NASLite Network Attached Storage

Newbie here. First of all, congrats to the Server Elements team on a fine product. My first install, easy to get it set up and running.

I have one problem, which I can see from searching the archives is not uncommon, but I need some help solving it.

Essentially, I can write to the Naslite+ server at a reasonable speed (7mb/s approx). However reading from the disk is very slow (less than 1mb/s, and it stutters badly).

I'm guessing from previous postings this is down either to the network cards or the IDE controllers.

The spec of my kit is below. The Naslite+ log says that its network card is running at 100mb/s full duplex. The network card in my desktop machine is set to auto-sensing as default. I reset it to 100mb/s half duplex, which gave me even speeds, but slow (1.5mb/s in both directions). I tried re-setting the desktop to 100mb/s full duplex, with horrible results. I have de-activated SMART status to rule that out.

The desktop box and the Naslite+ server go through a new-ish Netgear 4-port 10/100 switch/router (DG834G). The ports in the Netgear switch are auto-sensing, and there doesn't seem to be an option for "manual" settings (I'm not even sure if there should be this option in a switch. I'm no networking wizard).

Any thoughts appreciated.

EDIT: Having played with it for another few hours, and re-booted both machines several times, the desktop machine now teases me by reading from the server at 7-8mb/s for about five to ten seconds on each attempt, before rapidly throttling down to 1mb/s or less. Not sure if this is a clue...

JohnK

Naslite+ server: Pentium II 300, Asus P2L97-S motherboard, SMC1211TX/WL network card, 64MB RAM, 1 x 250GB Seagate HD (ST3250824A).
Desktop box: Athlon 2200+, ECS L7VTA motherboard, on board LAN (Via Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter), Windows XP SP2.

I might just try a 3Com 3C905 in the desktop machine to rule out the network card on board being the problem.

Mike

First sorry for my poor english..

I got same issue with a gig Realtek 8169, the solution -for me- was to desactivate "pci delayed transaction" in the bios of the mobo.

Hope this can help you...

mikeiver1/pp72,

Thank you for your replies.

mikeiver1 - certainly worth a try - maybe even standardising on the same network card in both machines? I'll spend a few days trying the cost-free options first though!

pp72 - don't apologise for your English. It's fine. PCI delayed transaction is already disabled on my desktop. There doesn't seem to be a similar option in the BIOS on the Naslite+ box (a really old mobo, 1998 vintage or thereabouts).


JohnK

The cards are only around $3.00 to $5.00 used in the USA, most people can't give them away now since every board comes with a NIC built on. Not quite cost free but really close.

Mike

You're right. I checked on Ebay after your first post, and found they were going for a couple of pounds each. I ordered four so that I can standardise all my household PCs on one NIC (with one spare for whatever my next project turns out to be!). I'll report back when I get to use them. Thanks again.

JohnK

No problem. The other great thing about them is that they are life time waranted. If one fails just give 3Com a call and they will replace it with a new one. I never worry about the cards when I buy them, I have gone through about 40 of them and only 2 have been bad and they were in a bin at a scrap yard and trashed. Great cards.

Mike

Well, as Mike suggested, I installed 3Com 3C905s on both machines.

At first, it seemed to make things worse. Very frustrating. I went on the merry-go-round of re-setting the 3C905's settings on the desktop (full-duplex/half-duplex/auto) again, and again, re-booting one machine, then the other, until....for no reason that I can point to, it suddenly all worked. 7 to 8MB in both directions, no stuttering.

Not very scientific. It just shows that perseverance pays. Sometimes. Thanks again, Mike.


JohnK