Is it possible to use USB3 to USB3 networking at home? max cable length?

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Tech_TTT

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Hello,

Just a crazy Idea ...

Can I use USB3 to USB3 to connect computers and NAS Devices ? and what is the maximum length of USB3 cable ?

This would be dirt cheap networking .. all our pc have tons of unused USB3 ports. would allow 500MB/s transfer networking... for no cost but USB3 cables ...

I can dig holes in the wall to make the cable very short between rooms.
 
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There is a large difference between this card: https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Express-Expansion-Connector-Renesas/dp/B011LZY20G
And this one: https://www.amazon.com/Express-SuperSpeed-Adapter-Dedicated-Channels/dp/B00HJZEA2S

The first one (by far the most common and also how your motherbaord ports are configured) SHARES the 5gbps bandwidth accross the 4 ports. The second card has the bandwidth to have 4 independent...
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atljsf

atljsf

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you can go up to 10 meters but speed drops drastically after 1 meter, from hundreds of megabytes to megabytes

the normal use for a nas is connect it to the local network using a ethernet cable, so it doesn't get affected by the long and expensive usb 3 cable

usb3 is meant for storage, not for network

if you want to make a network you need to use those holes to install ethernet cable, cat 6 cable preferably, for the pcs and for the nas, so all pcs on the network can use the nas
 
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lol .. I know about LAN networks . I want high speed networking for zero cost... Just wondering if it is possible using USB3.0 .


 
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atljsf

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usb 3 is not a network option

there is a old usb2 to usb 2 adapter, like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Windows-Transfer-Computer-Software/dp/B005OTPVMY/ref=sr_1_54?ie=UTF8&qid=1492631294&sr=8-54&keywords=usb+2+to+usb+2+network+cable

but needs a driver and a tool to make file transfers

if one side is the nas, it will not work

the ethernet cable you know, is for this purpose, and is cheaper than the usb 3 cable i'm sure, especially if you already have a network, a router, it is just add a ethernet cable for the nas and you are ready, the usb 3 male to usb 3 male is afik a no go
 
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boosted1g

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As atljsf stated USB max legnth is FAR FAR less then your standard CAT 5e/CAT 6 connection. So you will at best be getting gigabit speeds at more then 15-20 ft. And if you have ever ran network cable before you know that it takes 20-30 ft of cable to go between 2 devices 12 ft away.

Outside of cable legnth issues the USB protocal is in ZERO way designed for this, it is designed for A to B communication, not USB device A to computer B, C, and D.

There is nothing cheaper or more effective then CAT 5e for home computer networking.

The best option to get more speed out of a device without the massive expensive of Cat6a/Cat 7 cable + 10Gb switches and nics is to use nic teaming.
With higher end Intel nic cards you can team the 2-4 ethernet ports together to make one single connection. SO on a 4 port card you end up with a single IP connection to the network that can handle 4 gbps down and 4gbps up.
 
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My only concern is the Cable length .. Other things can be done Virtual using software drivers ... can give Virtual Mac Address to a USB port and make the pc see it as a LAN port...

Sadly it looks impossible with the cable length limitations.

10Gbit LAN are expensive and need x4 PCIe free slots .. while USB3 is already there and unused.

I will wait for some other experts input maybe there is a way .
 
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bill001g

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Does it really matter though. This is the same issue people have with many nas systems. The disk systems will quickly become the bottleneck. Unless you are going to raid SSD drives on both machines it really makes little difference. How much data do you realistically copy between the machines on a regular basis. Sounds like you are going to a lot of trouble for something to play with rather than to solve some issue.
 
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atljsf

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the way is there, but usb is not meant to be used the way you want it directly, unless you find the adapter i described

it is cheaper and simpler to put ethernet cat 6 cable and a cheap 20 dollar gigabit switch form trndnet or a similar company that will give you gigabit speeds

just make or buy the cables and the switch, thats it, you already have the ethernet adapters

it would be great if you could but usb is not meant for that, really
 
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boosted1g

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I could see some utility out of this if say you had a PC and a synology (or similar) NAS box and your PC received files in a temp dirrectory and then you wanted to archive it to the NAS. Assuming that the NAS box can even support the virtual LAN driver for the USB connection, then if you had a 10 at most 15 ft cable then this may actually work out for you.

