C200 interface issues - some tests

[edekegel]

Sorry for the long message but I want to describe the problems I have with sufficient level of detail.

My connection from iMAC to C200 used to be:
C200 → Linksys WRT54G (10/100Mbps) → wireless → Linksys WRT54G → iMac
Let’s call this setup A.
My FTP used to work, I could transfer files to and from the C200, although working pretty slow. I did not test SMB at that time.

Now I have the following connection:
C200 → D-Link DGS-1008D (1Gbps) → Cat 6e cable → D-Link DGS-1008D → iMac
Let’s call this setup B.
I can connect to the C200, the password is accepted, but when selecting a HD and requesting a list of files the FTP connection is usually dropped. It looks like as soon as there is some information to be sent; the C200 drops the FTP connection.
I've reset the C200 to factory defaults so its Ethernet interface is set to 10/100Mbps.The switch also indicates that port is not set to 1Gbps. In an additional test I've connected the C200 directly to the second switch but the problem remains the same, so I think we can rule out a cable issue. For that matter I did a test the connection by installing a MacBook Pro iso the C200 and did a file transfer test to the iMac: no errors and blazingly fast.

I did start using SMB and although the connection seemed to work a bit more reliable there, I got another issue: after some time the C200 hangs. Only powercycling can bring it back alive.
So to transfer files with my new setup I have the choice between FTP that doesn’t work at all en SMB that is dead slow and causes the C200 to hang.

I did notice a very strange behavior with the C200 Ethernet interface:
- The C200 had just rebooted and was working
- It was still connected to the D-Link
- As I wanted to test the old setup I unplugged the C200 and inserted it in the Linksys
- Although the wireless connection was active and I could ping the Linksys from the iMac I could not ping the C200
- I had to powercycle the C200 and than the interface worked again.
Thisd is not a normal behaviour for an Ethernet interface and should be fairly easy to reproduce in a lab.

So now I’m back at setup A and tried using SMB: the connection is also reset after a while but at least the C200 doesn’t hang, a small improvement

To summarize:
Setup A
SMB gets interrupted
If it does, the C200 continues to function
FTP works
Although due to the link pretty slow
Setup B
Using SMB causes the C200 to hang
Only powercycling it brings it back
FTP doesn’t work at all
Usually I cannot even get a listing of the directory

So to have my C200 working I have to connect it using a slow link while I have Cat 6e cabling and Gbit switches available. I did read about the Gbit issue of the C200 Ethernet interface. I’m kinda surprised/worried a lot of development effort is now directed to a nice GUI while a basic function, the network interface, is not even working decently.

Frankly, I think this equipment is not ready for primetime and we’re all alfa or beta testers. If a basic error like the network interface error is not even caught in testing I wonder if there was any testing at all.

Almost forgot: I use Filezilla as FTP client and it is set to a single connection.

If anybody has an idea how to solve the errors I encounter please let me know. I really would like to use my Gbit equipment. Altough I expect the issues can only be solved by a change of the firmware and then the question arises when can we expect this?

[spawn]

No offence intended - but considering we have allready had 3.456 posts in several other dedicated threads saying everything you say here about Gige, and considering you apparently have allready read about it and know of the issues from the very same threads - did we really need to have an entire new thread repeating it all again ??

Sorry, but I truly find that completely needless.

your inputs are welcome and valued - but please continue the inputs you have on these subjects in one of the existing threads dealing with the same subjects

This thread is now closed.

[Willem53]

D-Link DGS-1008D is a green switch C200 cant handle a connection being brought down, putting a cheap 100mbps switch before the C200 might help.
C200 cant handle Jumbo frames on the GB network dont know if that is the case here but I do know in some GB network schema's FTP can "overrun" the C200...

User with managed switches or layer3 Q0S management on their switches can keep their network negotiated at 1GB and enjoy upto a whooping 12MBps stable FTP transfer speed...
the cheap 100mbps switch will give you upto 10MBps so no big loss...