Question Why file transfer via Ethernet so slow? IPad Pro to ext. HHD (Not Internet)

[RobinRed]

Hi. Wonder if any can help, I’m not the most techie person.

I just connected via Ethernet LAN cable and expected at least some improvements on file transfer.
what I’m using ...

- iPac Pro 2018 (I expect good performance)
- Lan cable 3m CAT6
- Huawei B315 Wi-Fi LTE Router (Gigabit Ethernet ports x 4)
- Western Digital external portable HARD DRIVE USB 3.0
- SMB Samba (probably smb v1) usb 2.0 port on Huawei router
- Multiport Dock (Volkano) RJ-45 LAN connector up to 1000Mbps (Connects LAN C6 cable to iPad)

i understand the router/modem is far from the best, actually all hardware not the best except iPad Pro.
BUT ... for example, a 100mb file take about 30 seconds to copy over from iPad to WD external hard drive ... I expected much faster especially via LAN.
I THINK the slowest in the chain that would bottle neck the speed is the USB 2.0 port of the router/modem for the WD hardrive (I know one can’t achieve usb 3 if connected to USB port).

Some info from the Router Ethernet specs, honestly I dont know what it all means ....

 802.11b: 11 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps
 802.11g: 54 Mbps, 48 Mbps, 36 Mbps, 24 Mbps,
18 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 9 Mbps, 6 Mbps
 802.11n: 300 Mbps (HT40 MCS15), 144.4 Mbps (HT20 MCS15)


A link to the Router manual - Huawei Router Manual

.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Those little CPUs / SoCs in routers, you don't really want to be using them as a NAS, trust me. Get a real NAS, that connects via ethernet, to your router's LAN ports, at Gigabit or better speeds. Connecting a USB3.0 external HDD to your router's USB 2.0 port, and expecting it to perform at LAN (line) speed? NADA! You're getting, what, 100MB over 30 seconds, or roughly 3.3MB/sec write speeds, over a USB2.0-connected external HDD?

Look at SmallNetBuilder's router charts, for USB port external drive connection write speeds. You're basically in the ball-park of what most routers can handle, with their tiny little CPUs.

 

[SamirD]

VirtualLarry is dead on with the performance of usb ports on routers--they're for convenience, not speed.

You'll have better luck attaching that drive to the Imac pro and sharing it on the network--at least you should. Try it and if things do not improve we can probe further.

 

[Muadib]

Does your Multiport Dock have a spare USB C port? Plugging it into the ipad, and plugging the drive into the dock would give you better speeds.

 

[RobinRed]

Thanks everyone.
It’s really for convenience as I don’t always want to have my computer on, thus just using the router usb feature.
I didn’t expect high speed, just thought I’d get a bit better speed, at least get top usb 2.0 speed of the usb router port, cause the modem/router does boast high data transfer rate.

 

[SamirD]

To give you some idea of the very best speeds you could get from the very top routers out there, see this link:

Charts - SmallNetBuilder

www.smallnetbuilder.com

And that being said, if 1/4 of these speeds are okay with you, you'll be fine for your use case. Just remember that it won't be fast.

 

[RobinRed]

To give you some idea of the very best speeds you could get from the very top routers out there, see this link:

Charts - SmallNetBuilder

www.smallnetbuilder.com

And that being said, if 1/4 of these speeds are okay with you, you'll be fine for your use case. Just remember that it won't be fast.

Thanks for this.
But mine only seems to achieve 3 Mbps in write via LAN form iPad to Routers usb2.0 port ... shouldn’t it be at least a bit more with usb2 being the slowest connection in the setup?
And is that list showing speeds via wifi or LAN transfer?
Also, does it make a difference whether I got LAN cable plugged in the LAN or WAN port?
Theres 3 LAN and 1 WAN ... only me on the ”network”

 

[SamirD]

Thanks for this.
But mine only seems to achieve 3 Mbps in write via LAN form iPad to Routers usb2.0 port ... shouldn’t it be at least a bit more with usb2 being the slowest connection in the setup?
And is that list showing speeds via wifi or LAN transfer?
Also, does it make a difference whether I got LAN cable plugged in the LAN or WAN port?
Theres 3 LAN and 1 WAN ... only me on the ”network”

Yep, that's about right. Remember, this usb sharing is pretty much an afterthought--no manufacturer puts any real design effort into them.

These speeds I would assume are wired--wireless will only be slower.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Thanks for this.
But mine only seems to achieve 3 Mbps in write via LAN form iPad to Routers usb2.0 port ... shouldn’t it be at least a bit more with usb2 being the slowest connection in the setup?
And is that list showing speeds via wifi or LAN transfer?
Also, does it make a difference whether I got LAN cable plugged in the LAN or WAN port?
Theres 3 LAN and 1 WAN ... only me on the ”network”

You need to remember that looking at the chart from smallnetbuilder that those routers have some of fastest CPUs used in routers on the newest routers. If you want to look at what some slower hardware, you need to look at the older revision tests like this one which has a lot more routers tested:
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/charts/router/bar/168-fat32-write-usb-2-0/17

You will notice that as you start scrolling down, you will see that there are routers that test in the 3Mbps range. It all comes down to your specific router and what they implemented. Most routers do not put in decent CPUs that can handle additional load aside from wireless and wired data on the network, let alone dealing with the interrupts necessary for reading/writing to a storage device over USB. Don't get me wrong, there are some routers that can handle it, but they are typically high performance routers that cost several hundred dollars (most of the routers on smallnetbuilder were considered high performance, with a few here and there that the readers requested in the value segment to see how they hold up against the higher rated ones, so that skews much of the results to higher performance).