Secondary LAN Network

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mountaincabbage

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Mar 16, 2017
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Hello All,

I run a data processing business which invoices transferring large amounts of data across our LAN network. The amount of data being transferred has got to the point where it is saturating the 1 Gigabit LAN connecting all the computers.

One particular cluster of computers in the business (about 4) often transfer files within their cluster. These are all workstation computers which have two or three ethernet sockets.

I've tried connecting a second switch just to this cluster, but I'm having issues with getting file sharing to work. The network appears as a public network. I've tried setting a static ip for each computer also with no success.

Any ideas?
 
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Right, Windows has very little intelegence when it comes to multiple interfaces; it just treats them as 2 completley issolated connections and in no way will offload onto the other one.

If the workstations are close together then take a...
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boosted1g

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Jun 12, 2013
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What you need is called nic teaming (also called trunking).

With higher end switches and network adapters you can bond multiple ethernet lines together to make a "bigger pipe".
I do this on my file server bodning 2 nic ports together to give me 2gbps bandwidth (and the 2 ports teamed together only have the 1 IP address).

Its a little difficult to get a clear picture of your topoligy from your description.
But it sounds like you need to trunk 2-4 interfaces between your switches, and trunk a few ports on the computers with the heavest load on them.
 
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mountaincabbage

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Mar 16, 2017
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Hi guys, thanks for replying.

BadAsAI - The network is listed as unidentified, and I cannot enable file sharing on one of the computers computers (Unidentified network, Public Network, No Network Access). I'm trying to do this with just two PC's to start with. Not sure how to make it private (did a bit of googling on this).

Boosted1g - I have considered trunking, but I feel like a second network just between these four PC's is a better option as transferring files between them wont congest the main LAN connection.

To clear up the networks
LAN 1 (Main) - around 12 ethernet devices (every single computer/device in the business).
LAN 2 (Workstations) - 4 workstations

 
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boosted1g

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Jun 12, 2013
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You can use additional ethernet conections but it is not the same thing.
With NIC teaming it has 1 IP address thus it is seamless.
With seperate connections they each have their own interface. Thus your other computers have to be configured to specifically request to get data from the second IP/interface otherwise it will only use the 1st one. So if the source computer has no settings to route traffic to interface B when interface A is busy, and no PC is configured to access the files from IP/interface B then you are bassicaly not utilzing interface B at all.

Also if there is cascaded switches in that cluster then you are still limited to the single 1gbps connection between the switches.
 
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mountaincabbage

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Mar 16, 2017
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So basically windows is not set up to deal with two separate LANs, so you're saying that really the only viable option is to trunk the high bandwidth PCs?

Another issue is that the office the business is set up in hasn't got enough wall ethernet sockets to trunk all of the workstation PCs, but as the workstations were close together I thought it would be super easy to just plug and play...

Looks like I'll just have to bite the bullet until things get really bad then consider going 10gigabit?
 
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boosted1g

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Now having 2,3, or even 4 gbps bandwidth wont help anything if the drive/array of drives can only top out at 1gbps speed.
I would assume bassed on what you are describing that the machines would have multiple disk arrays that can far exced the 1gbps bandwidth but just wanted it iterate that point.
 
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boosted1g

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Jun 12, 2013
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Right, Windows has very little intelegence when it comes to multiple interfaces; it just treats them as 2 completley issolated connections and in no way will offload onto the other one.

If the workstations are close together then take a manageable switch and connect the trunks from the workstations to that. Then take the incoming ports from the wall and trunk those as incoming into the added switch.

If you ran your building wtth cat6A (or short runs of cat6) then the cabling itself is 10gb capabile.

ADDED:
Just to specify: windows prioritizes the interfaces and if interface A is busy it can send an outgoing request (like trying ot access a website) from interface B; but if interface A is busy and gets an incoming requiest (like file share) for As IP then it is just put in que as windows is not smart enough to route it through interface B.
 
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