100M : Router and Speed

[Big-Gaz]

Hi,

I am having to put in a D-Link DIR-615 router, instead of using the Superhub router as the wireless signal disappears after a while then needs a reboot for the signal to come back.

So as I still have my D-Link DIR-615 VM sent me, I thought I would put that n as the router, for now.

But I am hoping to go back to 100MB soon, and don't think the router has gigabyte ports and only 100MB ports, does this mean I will not get the full speed on wired when on 100MB speed?

If so what sort of speed would I be looking at?

[kwikbreaks]

It depends on how many devices you have on it wired - it's collisions that reduce the theoretical maximum speed of ethernet networks and the built in delays designed to reduce them. You'll probably get a better answer from a network bod (Qas maybe?) I'd guess at 70-80Mbps.

[qasdfdsaq]

You'll get 100Mb on a 100Mb port, that's why it's called a 100Mb port. After overheads you'll see something around 94-95Mb/sec in your average flash-based speedtest web app. The way I measure speed I get 99.3Mb/sec on a 100Mb port. It seems network bods, the general public, and VM all have different definitions of "speed"...

Course VM's idea of "speed" doesn't adhere to any industry standard whatsoever and their 100Mb service is actually 111Mb, to compensate for and inflate their poor speedtest results. So you will get 100Mb fine, but you won't get the maximum your service is capable of (111Mb) or will "soon" be upgraded to (120Mb + fluff)

On the note of collisions, they don't happen on ethernet switches (but were common in previous gen ethernet hubs). On a switch every link and port is its own collision domain.

[kwikbreaks]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

On the note of collisions, they don't happen on ethernet switches (but were common in previous gen ethernet hubs). On a switch every link and port is its own collision domain.

Interesting - I knew my networking knowledge was old hat (maybe 25+ years old hat when 10Mbps was king for office type connections and usually delivered 7 if you were lucky - we had 4Mbps token ring at the time) but didn't realise it was that out of date.

[qasdfdsaq]

It's not completely out of date, the same principles still apply to wireless ethernet (because of the shared medium), but wired networks were pretty much transformed with the introduction of wire-speed switches in recent years.

[Sephiroth]

The DIR-615 WAN-LAN throughput is less than 70 meg. So you won't see 100 meg with that otherwise trusty router.

[qasdfdsaq]

I get 94Mbps with the stock firmware, and 94Mbps in software routing mode. It's got hardware NAT so can do over 600Mbps with the right port configuration. That said I don't know what VM have done to their version the firmware... I got a supposed "VM" model or five and they all just had standard stock FW on them.

[horseman]

Originally Posted by kwikbreaks

... - we had 4Mbps token ring at the time) but didn't realise it was that out of date.

Historical anecdote: 140mbps on Type 6 TR @ IBM Hursley in late 80's! (NIC's were a tad costly though! )