Outside of that scenario though it very quickly falls short betwen cable distance, and the simple fact that this is a 1 to 1 connection, so your NAS box could only communicate to ONE computer via the USB cable, not your entire network.

Bottom line if USB was an easy and cheaper substitute for 1gbps wired networking then it would have already had wide implemenationt by now. Probably even be "usb network switches" to provide 1 to many connection as well.
 
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My NAS box is a PC in fact .... I can install any drivers I want in it . and I dont want 1Gbit ,I want 5Gbit ..

They did not use it because of cable length limitation , but at my home I can manage the cable length problem by drilling holes between Rooms to shorten the distance.

I dont want to end up paying $2000 for 10Gbit Network and I am continuing this project to the end.

Found a USB3 cable with repeater.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069WJT9Q

 
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Karadjgne

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The only way to use long length usb3 is to use a powered amplifier inline, which usually gets you another 10m or so. The downside to the amplifiers is that not only are they a break on the wire, but there's also a slim possibility of data corruption from electrical bleeding, especially if you use cheap amps.

By far, the most practical use of USB for transmission would be to go wireless, which would be fine for mass storage applications

https://www.google.com/express/product/13887892026375638168_5658512105354466702_6136318?mall=Rockies2&directCheckout=1&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=product_ads&dclid=CNXBgbCKstMCFcsvgQodLGMBFQ
 
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boosted1g

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Yep, its an "active" repeater cable and the OEM says "up to 5gbps" speed, we are all aware of their existance. I am sure it does a fully adaquete job of getting the full 80-120 MBPS of transfer speed from an external hard drive

You clearly have no value in our actual field usage experience so go ahead and purchase the cable and enjoy having 1gbps speed from ONE windows/linux PC to another.
 
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This "UPTO" depends on the item connected . it can sustain 5Gbit/s transfer.

I dont think "you all" knew it existed you never posted a link not mentioned it before .

and stop going off topic , My Question is : is it possible ... and it looks it is possible. and will save me alot of money needed for 10Gb network ...

and it is not going to be 1-1 , it will be a central PC with 6 USB3 , connected to other 6 PCS on usb3 ,the central PC will work like a switch.

the Switch PC will be in the center of the home to make Cables to each PC in other rooms as short as possible.

now if you have Ideas I can use please say , I am not here to hear people saying "it does not work" , and "we all knew" , without giving any good ideas .

and I am going to win this Project and I will succeed.
 
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not really , this is a netweork , and each of the PC has an SSD ... if you want to move a big file from PC X to PC Y it will take advantage of the 5Gb/s bandwidth .

more over , The NAS is already on RAID and can give you 5Gb/s very easy . you dont need SSD in Raid to saturate 5Gb/s , normal Harddisks will do.

Now imagine buying seven 10Gb Cards for each PC , and not all PCs have free PCIe x4 3.0 as well most of them dont. so the card wont fit to begin with. PLUS a Switch and the cables .. thats around $2000

so why not use The existing USB3.0 each PC has and pay only for cables ? I will test it. but the Virtual LAN drivers for USB3 ports now is the next project. the hardware is solved.

I will look into USB LAN adapter , and look into the bridge chips they use and the program inside that chip. I think it is mostly software LAN emulation.
 
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nigelivey

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Good luck trying to reinvent the wheel. If you feel cobbling together a network using a sub system that was never designed for the task is a good I ideal you go for it. Active USB cables are nothing new, personally I wouldn't use them for anything other than extending a usb touch interface on a screen. I hope you aren't going to use this for anything production critical as you are relying on software to even make the interface work. You can carry ethernet over HDMI, not sure why anyone would.
 
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I am not reinventing the wheel , I am using the wheel to make a car.

have a nice day.
 
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nigelivey

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Like I said if you want to do it go for it. If you're not prepared to listen to network pros there is little point coming on a networking forum. You might as well be using a cucumber. Watching a few episodes of MacGyver, might help you in your crusade.
 
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I am still waiting for the pros .. those who replied are not pros. neither you are one .
 
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nigelivey

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Well my CV, education, certifications and very successful business really would counter such a childish claim, yet you are the one wanting to run a network over USB? "neither you are one" neither are you one" fixed that for you.
 
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This topic is not about your CV nor your Qualifications , either say good ideas .. or stop bothering me .

continue this flaming and going off topic and you will be reported.
 
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