Dumb Gigabit LAN Question

[rhd]

Dumb Gigabit LAN Question:

If I install a new Gigabit router, plug a Gigabit 8 port switch into the router, and install 5 PC’s all with Gigabit NICs except one PC that has a 100Mbit NIC will whole network be limited to 100Mbit speed on the LAN side or only the slower NIC’ed PC?

In other words, will the PCs with the Gigabit NICs be able to transfer files between themselves on the LAN side through the switch at 1000Mbit speed? Or will the whole switch be limited because of the 100Mbit PC?

Thanks

 

[Crusty]

You'll be fine, only that particular PC will operate at 100mbps.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The only issue that you will run into is using Jumbo Frames. I don't think that there are any 100Mbit cards that utilize or understand Jumbo Frames, so that will drag down the speed of the Gigabit network slightly, because you have to have Jumbo Frames either enabled on every device or none, so in this case you would be forced to none.

I don't personally run Jumbo Frames on my gigabit lan, because not everything on it understands them.