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Thread: Slow network when copying files

  1. #1
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    Angry Slow network when copying files

    I'm getting ridiculously slow speeds on my network when copying files, not only from wireless but also hardwired machines.

    Hardware:
    2 Laptops - 802.11g, both Windows Vista Business SP1
    1 desktop - gigabit nic, Windows Vista Ultimate SP1
    1 Server - gigabit nic, Windows Home Server PP1 & PP2
    1 xBox 360
    Router/switch: D-Link DI-724GU

    Problems:
    - When copying large files on the desktop to/from the WHS : it will start at 60mb/s and after a certain amount of time dramatically drop to 300kb/s.
    - When copying large files from the notebook to/from the WHS: start at 4-6mb/s and dramatically drop to 300kb/s

    Notes:
    - In both cases, the network utilization will start high, usually around 80% and then dramatically drop off to between 0.5-2%.
    - Streaming HD video from WHS to any device encounters no problems. Network utilization on the notebooks is high, but it maintains the rate. It does not drop off like copying large files
    ..- Because of this, I don't think it's hardware related.
    - It almost seems like a packet is dropped, and then it has troubles resuming the file transfer.

    Attempted Resolutions:
    - Disabled remote differential compression
    - Enabled jumbo frames (4k and 8k) on the server and PC
    - tried tcp autotuning levels on normal, high, and disabled
    - turned on cctp, turned it off

    Potential problems areas:
    - Recently I replaced my WHS machine. It used to be a P4 1.8, a mix of hard drives on a 100mbt nic. I replaced it with a Dual Xeon 3.6ghz, 6 x 500gb drives w/ dual gig nics (i'm only using one). However, it only has 1GB of RAM (DDR400 ECC REG)
    ..- Could the 1GB of RAM be the culprit for file copying?
    ..- The drivers for the network card on the server are circa 2006/2007. There are no newer drivers for it (integrated NIC on intel SE7520BB2D2 serverboard)
    - WHS is watered down Windows Server 2003. I know during the RC and original release there were huge problems with file copying from Vista to any other OS. This issue was supposedly fixed in SP1..
    ..- Any network admins run an office with Vista Business workstations and Server 2003 encounter this problem?

    Any help would be appreciated... i'm fucking losing it

    I will not consider using XP PRO, or not using WHS as solutions.

  2. #2
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    Additional test:
    - rdp to WHS machine
    - I mapped a drive on the Vista Ultimate Desktop.
    - copied 8GB file while logged into the WHS machine to the Vista desktop
    - was able to sustain 30-40% network utilization

    test using xcopy in cmd prompt from vista desktop to WHS:
    - able to sustain 30-40%

    Conclusion:
    - I suspect the problem lies with Windows Vista's copy routine

  3. #3
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    KB 932170: When you copy large files to or from earlier operating systems, the copy operation may be slower than expected on some Windows Vista-based computers

    Edit: Also, the workarounds listed don't seem to do much, but the service pack fixed the problem 98% of the time.
    Last edited by SpireTECH; 03-30-2009 at 10:23 AM.

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    Originally posted by SpireTECH
    KB 932170: When you copy large files to or from earlier operating systems, the copy operation may be slower than expected on some Windows Vista-based computers

    Edit: Also, the workarounds listed don't seem to do much, but the service pack fixed the problem 98% of the time.
    already got SP1 on the machines

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    yes using Server 2003 and Vista Business is slower compared to XP Pro

    btw have you turned the windows firewalls off? i find they tend to turn themselves back on in vista from time to time

    also you can't really compare the wireless since they aren't gigabit signals and will be running on 10/100mb plus any radio interference will reduce quality of signal, compared to the wired running 1gb

    btw what kind of files are you transferring as some no matter what you do will be slow due to how they are transferred
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  6. #6
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    Originally posted by adam c
    yes using Server 2003 and Vista Business is slower compared to XP Pro

    btw have you turned the windows firewalls off? i find they tend to turn themselves back on in vista from time to time

    also you can't really compare the wireless since they aren't gigabit signals and will be running on 10/100mb plus any radio interference will reduce quality of signal, compared to the wired running 1gb

    btw what kind of files are you transferring as some no matter what you do will be slow due to how they are transferred
    Tried Windows FW settings, no difference.

