Kernel Bob Nov 4

Ethernet-using Tooters!

Do you have an Ethernet LAN at home? How fast is it? (The most common speed on your LAN, however you define it.)

Boost for improved packet latency. Also see the Wi-Fi poll in this thread

#HomeLab #HomeIT #LAN

1 Gigabit
75%
2.5 Gigabits
7.8%
5 or 10 Gigabits
11.8%
Other/None/It's Complicated/What's an Ethernet?
5.4%
Poll ended at .
Show threadKernel Bob 

Wi-Fi-using Tooters!

Do you have a Wi-Fi LAN at home? What generation is it? (The most common type, if you have more than one)

Boost for reduced packet loss. Also see the Ethernet poll in this thread.

#HomeLab #HomeIT #LAN

Wi-Fi 7
11.2%
Wi-Fi 6
51.2%
Wi-Fi 5
34.7%
Other/None/It's complicated/What's a Wi-Fi?
2.9%
Poll ended at .
Nov 4 at 4:23pmWeb
Show threadKernel Bob Nov 4

I'm asking about Ethernet because this house is stuck at 1 Gbit (long runs of 25 year old Cat5) and I've got FOMO.

I'm asking about Wi-Fi just because.

Show threadpetur 😶🇺🇦🇵🇸🇹🇼Nov 4

@kbob
wired: a 5-port switch with 2.5GbE filled with NAS and PC devices that need fast interconnect, the rest of the house has 1GbE

wireless: Unifi AP with PoE, still wifi 5 which is mostly fast enough

Show threadtschuuulsNov 4
@kbob Have you tried running 2,5Gbit/s Ethernet over your cables? It's designed as a cheap consumer standard over existing cabling. Technically requires Cat5e, but depending on interference should also work on Cat5. nics and switches (the aliexpress ones seem to work well) are cheap enough to try it.
Depending on the cable length you might even get away with 5/10Gbit/s, just watch the error counters on the nics.
Show threadEwen McNeillNov 4

@kbob 2.5GBASE-T was designed to run over Cat-5 (especially Cat-5E which is just basically a somewhat tighter manufacturing tolerances for Cat-5).

I’d expect to be able to run 2.5GBASE-T over 50-100m (150-300 feet) of Cat-5(E) in a home environment (less cable bundle cross talk, or industrial electrical noise sources).

(5GBASE-T and especially 10GBASE-T are more picky about cable type and/or length, especially 10G.)

https://www.ampcom.com/blogs/industry-insights/nbase-t-2-5g-5g-over-cat5e-cat6-real-world-limits-upgrade-paths

NBASE-T (2.5G/5G) Over Cat5e/Cat6: Distance, Limits & Upgrade Paths | AMPCOM

Upgrade your network with NBASE-T (2.5G/5G) over existing Cat5e and Cat6. Learn practical distance limits, real-world performance, PoE tips, and easy upgrade paths to multi-gig speeds without rewiring.

AMPCOM
Show threadEwen McNeillNov 4

@kbob also FWIW the Cat-5E spec was introduced in 2001 (about to be 25 years ago), and largely just standardised existing best manufacturing/installation practice. So even if it’s labelled only Cat-5, and installed in 2000 exactly, there’s a reasonable chance it meets Cat-5E specs too, if reasonably well installed.

Especially for runs under 50m / 150 feet I’d probably just try 2.5GBASE-T and see if it’s stable in practice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable

Category 5 cable - Wikipedia

Show threadKernel Bob Nov 4

@ewenmcneill @9eurosyltbesucher You're both right, I should try plugging in some higher speed equipment and see what happens. I haven't done that. The most important run is from my office to the demarc+server rack, which are on opposite ends of the house and two floors apart. Probably right around 50 meters.

When I look at the cost of upgrading all the switches (~30 ports in 4 locations, some PoE) it starts to look expensive. But one switch and one NIC for testing wouldn't be.

Show threadTedNov 4

@kbob
I updated to 10G fiber from 1G copper in my apartment, and now my file transfers are 2x as fast. Which is nicer but not nearly as much as I wished - I just have a different bottleneck now.

So maybe you're not missing out on much.

Show threadScottNov 5
@kbob if your house has Ethernet runs of any kind (well, 1Gb or higher) then you’re already winning. I had to take a wire outside upstairs, and back inside downstairs, just to get any form of wired network downstairs. Of course, I used CAT8 just because. But I don’t have a way of running a cable to the top floor, so I have just weak WiFi up there. I’m also lucky that I had the gigabit fibre coming in on the middle floor, or else I’d have no WiFi signal on the top floor.
Show threadKernel Bob Nov 5

Packet Switching Tooters!

One more poll. (Late, sorry.) Do you use jumbo frames on your home LAN?

Boost for increased throughput. And see the other two polls in this thread.

#HomeIT #LAN #HomeLab

Yes. I enable jumbo frames.
17.6%
No. I don't use them.
60.2%
I don't know.
18.5%
Other/It's complicated/What?/...
3.7%
Poll ended at .
Show threadKernel Bob Nov 5

The two main polls have concluded, and It turns out I'm right in the middle with 1Gbit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6. Thanks, everyone!

It looks like jumbo frames are not very popular, though that poll is still open.

Show threadSiffNov 5
@kbob Yes, except on my, now ancient, DNS-323 since it had its share of issues with jumbo frames back when got it. I guess that it was fixed since, but I use it only for backups’ backups with slow drives, so speed is not a factor.
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialNov 5
@kbob I did for a while but it ended up causing no end of problems so I switched back.
Show threadAuliNov 4

@kbob Most are 1 gigabit but have a healthy does of 2.5 gigabit some 5 and 10 gigabit also.

WiFi much easier to answer.

Show threadMarián KyralNov 4

@kbob I've upgraded all laptops to wifi 6 because 5GHz is not so overwhelmed as 2.4GHz and works better and is quicker.

I'm thinking about Wifi7 (after seeing Turris Omnia NG) - looks even better, but currently there are almost no m.2 cards in shops. At least I did not find them.

And I'm not sure, if wifi7 will work with current laptop antennas.

Show threadniconiconiNov 5
@kbob 11n, so Wi-Fi 4, good enough for web browsing, everything serious goes through 10 GbE anyway.