Jumbo Frames

[trueimage]

Hey,

I'm trying to optimize my home network, and get Jumbo Frames working to get the most out of my network.

I'm quoting some info from this page: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~joe/jumbo-clean-gear.html

My connection goes like this:

Cable Modem -> Bufalo DD-WRT router -> Netgear GS108 and Vonage router -> HTPC (Vista 64-bit), unRAID NAS (Linux), Main PC (Vista 64-bit), xbox 360, Wii with usb ethernet adapter.

I have a Netgear GS108 switch which is MTU 9216
In the unRAID NAS and the HTPC and Main PC, I have Intel Pro 1000 PT (PCI-X X1) which according to the above link are MTU 16110.

My understanding is that the MTU of every device has to be the same. I used the following to set the MTU on the NAS: ifconfig eth0 mtu 9216 up

In windows, however, with the newest drivers, the only Choices I have are Disabled, 4088, 9014

I'm wondering how I can set this up to work together. It says in the notes for the windows driver:

Enable Jumbo Packets only if devices across the network support them and are configured to use the same frame size. When setting up Jumbo Packets on other network devices, note that different network devices calculate Jumbo Packet sizes differently. Some devices include the header information in the frame size while others do not. Intel adapters do not include header information in the frame size.

I can also connect the xbox 360 / Wii directly to the router if necessary.

Any help in this case would be great, I'm in a little over my head I think.

 

[jaqie]

the answer is simple.
1) frames will be retransmitted if the recieving device is incapable of handling the larger ones, in the case of a GBE computer to the internet, et cetra.
2) frame size in some companies includes header bits and such, and in others, only some, in others none. basically, if it says 9 thousand something, its the same frame size. Make sure your netgear is a GS108v2 and not a plain GS108, as the older version does *NOT* handle jumbo frames. I have a GS108v2.

 

[trueimage]

Yeah it is a v2

So, anything over 9k is fine? I can set the linux box to anything, what is 9014 + header info so it matches the windows boxes?

 

[jaqie]

no, the 9000 jumbo frames are all the v2 can handle... either that or lower. What I was saying is that some call the 9000 9216, 9014, and the like. the 9014 is just counting more of the packet data then the 9000 is. they are all the same, but a lot of different equipment/drivers/oses call them the different sizes.