Server keeps dropping to 10M over LAN?

FatRakoon

FatRakoon

FatRakoon

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My Server ( in my home so its a huuuuge waste of money ) is based on the SuperMicro H8QG6+F with 4xOpteron 6830 CPUs and 512GB RAM

It has been rock solid since I knocked it up, but recently, I have noticed that when I copy to and from it, it slows down the disk access?

This is now the 4th time its happened and previously, I just assumed since the family all have their devioces, tablets, phones, computers and so on, that somethign was simply slowing me down, and so I just switched everything off, disconnected the kids from the LAN ( I use Homeplugs for upstairs - easier to flick a switch when needed LOL ).

This time however, I decided to actually work out what is being so slow, and while I do have 4 NAS Drives, and my Server, the Server is the main machine, and the NAS Drives are merely backups for the Server.

The Server is currently in my PC Room, but at least the NAS Drives are all in the outhouse.

Anyway, I dont know why, but it keeps dropping speeds, so that files copy to and from it at a poorly 10MB... Usually I get a good 90-120 ( Depending on file sizes etc )

If I reset the PC then it seems to come back, but it soon goes again.

This time, what I have done, is deleted the LAN Drivers and while I have a Driver Manager installed, I will be taking that off, just in case, and I will install whatever drivers Windows deems good for it and see how that fares.

In the mean-time, does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
Have you checked whether the server is auto-negotiating properly with the network switch? Seen servers decide to do this and drop back to 100mbps half-duplex which would badly affect transfer speeds.
 
Semple said:
Have you performed any health checks on the disks? What about any local transfers to disk to exclude the network?
Click to expand...

Yes, the disks are all fine.
And yes, Disk to Disk on the Server all run just fine.
I did a fair few tests and the only issue is to and from the Server and only on the LAN
But thanks, that did occur to me too, but the disks are checking out just fine.

memyselfandi said:
Have you checked whether the server is auto-negotiating properly with the network switch? Seen servers decide to do this and drop back to 100mbps half-duplex which would badly affect transfer speeds.
Click to expand...

No, I have not. I will have to have a play.

Again, last night, I completely wiped the Network and after it came back up ( Bloody server Mobo takes 3 months just to POST LOL ) it was giving me about 70-90 again so it is back up to a good speed. I only wonder how long.

I will check the Switch. Its a Netgear GS116 and right now, the Modem/Router is Vodafones own one...
I dont like, but Voda wont let me grab the info to use my prefered one.... I might add the ASUS Router however, and use the Voda for just the Modem again... Maybe the Router could do with renewing too... Every little helps as they say.
 
Are you testing the copy to/from the same device? If you notice the slow-down how does another device perform?

How are the disks set up on the server? jbod or raid?

Can you reboot the network switch when the slow-down occurs and see if that brings back the performance?
 
Vodafone changed the policy on hardware a while back, they will now provide you with details.

As you say the drives are fine, check the switch port speed indicator, it’ll usually have a different colour for gigabit and lower speeds, if it is, replace the cable, if that fails to resolve it then replace the NIC.
 
Semple said:
Are you testing the copy to/from the same device? If you notice the slow-down how does another device perform?

How are the disks set up on the server? jbod or raid?

Can you reboot the network switch when the slow-down occurs and see if that brings back the performance?
Click to expand...

Testing was mostly fairly straight forward... The issues were only when copying to/from the server, when copyting from say, my PC to one of my kids PCs, I never had any issues. ( WRONG. I have just realised that is whjolly incorrect, however, this may be down to the Homeplugs - They are seemingly a different issue, but there may be a link )

Anyway, the current issue is the server side ONLY.
Whenever I restart the server, it does indeed seem to resolve the issue, but temporarily.
I have just wiped the network drivers ( in the Server ) and let Windows ( Win10 - 64Bit ) decide its own. Whether this gives any longer cure, its too early to tell

Disks are like this

C: = 120GB SSD
D: = 4TB WD Black ( Apps and games - Well, why not? its fun just to play about )
E: = 8TB WD RED ( Music )
M: = 2x10TB WD RED ( Striped )
P: = 2x10TB WD RED ( Striped )

One other thing that I noticed thats just happened since the network reset, that I am sure NEVER happenbed before this, but when I am copying stuff now, eve nthough the disk access is good, hovering at 70-90, the Mouse is now horrifically slow.

Im really thinking that I might just give the entire system a full over haul.

