Have a C-200, getting a HP EX495, should I get a new switch or router?

[Anvar]

My current router is old and only supports 100Mbit connections, which has worked fine with the C-200, given its current issues with running a Gigabit network. I'm getting a HP EX495 Windows Home Server today though, and since I'm going to be moving all my video files to that, I want to upgrade to a gigabit connection.

The router I've been looking at is the Netgear WNDR 3700, but I worry that if I plug my pc, C-200, and EX495 into that, my network will be capped at 100Mbit because of the need to set the C-200 to that in current firmware.

So I'm thinking, would I be better off buying a cheap gigabit switch for now, and plug that into my pc and EX495, and leaving the C-200 in my old router for now?

Any help much appreciated

[arfo]

(12-03-2009 10:26 AM)Anvar Wrote:  ..
So I'm thinking, would I be better off buying a cheap gigabit switch for now, and plug that into my pc and EX495, and leaving the C-200 in my old router for now?

Thats actually also sth I want to know. My situation is the other way around: I own a tranquil windwows home server (SQA5H) and ordered a C200, hope it'll arrive soon (how long does the delivery take, by the way?). Currently I use my laptop to play media from the server. Often there's no problem, but sometimes, especially with 720p MKV, playback gets laggy or even stops completely.
Now I read that many C-200 owners have problems with gibabit network and switch back to 10/100! Why? And - is that enough for streaming 1080p to a C-200?

I also read in the Wiki that the Xtreamer draft-N antenna works with the C200, should I rather get that one? Anyone tried that here?

Thanks guys..

[Anvar]

(12-03-2009 11:42 AM)arfo Wrote:  Thats actually also sth I want to know. My situation is the other way around: I own a tranquil windwows home server (SQA5H) and ordered a C200, hope it'll arrive soon (how long does the delivery take, by the way?). Currently I use my laptop to play media from the server. Often there's no problem, but sometimes, especially with 720p MKV, playback gets laggy or even stops completely.
Now I read that many C-200 owners have problems with gibabit network and switch back to 10/100! Why? And - is that enough for streaming 1080p to a C-200?

I also read in the Wiki that the Xtreamer draft-N antenna works with the C200, should I rather get that one? Anyone tried that here?

Thanks guys..

I would hold off on getting a USB Wifi antenna, there were BIG problems speedwise on the old A-110. Get a mini-PCI instead once they figure out which ones work (or make one available themselves.)

With regards to your gigabit question, right now there are firmware issues on the C-200 that causes bugs when using gigabit network speeds. As a workaround Syabas has put an option in firmware to only use 10/100 Mbit instead. This will get fixed in time, I'm sure. There are no problems streaming any kind of video on a 100Mbit network, so there are no problems there. The real reason for wanting a gigabit network connection to the C-200 is more to do with having a HDD in it, and transferring video to that. It'll be a bit faster, not 10 times faster, but a bit.

Hope this clears up some of your questions, and enjoy the C-200, it's a great bit of kit

[Specter]

get a gigabit switch, never run local traffic through your router, it will just slow it down or worse, lock it up.

[Anvar]

(12-03-2009 01:33 PM)Specter Wrote:  get a gigabit switch, never run local traffic through your router, it will just slow it down or worse, lock it up.

Ok, thanks for that advice I have another question then, I've been looking at a Netgear GS-605, which I will then plug my PC and WHS into, leaving the C-200 connected to my router until they get the gigabit issues fixed.

Now, my question is, will plugging my router into that gigabit switch slow everything down to 100Mbit, or only the traffic between the router and whatever device (PC or WHS) which connects to it?

[Specter]

(12-03-2009 01:40 PM)Anvar Wrote:  Ok, thanks for that advice I have another question then, I've been looking at a Netgear GS-605, which I will then plug my PC and WHS into, leaving the C-200 connected to my router until they get the gigabit issues fixed.

Now, my question is, will plugging my router into that gigabit switch slow everything down to 100Mbit, or only the traffic between the router and whatever device (PC or WHS) which connects to it?

Well let me explain it like this. You can connect the switch to the router but it will not slow it down. Its all how you connect.

If you connect something to the router and the Server to the switch you will only get 100Mb speeds due to your going through the router.

If you connect everything to the Gigabit switch then you will get 1GB speeds. You speed only gets reduced when you enter a 100Mb section of the network.


Router => Gigabit Switch => All local network traffic (Server, PC, NMTs, etc)
WAN => LAN=> Clients

So everything connected to the switch will get gigabit speeds if they support it, but they will only get Megabit speeds when accessing the Internet or accessing something connected to the router.

You should not worry about the router, as most likely your modem only outputs 100Mb