    The wireless exhibits the same problem so I felt it was relevant
    - getting drops from 4-6MB/sec (peak) to 200/300kb/sec (sustained) on 802.11g when transfer files specifically to that machine.
    - The transfer rate is sustained at 3-4mb/sec when transfering the same files from Vista Machine to Vista machine thru 802.11g

    Files copied:
    - 8GB file sent was a video
    - Also tried copying many small files (a few hundred documents/papers i wrote from when I was in school). It starts fast but then the transfer rate drops as well
    ..- The documents contain images/clipart etc
    ..- Total is ~200mb

    I still think it's how Vista handles copying files. I can use xcopy on the Vista machines to the WHS machine w/o experiencing the slowdown

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    how is your network setup?
    switches/hubs/routers?

    how many?
    what connects where?

    only time i have seen brutal transfer speeds or anything, is when switches are looping to each other and the router
    i would also install a network monitor and see if packets are being dropped. i also do not like the vista file sharing, I find it slow and cumbersome as it is. Transferring a 150mb file to my friend through vista took 5 minutes and he was sitting right next to me

    since you setup a home network and know xcopy, personally i would just create a batch program to do my stuff for me
    something easily as where you can drop it to the folder you want, double click and be on your way
    Code:
    @echo off
    xcopy *.* "\\network\sharing folder\
    or if you want to get really creative, just have it prompt for the information
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  8. #8
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    Originally posted by adam c
    how is your network setup?
    switches/hubs/routers?

    how many?
    what connects where?

    only time i have seen brutal transfer speeds or anything, is when switches are looping to each other and the router
    i would also install a network monitor and see if packets are being dropped. i also do not like the vista file sharing, I find it slow and cumbersome as it is. Transferring a 150mb file to my friend through vista took 5 minutes and he was sitting right next to me

    since you setup a home network and know xcopy, personally i would just create a batch program to do my stuff for me
    something easily as where you can drop it to the folder you want, double click and be on your way
    Code:
    @echo off
    xcopy *.* "\\network\sharing folder\
    or if you want to get really creative, just have it prompt for the information
    WHS directly connected to DI-724GU
    Desktop PC directly connected to DI-724GU
    XB360 directly connected to DI-724GU
    Notebooks via 802.11g to DI-724GU

    I created an rdp session to the WHS machine, i mapped a drive on the Desktop and from the WHS machine was able to transfer files to/from the desktop machine with no network issues.

    I am able to stream video with no difficulties. It only happens when I use Vista's Windows Explorer to copy files to a non Vista OS (in this case WHS).

    yeah I could use xcopy, however my wife would be at a loss I wonder if this would be fixed in SP2 ...

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    Just to present another option, I use an app called fastcopy for large transfers.

    http://lifehacker.com/5060849/transf...-with-fastcopy

    Seems to work pretty well for me.

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    don't know ur router but could be WISH or QOS related

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    The router's QoS has been off the whole time

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    Ya, I hate Vista's copy function. It seems like it's trying to copy files while it's calculating how long it'll take, and something goes on there where it slows things down to a crawl. I've had to copy 5mb worth of files (about 2000 small files) on Vista thru a remote XP box, and what should've taken 5 seconds took 30 seconds because it took 25 seconds to "calculate" how long it'll take.

    I get around it now by initiating the copy from an XP box. But since you're all Vista, you're fucked haha.
    Originally posted by SEANBANERJEE
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  13. #13
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    if you really want to get professional, then scrap the network transfers and use a token ring

    my gigabit connection at work never utalizes more than 15-20% and if it does, it's quite short lived
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  14. #14
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    Originally posted by rage2
    Ya, I hate Vista's copy function. It seems like it's trying to copy files while it's calculating how long it'll take, and something goes on there where it slows things down to a crawl. I've had to copy 5mb worth of files (about 2000 small files) on Vista thru a remote XP box, and what should've taken 5 seconds took 30 seconds because it took 25 seconds to "calculate" how long it'll take.

    I get around it now by initiating the copy from an XP box. But since you're all Vista, you're fucked haha.
    I can rdp to the WHS machine and execute the copy from there. it is fine when I do that - which is what's fucked

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    You could try TeraCopy (free).

    I tried it tonight after having it recommended. I transfer 32GB to my HTPC in 12min @ an average of 46 MB/s on a gigabit network.

    It takes over the Windows copy/paste function, so drag & drop works and right clicking copy/paste.

    You can set the buffer size to increase speed and pause & resume transfers!

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    Reason for this is the new NTFS variation used by Vista..i don't recall the details but basically it has something to do with corruptino of files and how they won't go corrupt anymore since it verifies everything, hence the slow down.

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