Speed increase from going to gigabit

Over Clocker · 31 Jul 2006 at 18:38

Hi guys,

We run a network with about 450 PCs and 10 servers.

At the moment all of the servers go into a 10/100 Cisco Switch. Have just bought an HP Procurve 10/100/1000 switch to patch all of the servers into. Connectivity along the fibre backbone is generally gigabit fibre to the main usage areas.

What sort of speed increase across the network should we expect after the servers are on gigabit? Some of out applications pull large files of the servers.

Cheers,

Mal

Ricochet J · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:58

Generally, and this is theoretically speaking, and infact, not practically way off, as long as the servers are serving through Gigabit speeds then everything else should run faster, even if the end user devices are 10/100.
This will mean, the server will be able to work more effeciently through full duplex, meaning it can transmit and recieve data at the same time where as on 10/100 it had to wait for either transmit or recieve to start or finish.

You should see a big noticable improvement using the newer HP Procurves as apposed to the old Cisco Catalysts.

Edit: Off topic. You're also missing a speach mark at the start of that speach in your sig

bigredshark · 31 Jul 2006 at 20:42

eXSBass said:
Generally, and this is theoretically speaking, and infact, not practically way off, as long as the servers are serving through Gigabit speeds then everything else should run faster, even if the end user devices are 10/100.
This will mean, the server will be able to work more effeciently through full duplex, meaning it can transmit and recieve data at the same time where as on 10/100 it had to wait for either transmit or recieve to start or finish.

You should see a big noticable improvement using the newer HP Procurves as apposed to the old Cisco Catalysts.

Edit: Off topic. You're also missing a speach mark at the start of that speach in your sig

OK, well I'd say the difference will be noticable but not startling and only in some respects.

Umm, the bit about duplex is rubbish, 10/100 is full duplex too and duplex setting don't affect speed as much as people would like to imagine, particularly with real world apps.

The procurves aren't bad but they're not cisco's, given the choice i'd have an equivilent catalyst any day, also the management is rubbish in comparison.

All told it'll be a benefit but i sense you've upgraded because you can, not because you have conducted testing, identified bottlenecks and designed solutions. Which is just par for the course these days.

Ricochet J · 31 Jul 2006 at 21:55

^^^
I thought 10/100 was half duplex and 10/100/1000 was full duplex.
Guess I was wrong

Phemo · 31 Jul 2006 at 22:34

eXSBass said:
^^^
I thought 10/100 was half duplex and 10/100/1000 was full duplex.
Guess I was wrong

You certainly were. All hubs are half duplex and all switches are full duplex, but being 10/100/1000 has nothing to do with it.

Ricochet J · 1 Aug 2006 at 10:50

Phemo said:
You certainly were. All hubs are half duplex and all switches are full duplex, but being 10/100/1000 has nothing to do with it.

In my defence, you learn something new everyday.

Phemo · 1 Aug 2006 at 12:14

eXSBass said:
In my defence, you learn something new everyday.

Sorry if my post came across as condescending or anything - just meant to confirm

bigredshark · 1 Aug 2006 at 14:04

Phemo said:
You certainly were. All hubs are half duplex and all switches are full duplex, but being 10/100/1000 has nothing to do with it.

actually there's nothing to prevent a half duplex switch, on managed switches it's configurable