Upgrading my network & PC. Thoughts and advice appreciated.

[jchan94]

I'm looking to update my home network, create a file server pc, and build a new PC for the heck of it before I go back to school in the fall.

 

I am looking to expand and get more thrust into my home network. I am currently using my Wii as a home media hub running off external USB drives as well as running netflix on it. I am looking to make it easier to function with XBMC.

 

The best set up that I think will work:

http://gyazo.com/403299a398b9047e7a473c78ef527d6d.png

M = Modem

R = Router

S = Switch

FServer = File Server

VoIP = Internet Phone 

 

The network printer and HTPC are going to be in the living room area, which is why they are configured to a powerline.

 

Do you think that this will make my home network run smooth overall? 

I know that the powerline is limited to 200Mbps, or 500Mbps, depending on which one I get. This will highly limit my HTPC's ability, depending on how big the file sizes are.

 

Is there a smarter way to configure all of this?

 

 

This is my current setup:

 

**Network:**

Time Warner Cable 15Mbps // 1.8 megabyte download speed

Motorola Router (provided by ISP)

Crappy D-Link dir-826l Router

 

**File Server**

Windows Shared Folders off my desktop PC // slow file sharing connection....

 

**PC:**

MSI P67 C43 <-- decent board, despite reviews.

i5 2500k <-- oc'd to 4ghz

Thermaltake Frio <-- horrible cooler

16GB DDR3 Ram 

M4 256GB SSD

500gb HD for storage.

Galaxy 670gtx

NZXT Tempest 410 Elite 

This PC also has 3x2TB WD green drives running in Raid 1 for photo backup storage.

 

------------------------------------------------

 

**New Network**

Motorola SB6121 SURFboard Modem

Asus RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless AC1750 Router

TRENDnet 8-Port Unmanaged Gigabit Green Switch

 

**File Server**

*It will only be a file server where I will be backing up stuff to and media streaming, running 24/7.*

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1uTvH

Runs at 24-36W between active idle, and full load.

PSU was selected for power efficiency & possible hardware upgrade in the future.

 

**HTPC**

*Running OpenElec with XBMC. Runs below 20W*

Intel Next Unit of Computing Kit, Black/Grey BOXDCCP847DYE

 

**New PC**

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1uSAu

[Cacao]

 

The most scientific drawing I've ever seen. What drawing software do you use?

[jchan94]

 

The most scientific drawing I've ever seen. What drawing software do you use?

 

Paint of course. What else would I use?

[ProGearUk]

 

The most scientific drawing I've ever seen. What drawing software do you use?

Paint 

[Levent]

just letting you know you wont be getting 200mbps out of an powerline i barely get 15mbps out of mine

[Cacao]

Paint of course. What else would I use?

 

 

Paint 

I know he's using paint, it was a joke :D

[jchan94]

just letting you know you wont be getting 200mbps out of an powerline i barely get 15mbps out of mine

 

Are you talking in bits or bytes. I just want to make sure. Cause megabytes sound okay... but not super awesome :(. Any recommendation for the HTPC?

 

I know he's using paint, it was a joke :D

 

So any advice?

[Levent]

Are you talking in bits or bytes. I just want to make sure. Cause megabytes sound okay... but not super awesome :(. Any recommendation for the HTPC?

 

 

So any advice?

its roughly 1.8mb per second which is horrible

[ProGearUk]

I know he's using paint, it was a joke :D

I know.

[jchan94]

its roughly 1.8mb per second which is horrible

Damn. I was afraid you'd say bits.

[greg2126]

Your printer should run fine over powerline but your HTPC will not. 

Is running some Ethernet cables to the living room out of the question?
 

[jchan94]

Your printer should run fine over powerline but your HTPC will not. 

Is running some Ethernet cables to the living room out of the question?

 

 

My router/modem is based in my room, so that's where the issue comes to play, aha.

 

I'm thinking maybe I can move the router downstairs, and switch to a wirelesss connection via my PC?

 

Do you see any flaw in my HTPC, or other network related products?

[rufee]

Network side is fine. However you want to use 6 drives on a 4 port RAID card in your HTPC so unless you are running stuff like FreeNAS you wont be able to hardware RAID all 6 drives.

[neon]

It's better to plug all your stuff into the same device, so instead of spreading across the Router and Switch plug everything into the Switch, or if you are running short of ports plug all the important (ie high bandwidth) stuff into one and all the non important stuff into the other.

This is so everything can communicate at full or close to full speed, as it is now it wouldn't really cause a problem because only the FServer is really communicating over the Switch-Router link so the single Gigabit link will be OK, but in future if you added a PC to the Switch then if PC1 was talking to the FServer and PC2 wanted to talk to new PC3 then the Switch-Router link would be shared, effectively halving the Gigabit link, whereas if they were all in the Switch then it would be full Gigabit all-round.

 

So assuming the switch is in the same room as the router, plug everything into the Switch, the Gigabit link between the Switch and Router will easily cope with your internet and Wi-Fi needs.

