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

[Rusty Yonkers]

> Hard to imagine on relatively modern hardware that anyone can even
> feel
> the result of a single stream.
> 
> 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.
> 
I would completely concur.  Get a GOOD switch and at 100MBps you
should not see a problem.  If need be get a 100/1000 switch and put a
gigabit card in the server.  

Remember that network connectivity is not any different in concept
than plumbing in your house.  If you connected all your toilets and
sinks and showers with 2" drainpipe and had 2" drainpipe to the city
sewer and started everything you would have a huge mess.  Even just
flushing two toilets simultaniously would be problematic!  

Network infrastructure is no different.  The server is like the
drainpipe out to the city sewer line.  It is servicing multiple
sources.  It must be bigger than the incoming sources.  My guess is
that your biggest chokepoint is the NIC in the server.  That is why
it is best to get a switch with 100 for incoming and a gig port for
the server (and a good quality switch).  Dell seems to have some
really nice switches.  I have not used them personally but the people
that I talk with seem to like them alot.  I have a sneaky feeling
that they are just repackaged Ciscos.  The commands that I see in the
books look an awful lot like Cisco IOS commands.  

Just remember... you can have the best server hardware in the world
but if your network infrastructure is slow the system will be slow.

=====
Russell C. Yonkers Jr. 
CNE, MCP, A+, CCNA, Linux+, Server+, Network+ certified
-----------------------------------------
Currently using SuSE 9, Mac OS X, Windows 2000, and WinXP 
And yes I run a network at home with Linux and Windows servers
See my personal website http://www.geocities.com/therustycook
Or my consulting site at http://www.atomicsupergeek.com


	
		
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