What's the highest % network utilization you've ever seen...

[RU482]

I am transferring a large group of files from one PC to another on my home network. Both PC's have Nforce chipsets with the integrated LAN. Highest 100Mbps network utilization I'm seeing is ~25%.

Just curious if this normal (due to hard drive speeds) or if I should expect more (possibly a weak connection or something)

Now I'm transferring files one way and virus scanning the other way, still no higher than 26%

 

[mobogasm]

Highest network utilization seen: 100% constant.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: mobogasm
Highest network utilization seen: 100% constant.

I'd love an explanation on this one

 

[bex0rs]

Are you using windows file sharing and viewing bandwidth utilization in the task manager window?

Try transferring files using something more efficient like FTP and watch your network usage shoot up to 10+MB/s.

Edit: Or better yet, test network throughput using netcps.

~bex0rs

 

[Kell]

Only people I saw load a NIC to 100% is a company (which shall remain nameless) which specialized in collecting fax machine numbers to sell to fax spammers (BOOOO hiss!) They consistently pushed NIC usage up into the 90% range. We (the provider of their servers--boo hiss on us now) became aware of this because they choked all but our highest-quality network cards. Onboard DEC 21143 (Tulip) NICs would only hold up for a few days, then choke and require a reboot before they'd start working again. We switched this customer over to exclusively using Intel NICs, and the problems ceased.

As for hard drive speeds...5400RPM drives typically cannot saturate fast Ethernet. 7200RPM and higher drives can usually make fast Ethernet something of a bottleneck. Gigabit needs very fast RAID arrays, RAM drives, or solid state disks to push it to its limit.

 

[Ime]

99% Constant, taking a ton of errors.

Was 16mbs Token-Ring, shared environment.

They're on switched Fast Ethernet now, much better.

 

[spidey07]

100% on almost every kind of network.

Little trivia for you however, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get 100% utilization on ethernet.

 

[lowtech1]

I have had from the high 70% to 92% peak for 3 months before we got a second T1 for the Citrix Servers.

 

[mobogasm]

i beg to differ, i have seen hardware and software that reported 100% utilization with ethernet. unless it is lying and their is some trivial reason that ethernet can not have 100% utilization but only 99.9%. please fill me in.

 

[zephyrprime]

You know, I was only getting like 30% with my little home network so I tried a different network card and that pushed it to 50%. I went from a linksys to a netgear. I might try some other brands too if I can. My friend was getting about 80% with his home network.

 

[Buddha Bart]

of course it can have 100% utilization.... if it can't handle anymore, its at 100%

Ime, you don't go to marist college do ya? Up until about 2 months ago they had a tokenring network that was way over 100%. 20 - 40% packetloss alllllll day long.

bart

 

[spidey07]

i beg to differ, i have seen hardware and software that reported 100% utilization with ethernet

OK, so it was a trick question. Ethernet by protocol cannot, will not ever have 100% utilization. There's a inter-frame gap (IFG) of 96 bit times. Meaning every single frame on ethernet is spaced by 96 bit times or 9.6 uSec for 100 Base-T. At the absolute MAX with 1514 byte frames your utilization can reach something like 99.32%, with 64 byte frames it drops to 92.4. Same holds true for gig ethernet as well, but it gets even worse in the gig ethernet will PAD any frame less than 512 bytes.

Sorry, but this is what network geeks buy trivia beers over.