The Server a full reinstall, and the network, I might checkout all of the wiring and rather than use those ruddy HomePlugs, I might just get the kids PCs a few WifiCards instead.

Avalon said:
Vodafone changed the policy on hardware a while back, they will now provide you with details.

As you say the drives are fine, check the switch port speed indicator, it’ll usually have a different colour for gigabit and lower speeds, if it is, replace the cable, if that fails to resolve it then replace the NIC.
Click to expand...

Voda changed their policy? Great. I had a huge arguement with them a few years ago when I joined cos I weas using an Asus Router that I was able to ge tteh code from my Sky Router using WireShark, and I wanted to do the same with the Vodafone Router, and they said I can do that, but when I joined them, they said no. I had a massive arguement about it and in the end, I got my entire first year fibre with them, completely for free! - Happy days. The Voda Wifi I grant, is better than my Asus Router, but the control of the Asus is vastly superior to the iffy Vodafone one. Ill get onto their back later on so thanks for that.

Yes, the Switch is just there next to me.. Everything is showing up nicely. I will try a few different ports though, cos you never know.
 
Small update.
My old ASUS Router. I cannot find the original PSU. I have just bought a replacement from *bay and Vodafone have given me the info necessary to setup the modem, so that will sort that out. Cool.

The lights on the switch... on proper look, I realised that all the LEDs are green, but they either show up as just the left one if its gone down, or both if its gigabit... That kinds of explaisn why IO never saw any that were not green... On closer inspection, I saw that a few were only showing one LED not both... On that switch, its kind of hard to see one or two LEDs not showing up, cos like a messy git, its almost always burtied under junk.
I saw that a couple were not showing both LEDs anyway, and so what I have done, is unplugged EVERYTHING from it, and now they are all bunched up toigether with 5 spares on the left. The ones that were not showing up both LEDs are now showing both and thus far, its been running quite nippy.

This would NOT be the cause on its own, but hey... anything can cause the thing to slow, so if it comes back, I have a new length of cable and I have crimped new plugs onto the nd... The one thats in it is massively long and so the new one is a nice length and there should be minimal wasted cable, other than a few inches of slack.
 
You should have said homeplugs in the opening post.

That's the issue.

If you hardwire everything with gigabit switch, you'll get 110MB/s.

Also worth checking network cables. Connect a gigabit device directly to server using your cable, see what speed it says..
 
Last edited:
bledd said:
You should have said homeplugs in the opening post.

That's the issue.

If you hardwire everything with gigabit switch, you'll get 110MB/s.

Also worth checking network cables. Connect a gigabit device directly to server using your cable, see what speed it says..
Click to expand...

Sorry, I did originally, but I then deleted the post and retyped it and so I thought I did, but I did not.

Ok, I know what you are saying about Homeplugs and I absolutely agree with you, and so yes, I have completely removed them.
I had issues before and I said I would go 100% Ethernet, however, I live in a huge house, and the wife does not want cables "all over the shop"... Even though I did it in my old house and you could not see a single thing once I had finished.

The Homeplugs are ONLY used to go upstairs to the kids bedrooms.
This issue happens, or to be fair, it did happen, when they are NOT connected. They are now NO LONGER BEING USED, so time will tell.

Last night I found my PSU for the ASUS and annoyingly, I cannot for the life of me get it to work with Vodafone, more annoying is that I have bought another one so I will have 2 that may not be compatible?

As for checking the network cables, yes, this has goen through my mind. I have a network cable tester, I need it cos all the cables I made myself due to length requirements, and to keep things tidy ( Waste of time - you should see my computer rooms, they are a hell of a mess ), and the cable(s) checked out fine.

Also, simply resettinmg the Server would make the thing work just fine again for a while?? - This would not have a caual effect on the cable surely? Not on its own at least?

My god, my head is scrambled, I dont help myself at all.
 
Ok, small update.
Not entirely 100% sure on what was the actual cause, but at the moment its running fine again.
Well, I did do a huge waffling load of junk that you dont need to hear.

All I will say, is that its seemingly running good now, its been running good for long enough, it was running fine for a couple of days then it would be iffy again, but its been a while now.

Cables swapped over, LAN Drivers and then ports swapped over, big switch pulled apart and all their ports double checked and all cleaned up, and anyway, thanks for all the tips guys... I know I dont look like I take it in, and in truth I often dont, or I take it in and go wibble wwibble half the time cos my head dont play nicely with my everything else LOL
 
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