[KLUG Members] What is the best way to limit bandwidth consumption?

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> What are the different ways you(pl) can think of to limit bandwidth
> consumption? 
> Assume you have a local area network of computers where 1 computer
> uploads (FTP) mass amounts of data at sometime in the day.  At this
> time all other users are bogged WAY down to the point of inactivity. 
> For argument sake here is a sample network.

Hard to imagine on relatively modern hardware that anyone can even feel
the result of a single stream.

> There are ~10 computers on a 10mbps LAN which plugs into a 100mbps
> switch.  

This is murder, especially if that central switch doesn't support
backpressure/flowcontrol (it cost less than $300).  Your probably just
browning-out the link between the switch and the 10Mbps network (hub?).

> There are 4 computers on this 100mbps switch.  One of those 4 is the
> upload computer.  Also, keeping good bandwidth on the upload computer
> is important.  75% speed is acceptible.
> i.e. 
> 1) drop the hub and place everyone on a switch. 

Yes,  toss the hubs in the dumpster out back in the alley.  Your problem
will evaporate,  neither step 2 or 3 will be neccesary.  If the 100Mbps
is an el-cheapo use that for hooking up clients and get a real switch
for your core (Cisco, HP ProCurve, etc....).  Not all switches are even
remotely equal.

We have an HP ProCurve at the center and use Hawking technology switches
in the closets.  Works great.  One of the 1Gbps ports in the ProCurve is
hooked to one mean database server (IBM x335 w/Informix IDS) and I'm out
off a Hawking switch along with 9 other workstations.  I can suck down
BLOBs from the database to my laptop and no one feels anything, no need
to muck about with throttling, etc... just provide solid infrastructure.

Not all switches are even remotely equal.

> 2) Use a governing FTP program like www.???.com
> 3) Redesign the LAN topology to use load balancing.  Use the Cisco
> ????? ... 
> 4) etc...

#2 is almost certainly not worth the bother.

#3 sort of involves #1,  with a switched network you can do
spanning-tree and such if you like but you'll probably discover you
don't need to bother.

And remember - Not all switches are even remotely equal.