Connect to Ubuntu Server from Windows via Ethernet Cable or LAN

[maxhardwicke0]

Hello guys,

 

I have a Ubuntu Server running with SAMBA and I use it on a daily basis for work and media viewing. The current internet connect is 950mbits down and 110mbits up.

 

Ideally I would like to read and write from the server at the maximum drive speed when at home on the same network, the drives are SN850X.

 

How do I keep my server online for access from ay device but also setup a direct connection via ethernet or LAN from my windows workstation to the server. So I can take advantage of the drive speeds.

[adm0n]

Your server and home computer are probably on the same network, so you already have a "direct connection" between your server and PC. You just need to access it via the right address. So instead of using a public facing address, you have to use the private address, that it has on the same network.

 

But keep in mind, that there are overheads associated with network traffic.

[maxhardwicke0]

17 minutes ago, adm0n said:

Your server and home computer are probably on the same network, so you already have a "direct connection" between your server and PC. You just need to access it via the right address. So instead of using a public facing address, you have to use the private address, that it has on the same network.

 

But keep in mind, that there are overheads associated with network traffic.

They are both on the same network, but the limitation is the network speed. I want to connect via cable so I can use the full speed of the nvme drive.

[adm0n]

10 minutes ago, maxhardwicke0 said:

They are both on the same network, but the limitation is the network speed. I want to connect via cable so I can use the full speed of the nvme drive.

oh, you want to go faster than your home network speed. Then you'd need to either increase the speed of your home network, or build a small, separate network between the server and the PC. For the simplest setup, you'd install a separate 10g NIC in both the server and the PC and connect them directly. If you want even more speed, there are more expensive solutions out there, such as DAC or you can go with fiber optics.

 

Here is a (hopefully) relevant thread https://superuser.com/questions/1566790/correct-way-to-provide-a-direct-network-link-between-2-devices-as-well-as-connec

[ChrisLoudon]

7 hours ago, maxhardwicke0 said:

They are both on the same network, but the limitation is the network speed. I want to connect via cable so I can use the full speed of the nvme drive.

I think what you are looking for is a remote desktop environment. This will allow you to manipulate files on the the remote server as if you were using it locally so you won't be limited by your LAN speed.

 

If no desktop environment is available you can always ssh into Ubuntu and do it that way but the terminal can be a bit of a faff.

 

 

[maxhardwicke0]

I already SSH into my sever for maintenance ect, but I need to transfer my files without a network bottleneck. While moving data around on the server it’s 3Gb/s read and write. But uploading to the sever or downloading it limited to 100 mb/s. So if I could connect a cable to the server from my workstation I can take advantage of the 3Gb/s

[Tanks]

1 hour ago, maxhardwicke0 said:

I already SSH into my sever for maintenance ect, but I need to transfer my files without a network bottleneck. While moving data around on the server it’s 3Gb/s read and write. But uploading to the sever or downloading it limited to 100 mb/s. So if I could connect a cable to the server from my workstation I can take advantage of the 3Gb/s

adm0n is on the right track; you have two main options:

1. Increase Your Home Network Speed: If it's only 100Mbps, upgrading to Gigabit (GB) switches is quite affordable.

2. Go Point-to-Point with Networking: This approach has its own advantages and disadvantages:

   • Advantages of Point-to-Point Network:

     • Simplicity: Direct connection without the need for a switch.
     • Potential Speed Increase: May allow faster data transfer between devices.
     • Dedicated Connection: The connection is only between two devices, avoiding potential traffic congestion.

   • Disadvantages of Point-to-Point Network:

     • Scalability: Difficult to add more devices without a switch.
     • Complexity in Larger Networks: Can become complex if you need to connect more than two devices.
     • Potential Cost: Might require specialized cabling or hardware.

Generally, I recommend staying away from P2P networking but if you do have spare network cards on both machines most current interfaces ARE auto-sensing so you could just plug them in and assign IP addresses, as P2P wont have a DHCP server you will have to assign Manual IP addresses. 

With Ubuntu server this might also require adding rules for the firewall for SAMBA as it will be exiting on a different subnet. 

[MG2R]

Just to set some expectations here: your drives are capable of 3-5 GB/s (gigabyte per second) throughput. That is 24-40 Gb/s (gigabit per second). Networking gear in that order of magnitude will run you at some cost.

 

If you do switch to very high speed networking, consider the protocol limitations of Samba. This is well-documented in a multitude of LTT videos. Getting Samba to work at 20 or 40 Gbps is quite the challenge.

 

What is your actual use case here? Which problem are you solving? If you just want faster networking for the sake of faster networking, I’d get 10 Gbps gear. It’s fast but not too expensive these days. 
 

The cheapest option will be a direct link between server and workstation. Keep your current networking as-is for internet access, but also add a new network card in each machine, then directly attach both to eachother.

 

You can configure each machine to have a static IP address on the new network interface, and add a route so they know they can reach the other machine on said interface. The easiest way to do this is to pick a new, small subnet that does not overlap with your current home network. E.g. add 172.20.0.2/30 and 172.20.0.3/30 to the interfaces and they should be able to reach each other through the direct network connection. 
 

this avoids having to buy an expensive switch but of course limits you to two machines