NFS Issues - Best Idea to Switch to SMB?

[Chamrajnagar]

Success!

In qBittorrent (v4.1.3), I changed Tools > Options > Advanced > Disk cache from its default value of 0 to -1 (auto).

Torrent downloads instantly got 10x faster.

 

[Eniqmatic]

I think it's got to be a configuration issue with my Windows client.

My primary router is connected to my FreeNAS through a gigabit switch. The primary router also connects to a second router through a cat5 cable. The second router is acting as an access point.

My Windows client is connected to the access point via ethernet cable, and I if I download the Ubunto torrent on this client, saving it to my FreeNAS SMB share speeds are 0.5-1mbps.

If I connect my Mac client to the access point via WiFi, I can download the Ubuntu torrent to the FreeNAS SMB share at 3-4mbps. This is still going through the same cable to the primary router, and should be slower than the Windows client if anything, owing to being a WiFi connection.

I should be able to see at least 3-4mbps on the Windows client. I'm not sure why it's much slower. I'm using qBitTorrent on the Windows client and Transmission on the Mac. It could be that Transmission is doing a better job of managing traffic to the share.

Could it be the cable between the windows client and the secondary router? Have you tried iPerf between Windows and Mac when connected to the same AP (albeit one is over wireless)?

 

[Chamrajnagar]

Could it be the cable between the windows client and the secondary router? Have you tried iPerf between Windows and Mac when connected to the same AP (albeit one is over wireless)?

The slow torrent issue was due to a setting in qBittorrent. I changed Tools > Options > Advanced > Disk cache from its default value of 0 to -1 (auto). This improved torrent speeds saving to FreeNAS by about 10x.

I also fixed the cable between the primary and secondary router. I thought it was a Cat5 cable and probably needed replacing, but on closer inspection it was actually Cat5e. The connection is a wall run with a patch cable on each end. The issue ended up being the wiring standard used on the connections. The wall run was 568A while the patch cables are 568B. I didn't initially think this would cause issues because the pins on the connection at the start and end of the run still line up. On further thought, I realized switching from 568B to 568A was going to be splitting up some of the twisted pairs and likely introducing interference that would cause the connection to default to 100mbit. Sure enough, I rewired the wall run for 568B and the Windows client started connecting at full gigabit speeds.

Now I'm gigabit everywhere! :)