In theory... This ethernet connection would be 1 Gbps right?

[Snorlax]

Hey guys. I am currently trying to run SteamOS. So far it works perfectly. However... It would be nice with some better wired connection.

 

Would I be able to route my connection like this:

 

SteamOS Machine -> Switch -> Main machine

 

Switch is wired to the router/modem and handles the Internet connectivity. I want to just go 1 Gbps from Steam Machine to my switch and then a 1 Gbps cable from my switch to my main "server" machine.

In theory it would work.. right?

 

Basically it would go like this:

 

Thanks!

[Jeroen1322]

I think this should be posted in the Networking section.

[jaqiefox]

I do this myself and have for many years.

 

The only trick is if you try to use jumbo frames, it will fragment them when going to the router even if your gigabit switch is jumbo frame capable, because 100mbps is not compatible with jumbo and neither are devices which run on it.

 

Without jumbo frames, cheap nics will eat up cpu cycles for breakfast, as they are partially host processing.  This is why I invest $30 for each system in an intel nic.  The cpu use is near zero and the actual throughput without jumbo frames is near gigabit speed, where with cheap nics this is nowhere near the case.

[DoubleY]

As long as your Gigabit line never touches anything slower than gigabit, you will be fine. Make sure that your switch is 1 Gigabit as well 

[Snorlax]

I think this should be posted in the Networking section.

 

Wooops sorry. I usually check for this, but I thought it was a discussion topic.

My bad.

[CoolBeans]

If the switch is 1Gbps then I would think so

[jaqiefox]

As long as your Gigabit line never touches anything slower than gigabit, you will be fine. Make sure that your switch is 1 Gigabit as well 

this makes no sense whatsoever to me.

 

what gigabit "line"?

[DoubleY]

this makes no sense whatsoever to me.

 

what gigabit "line"?

"line" meaning cable. As long as your Gigabit Cat-5 cable or whatever is going from a Gigabit PC with a Gigabit cable, through a Gigabit switch and to  your Steam machine through a Gigabit cable, you'll be fine. Sorry if I still haven't cleared that up.

[Nallown]

Since the bytes are transferred through only LAN and won't be undergoing any bottlenecks it should be fine. I'm pretty sure that steam in home streaming is all LAN so they won't be undergoing the 100mbps connection but if the switch isn't 1gbps then it would bottleneck the connection and cause it to be downgraded into the switch's bandwidth

[Snorlax]

this makes no sense whatsoever to me.

 

what gigabit "line"?

 

I think he meant the line between the two machines. Only thing would be the switch, which I just noticed is a 10/100 Mbps one...

Is there a way to route an ethernet cable from my router into my PC and then route a gigabit cable from my PC to my Steam Machine?

[MG2R]

The topology you posted gives you gigabit connectivity between steam machine and desktop, if the switch is a full gigabit switch. Both machines will share a 100Mbps connection to the router.

 

EDIT: ninja'd

 

Wooops sorry. I usually check for this, but I thought it was a discussion topic.

My bad.

Even if it were a discussion topic, it would be a discussion topic about networking, hence it should be posted in the networking section

I've moved your thread for you

[jaqiefox]

I think he meant the line between the two machines. Only thing would be the switch, which I just noticed is a 10/100 Mbps one...

Is there a way to route an ethernet cable from my router into my PC and then route a gigabit cable from my PC to my Steam Machine?

Yes, but it's a royal pain in the A with windows!

 

Basically, it would be far far better to just do away with the idea of making a 3 way connection, and instead run internet connection sharing on your desktop, and run a single gigabit cable from your desktop to your steamOS box, and your main computer will simply route packets for the internet through itself to the internet, and your steamos box will just get the internet through the main PC.

 

A crossover cable is not necessary for gigabit because auto crossover is built into the gigabit network card spec standard, so use a normal cable between them.

 

Using this method, you can even run jumbo frames on the gigabit link!

 

Caveat: your steamOS computer would not get internet connectivity when your main pc is not on and in windows.

[MG2R]

Is there a way to route an ethernet cable from my router into my PC and then route a gigabit cable from my PC to my Steam Machine?

Yes, your streaming PC must have two gigabit NICs, though!

[Snorlax]

The topology you posted gives you gigabit connectivity between steam machine and desktop, if the switch is a full gigabit switch. Both machines will share a 100Mbps connection to the router.

 

EDIT: ninja'd

 

Even if it were a discussion topic, it would be a discussion topic about networking, hence it should be posted in the networking section

I've moved your thread for you

 

Thanks for moving it. I didn't really think about it!

Sharing a 100 Mbps connection to the router is no biggie really. It should be gigabit from the Steam Machine to my desktop.

 

Yes, but it's a royal pain in the A with windows!

 

Basically, it would be far far better to just do away with the idea of making a 3 way connection, and instead run internet connection sharing on your desktop, and run a single gigabit cable from your desktop to your steamOS box, and your main computer will simply route packets for the internet through itself to the internet, and your steamos box will just get the internet through the main PC.

 

A crossover cable is not necessary for gigabit because auto crossover is built into the gigabit network card spec standard, so use a normal cable between them.

 

Using this method, you can even run jumbo frames on the gigabit link!

 

Caveat: your steamOS computer would not get internet connectivity when your main pc is not on and in windows.

 

Hmm interesting. Well I just noticed a gigabit switch is like $30 in my country, so that is way cheaper than buying a NIC tbh.

 

 

Yes, your streaming PC must have two gigabit NICs, though!

 

Yep I just realised that. Might not be the best solution

[jaqiefox]

Yes, your streaming PC must have two gigabit NICs, though!

Incorrect, must have one, and one 100mbps capable.

 

 

It will literally not offer more than 100mbps speed due the modem.

incorrect.  I am running a gigabit switch right now with a 100mbps router/modem. gigabit switches do per-port negotiation.  You are thinking about hubs.

[Blade of Grass]

Sadly, you will have a maximum of 100Mb/s.

Because of the way networking works, every single packet will go through the router. Because the router only has 100Mb/s it's going to limit it.

Of course, both will show up as gigabit, as the link between the NIC and switch are gigabit.

[Atlantisman]

Sadly, you will have a maximum of 100Mb/s.

Because of the way networking works, every single packet will go through the router. Because the router only has 100Mb/s it's going to limit it.

Of course, both will show up as gigabit, as the link between the NIC and switch are gigabit.

Actually, that is not correct, internal network traffic is routing by mac addresses with a switch, so in this case only the traffic passing through the link TO the router would be 100Mbps. 

 

Traffic going between the computers should never hit the router.

[MG2R]

Incorrect, must have one, and one 100mbps capable.

True, forgot that the router is only 100Mbps, my bad.

 

 

Sadly, you will have a maximum of 100Mb/s.

Because of the way networking works, every single packet will go through the router. Because the router only has 100Mb/s it's going to limit it.

Of course, both will show up as gigabit, as the link between the NIC and switch are gigabit.

The way it is drawn in the OP, all packets from streaming pc to steambox and vice versa go through the switch, not the router.

 

 

Yep I just realised that. Might not be the best solution

My advice would be to simply buy a gigabit switch, which can be pretty cheap. Depending on your location, there are often some very cheap ones passing by at ibood.com

If you're willing to spend a bit more, it might be a good idea to upgrade your router, depending on what model you have now.

[Blade of Grass]

Actually, that is not correct, internal network traffic is routing by mac addresses with a switch, so in this case only the traffic passing through the link TO the router would be 100Mbps.

Traffic going between the computers should never hit the router.

Oops, my mistake.