[jchan94]

Network side is fine. However you want to use 6 drives on a 4 port RAID card in your HTPC so unless you are running stuff like FreeNAS you wont be able to hardware RAID all 6 drives.

 

The raid that is gonna be set up is 2x3tb in raid 1, 2x3tb in raid 1, and the last 2 drives as media, or raid 0. Will it still work under WHS 2011?

 

It's better to plug all your stuff into the same device, so instead of spreading across the Router and Switch plug everything into the Switch, or if you are running short of ports plug all the important (ie high bandwidth) stuff into one and all the non important stuff into the other.

This is so everything can communicate at full or close to full speed, as it is now it wouldn't really cause a problem because only the FServer is really communicating over the Switch-Router link so the single Gigabit link will be OK, but in future if you added a PC to the Switch then if PC1 was talking to the FServer and PC2 wanted to talk to new PC3 then the Switch-Router link would be shared, effectively halving the Gigabit link, whereas if they were all in the Switch then it would be full Gigabit all-round.

 

So assuming the switch is in the same room as the router, plug everything into the Switch, the Gigabit link between the Switch and Router will easily cope with your internet and Wi-Fi needs.

 

Oh the switch, the router and the modem are in the same room. Would moving pc1, and pc2 to the switch reduce the internet speed for the two pc's in anyway? I'm afraid that it will and that's why I kept them on the router. I don't mind throwing it all into the switch. 

 

If I plugged PC1 and PC2 into the switch with the fileserver, and pc1 and pc2 were communicating with the fileserver, wouldn't still limit the gigabit connection, and essentially offer half for each pc? In theory, it's the same as the setup I have set up at the moment. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[neon]

Oh the switch, the router and the modem are in the same room. Would moving pc1, and pc2 to the switch reduce the internet speed for the two pc's in anyway? I'm afraid that it will and that's why I kept them on the router. I don't mind throwing it all into the switch. 

 

If I plugged PC1 and PC2 into the switch with the fileserver, and pc1 and pc2 were communicating with the fileserver, wouldn't still limit the gigabit connection, and essentially offer half for each pc? In theory, it's the same as the setup I have set up at the moment. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

No it can't reduce the internet speed, you say your internet 15 Mbit, the router and the switch are talking to each other at Gigabit, there will be no blockage there.

 

Yeah you're right, because you only have one high bandwidth 'thing' on the switch it won't be a problem communicating back to the router at full speed, but if you were to add a 3rd PC in the mix on the switch, if they were all on the switch two separate devices could talk to each other at full Gigabit (ie the FServer to PC1 and PC2 to PC3), even now if you are on a VoIP call and you were transferring a file you would get a drop, it would be a drop of virtually nothing 2-3 Mbit max, but if they were all on the Switch there would be no drop.

 

Gigabit if so fast that even when halved you wouldn't really notice any 'drop', perhaps in straight file to file copy you will see a decline but not on any media streaming, but it's normally optimal to have all the devices plugged into in the same device.

 

A possible issue is that your router is AC, have you got anything that can really use AC? I mean like a PC or laptop with AC (not a mobile), if you have then it would be best to keep the PCs in the router along with the FServer.

 

So what you could do is swap the powerline and the FServer, so in the router you have PC1, 2 and the FServer then on the Switch have the Power line and the VoIP, everything will talk at Gigabit and at full AC speed you can get on the router and a 200 or 500 Mbit powerline and the VoIP will nowhere saturate the router-switch link.

 

Hope that makes sense.

[jchan94]

No it can't reduce the internet speed, you say your internet 15 Mbit, the router and the switch are talking to each other at Gigabit, there will be no blockage there.

 

Yeah you're right, because you only have one high bandwidth 'thing' on the switch it won't be a problem communicating back to the router at full speed, but if you were to add a 3rd PC in the mix on the switch, if they were all on the switch two separate devices could talk to each other at full Gigabit (ie the FServer to PC1 and PC2 to PC3), even now if you are on a VoIP call and you were transferring a file you would get a drop, it would be a drop of virtually nothing 2-3 Mbit max, but if they were all on the Switch there would be no drop.

 

Gigabit if so fast that even when halved you wouldn't really notice any 'drop', perhaps in straight file to file copy you will see a decline but not on any media streaming, but it's normally optimal to have all the devices plugged into in the same device.

 

A possible issue is that your router is AC, have you got anything that can really use AC? I mean like a PC or laptop with AC (not a mobile), if you have then it would be best to keep the PCs in the router along with the FServer.

 

So what you could do is swap the powerline and the FServer, so in the router you have PC1, 2 and the FServer then on the Switch have the Power line and the VoIP, everything will talk at Gigabit and at full AC speed you can get on the router and a 200 or 500 Mbit powerline and the VoIP will nowhere saturate the router-switch link.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Thanks for the input! It helps a lot in making me think a little more.

 

I think I'll do what you suggested then. I don't plan on adding another computer to the mix anytime soon, but I still need to solve my problem with the HTPC.

 

 

[AMD Lover]

just letting you know you wont be getting 200mbps out of an powerline i barely get 15mbps out of mine

It depends on your wiring