Switch Issues

[Scooter92]

Here's a list of all my devices that have to do with networking:

Desktop: Gigabit network card
Second Desktop: Megabit Network Card
Laptop: Megabit Network Card
Modem: Stock one given by Road Runner, Manufacturer = webstar
Router: Netgear 300N
Switch: Trednet http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156251&cm_re=Trendnet_Switch-_-33-156-251-_-Product

So I'm getting 7 mb/s from Time warner cable, and I'm aware of the amount of bottlenecking that my hardware does.

So while I'm playing a game, Heroes of Newerth for instance, my latency is god-awful, until I unplug the 2nd desktop from the switch, then it plummets down to 70 ms. In addition to that whenever I'm uploading, or downloading the second device my latency on the first desktop is terrible in games and internet surfing. I thought the point of the a switch was to allow internet access to both computers, independent from each other, unable to effect each other, due to the hardware implementation inside a switch. So, why am I experiencing this? Or am I completely wrong in assuming this.

Thanks!

Edit, all the cables are either CATA 5E or 6

 

[dEAne]

The NetGear Wireless Routers for Work and Play are ideal for faster downloads and Internet gaming and deliver better wireless coverage. Are you referring to this model > N300 WIRELESS ROUTER WNR2000?

Anyway their is nothing wrong with the setup. You connect the computers by a switch hub using a UTP Category 5e or 6 (You can try sharing folders, then copying files between computers to see if the cable were not the issue - though it is rare).

Using your browser you can check your broadband speed by going to speedtest.net or what is recommended by your ISP. If it pass this test then it is your network. Try one computer at a time using the same test see if you can isolate the problem.

 

[riser]

Sounds like you are running WinXP with NetBEUI installed with your NIC? That's one possible quick thought. It would be a chatty protocol.

Update your NIC drivers. It sounds like one is being extremely chatty. Also, try setting them NICs to 100/full or 1000/Full to cut down on chatter.

 

[Scooter92]

@dEAne, yes I was referring to the WNR2000, but the problem is for instance my latency will escalate A LOT on the first desktop, when I'm downloading/uploading on the second, and if both units are plugged into a switch, shouldn't that not be happening?

@riser I'm sorry, but I'm not very knowledgeable of networking terms, what is "chatter"? And how do I set my NICs to 100/full, or 1000/full? Updating the drivers shouldn't be too hard because that's a simple google search, but even then, is there a model I'm looking for in my device manager to find drivers for? Sorry to be so noobish

 

[Scooter92]

I asked my digital logic teacher, and it makes sense why I'm getting a latency issue, keep in mind I left out the router cause I didn't care too much to make it that accurate

This is my understanding:

however, my questions still stand about the NICs!

 

[Railgun1369]

I can't see the pic at the moment, but all your devices are on the same broadcast domain. A switch seperates collision domains. Any device that's within the same broadcast domain can still affect others to a certain extent. To truely be isolated, you'd need a better router where you would be able to seperate those broadcast domains. You still have a bottleneck, which is your ISP, but within the LAN, you'd truely be isolated.

That being said, in your case, anything that either PC does from a broadcast perspective will directly affect the others. Similar to what NetBEUI can do, but I don't think it's chatty enough to cause additional latency.

But, to that point, you mention what your latency goes down to when you unplug the second PC, but what is it while it's still running? Do you have any other apps that are doing something (P2P or other network intensive work)?

Don't hard code your NICs unless you can do the same on the switch side. Having a mismatch like that will only cause more problems.

 

[riser]

I would disagree with not setting the NICs to 100/Full. I have never encountered an issue with doing that unless other issues were present.

It is likely to be a Windows apps trying to access the other computer or a network card requiring new drivers.

Update your drivers - I would try Windows Update to start for a certified driver.

 

[Scooter92]

@ riser, thanks for the Windows Update idea, but I still don't know how to set my NICs to 100/full or 1000/full (or was that implied with using the updater?)

@ railgun1369, thanks for the in-depth information! To answer your question, my latency with both computers connected to the switch happened to be somewhere in the 700s-800s. However, you guessed it, I was DLing P2Ps. The reason I posted this thread was because I thought that switches mitigated that effect, but now that I understand that both computers are using the internet, or broadcast domain, I understand why I'm getting the increased latency.

On another note, do you guys know of a router that can separate broadcast domains? Cause that sounds like something I need!

Thanks for the help, and the continued help.

 

[Scooter92]

If there are any gamers looking on this thread, if you're looking to purchase a router, the best type for us seem to be ones that can host the Most Simultaneous connections, and also support QoS, or quality of service, which allows us to place priorities on certain packets going to and from the server we're connected to.

Here's a list of them: http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/index.php?option=com_chart&Itemid=189

 

[Scooter92]

There is a laptop in the house that is running XP, however I don't think that would effect it, because it was not simultaneously connected. The computer I was using at the time has Win7 ultimate on it, and the other one I use for DLing P2Ps has Vista on it.