my pentium 166 mmx was just about enough to play an mp3.

look at this chart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ben ... 90-29.html
and bear in mind that the top cpu in the chart is slower than any atom processor.

i seriously doubt that you will be able to achieve anything higher than 100mbit performance.

[Barbwier]

the pentium 133 was from an area where the normal network speed was 10 mbit and twisted pair was just getting introduced and bnc or token ring was the predominant network type used.

i remember that my pentium 166 mmx was just about enough to play an mp3.

look at this chart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ben ... 90-29.html
and bear in mind that the top cpu in the chart is slower than any atom processor.

i seriously doubt that you will be able to achieve anything higher than 100mbit performance.

I would be perfectle happy with 10/20mb transfer insted of 1/3mb.

[ChriZathens]

100Mbit network speed is 11 MB/sec max
If you could saturate your currect NIC, then you would probably have hope for higher speeds using a faster NIC.
But ATM you can only achieve 30% of the 100Mbit max performance. So, IMHO the problem is with the slow CPU.
There is always a chance that your currect NIC is crappy, but I would not have high hopes if I were you...

[b0ssman]

see
http://oreilly.com/openbook/samba/book/appb_03.html

[Barbwier]

100Mbit network speed is 11 MB/sec max
If you could saturate your currect NIC, then you would probably have hope for higher speeds using a faster NIC.
But ATM you can only achieve 30% of the 100Mbit max performance. So, IMHO the problem is with the slow CPU.
There is always a chance that your currect NIC is crappy, but I would not have high hopes if I were you...

Thanks,for the reply.
If the problem is the cpu then i cant do nothing about it.
and problabe have to put it out of comission

On another note a friend asked me to make him a NAS with hardware he had around.
So it was used a Clevo Alienware Laptop Pentium 4 3.2mhz 1gb of ram pcmcia usb 2.0 4port with 4 1tb self powered external hdd usb3 complient.
the point is that even with better hardware the transfer rate on it is not diferente from the one i have. It averages from 1 to 3mb.
The problem is that in the laptop case there is no upgrades for gigabit so he would like to use the 12mb of bandwith. Even with the restrained USB bandwith if it would be usb 1 the tranfer is slow i dont complained but on usb 2.0 it suposed to get more speed. right ?
It is possible that i may be setting samething wrong because e get identical result with higer hardware.
Or we can only see diference using high end computer?

[b0ssman]

laptops do not make for good nas systems. quirky hardware and limited upgradability.

usb3 is not really supported by freebsd and usb in general should not be used attaching drives.

[crowi]

Laptop Pentium 4 3.2mhz 1gb of ram pcmcia usb 2.0 4port with 4 1tb self powered external hdd usb3 complient.

Fully agree to b0ssman, notebooks don't make a good NAS and USB drives are not the best choice either.

[Barbwier]

Laptop Pentium 4 3.2mhz 1gb of ram pcmcia usb 2.0 4port with 4 1tb self powered external hdd usb3 complient.

Fully agree to b0ssman, notebooks don't make a good NAS and USB drives are not the best choice either.

Well you do with what you have right!!:)