High Performance Network

[milanlad]

I'm looking to upgrade my network and need some advice. I want to achieve the fastest system in terms of performance on both my wired and wireless network.

Suppose I already have the following:

- D-Link DSL-300T ADSL Modem
- D-Link DI-624+ 54Mbs Wireless Router
- SMC 10/100 Switch


My Requirements:

- 108Mbs Wireless performance.
- Gigabit Wired network performance.
- Ability for all wired PC's to communicate at gigabit speed.
- Network has constant traffic of web surfing, audio/video streaming, file transfering, and occasional gaming.

(I have 5 wired PC's and 3 wireless laptops on the network)


Do I need the following?

- D-Link DSL-300T ADSL Modem
- Gigabit Switch
- 108Mbs Wireless Router (usually has built-in 10/100 Switch)

As usual I would connect the modem to the router, and the router to the external Gigabit Switch.

If I connect all the wired PC's with gigabit NICs to the GIGABIT SWITCH, will there be a problem as the Wireless Router will only have a 10/100 built-in Switch?

Has anyone got alternate or better solutions?

Should I plan for ADSL2?

Should I consider MIMO?


Thanks in advance

[killie99]

if you're going to be streaming video from a server type machine on your network then seriously consider using RAID on the server (RAID 0 is pretty cheap to install)

[directhex]

you're absolutely correct on the type of kit needed, and i'm doing an almost identical setup when i move in october (54MB not 108MB wireless, since it's not a real spec)

you're fine mixing & matching 10, 100 and 1000MB devices, because you're using switches - hubs run at the lowest common denominator's speed, switches run everything at best speed.

[Moby-Dick]

but spend the money on a good quality switch for best results
I'd possibly consider going for a seperate access point and router , then if you need to upgrade either , then you wont have to replace both ( effectivly ). It also allows you a little more flexibility for access point positioning.

[Paul Adams]

but spend the money on a good quality switch for best results
I'd possibly consider going for a seperate access point and router , then if you need to upgrade either , then you wont have to replace both ( effectivly ). It also allows you a little more flexibility for access point positioning.

^^ Wise words, listen to this man for he knows of what he speaks

For a gigabit switch I would recommend the SMC 8508T - I found this handles jumbo frames much better than my D-Link DGS1005D (which, in fact does not appear to support them at all!).

My setup is a little bit different as I have multiple public IPs so no NAT'ing at the perimeter - admittedly I did cut a corner with the wireless router but it was cheap and does its job (and it's not a critical component in my setup).

For a more traditional setup I would recommend separate components so it is less painful to swap any one at a later date.

[Moby-Dick]

I've not played round with small gigabit switches yet , but I'd stear clear of D-link out of principle While I like it for trunking, I'm not convinced of it for desktop work. I stream media to my XBMC constantly and keep a minimum of date moving around my network at all times ( that includes routing between virtual machines on my compaq , which I do with one of the 4 NICs onboard ) , plus a bittorrent box in my DMZ talking to my fileserver.
I've never had a single issue with my scan cheapo 8 port 10/100 switch.

Its nice to have what you might consider to be a future proof network , but I can't think of too many home applications where gigabit is vital. ( dont forget you are unlikely to get more than 2 or 3 times the speed for conventional 100 Meg Fast Ethernet due to bottlenecking at the PC end of things )

EDIT: Thanks for the kind words Paul

[davidstone28]

My setup is a little bit different

Paul, couple of quick questions:-

1. What software did you use to design that picture/diagram? MS Visio?
2. The Fujitsu and the Asus each have dual connections into 2 seperate gigibit networks?

[Moby-Dick]

thats definatly visio
yep , 3 of his machiens run dual networks , one public ( internet facing ) and one private.

[Paul Adams]

Paul, couple of quick questions:-

1. What software did you use to design that picture/diagram? MS Visio?
2. The Fujitsu and the Asus each have dual connections into 2 seperate gigibit networks?

Visio 2003 SP1, very handy tool

Most of the machines are multi-homed yes - the trick is to ensure you know which is "dirty" and only have the necessary protocols & services bound to it (also make sure you don't have more than 1 gateway and DNS is set correctly).