Windows NT4 Enterprise Server - Use multiple nics???

[Xtreme11]

Hi all and thanks for any help you can give...

I am running a WinNT4 Server (no, I can't upgrade to 2k right now unfortunately). It is a 1.2Ghz w/ 1GB of RAM and 3 40 GB 7200RPM/UDMA100 HD's in RAID 0 (hardware). It is my PDC server, and runs my WINS, DHCP, etc.

Since I am only using a single nic right now, and I can only use it at 100Mbps (due to hub limitations), the speed at which I can transmit data to/from my server is limited. My thinking that by adding another nic to the server and having a portion of network traffic being directed there, I could roughly double my network bandwith out of the server, therefore increasing speed and thorough-put. Right?

My only problem is I need to do this without changing network hardware (24-port half-duplex hubs), and I have only seen two possible ways to do it so far. One is to randomize which nic gets the traffic (a registry edit), and the second is MS's Load Balancing for NT4 (this might be to load balance NT servers though?, not nics). Do either of these sound like a good idea or do you have any better ones?

Once again, thanks for the great advice of all you network pros,


X-treme1

 

[warcleric]

Just run certain bandwidth intensive apps like mail, www, etc on the IP of one nic, and leave the other for your fileserving, dns, dhcp, etc.

 

[CTR]

Hmmm...there was an interesting thread about this last week: link

Wait a second...that was you wasn't it! Again, if you don't want to spend the money for a switch then use the NT server as a router and fill it up with NIC's.

 

[Xtreme11]

<< Hmmm...there was an interesting thread about this last week: link

Wait a second...that was you wasn't it! Again, if you don't want to spend the money for a switch then use the NT server as a router and fill it up with NIC's. >>



Thanks, however I'm still a little confused about how to use it as a router...just call me stupid, I've never had to work with stuff like this before...

 

[Xtreme11]

<< Just run certain bandwidth intensive apps like mail, www, etc on the IP of one nic, and leave the other for your fileserving, dns, dhcp, etc. >>



How do I actually RUN different apps or services on the second nic? is my big question. I don't know NT very well. Is there a place to setup what takes place on which nic or something?

 

[Garion]

From your post, it sounds like you have one or more 100Mb/s hubs connected together. It's likely that this is your slowest point, not your server. Half duplex links really max out at about 50% of their &quot;rated&quot; speed, so a 100Mb/s hub gives you about 50Mb/s performance.

You would be MUCH better off purchasing a small switch for your network than trying to mess with multiple NIC's. With a switch, you can get 100Mb/s, full duplex. A full duplex link gets 100% of the rated speed BOTH ways. So, in essence, your server could both send and receive at 100Mb/s, which is really 200Mb/s - Quadruple what it can do on your hubs.

Not only that, but if you got a switch you could connect each one of your hubs into a switch port instead of daisy-chaining them together. This will give you even more bang for the buck.

It seems you've asked this question before and gotten answers.. (From most of the same people, actually). If your company is so cheap that they can't afford to spend $70 on a switch (Linksys 8-port 10/100 switch), what are you doing working there?

- G

 

[Xtreme11]

Making pretty good money!

 

[Garion]

Hmm. Maybe they are paying you too much if they can't afford a switch!

- G

 

[Shadow07]

If you don't want to replace the server or the OS, go out and get a Network Teaming NIC. 3COM and Intel, and I believe Syskonnect, make network teaming NIC's. What these do is combine two or more NIC's together and create a Logical NIC that has the combined total bandwidth of however many NIC's you installed. For instance, if you have 2 Network Teaming NIC's, you will have 200Mb/s Send and Receive.

Also, I would replace the Hub you have with a Switch. Preferably a managed switch, like a Cisco Catalyst 2924 Enterprise switch or an HP 2524M switch.

EDIT: Also, if you use Network Teaming NIC's, you also resolve a critical NetBIOS issue with having more than one NIC installed in your server.

 

[Xtreme11]

thx for the info. I'll try it out!