10g NAS through desktop

[fanchazstic]

Hello, I am building a NAS based on Windows Server 2012. I considered FreeNAS and unRaid as well, but Server 2012 seems to be the best fit for me. My desktop is going to be the most important in terms of speed, so I was thinking about installing a 10g network card in both the NAS and the desktop. This comes from Linus' video about this. Due to the cost of sfp+ cables, I was thinking about having the NAS next to my desktop and instead of running another ethernet for the NAS to connect to the rest of the network, can I just pass through the desktop? Running another ethernet is a real pain so this would be awesome, but I understand the limitations. I am not trying to improve the speed to other computers, I know the bottleneck will still be the gigabit ethernet to those. I just want faster transfer speeds from my desktop to the nas and not have to run another ethernet cable for it.

[Edelrat]

You could pass it through, I think, but I wouldn´t do that.

It is only one ethernet-cable more, why is it a "real pain"?

 

If your desktop is the only thing that should be connected with 10g I would do it like that:

 

- add a 10g card to your NAS and desktop

- connect those two directly (with SFP+ or RJ45, I would do RJ45 tho)

- connect your NAS via it´s onboard LAN to the rest of your network, same with your desktop

[fanchazstic]

25 minutes ago, MEOOOOOOOOOOOOW said:

You could pass it through, I think, but I wouldn´t do that.

It is only one ethernet-cable more, why is it a "real pain"?

 

If your desktop is the only thing that should be connected with 10g I would do it like that:

 

- add a 10g card to your NAS and desktop

- connect those two directly (with SFP+ or RJ45, I would do RJ45 tho)

- connect your NAS via it´s onboard LAN to the rest of your network, same with your desktop

The rj45 10g cards are a lot more expensive than the sfp+ ones on ebay. It would be significantly more expensive to go rj45. It is a pain because I would have to put a new box in the wall at the router side (the one there now has 6 cat5 ports already and is full) and run it through the attic to by my computer. I would be a pain, but it is the correct way to do it. So I guess I might as well do it the correct way.

[leadeater]

Direct connect the NAS and desktop with 10G and then use a small 5-8 port switch to connect the NAS and desktop to the local LAN. This way you don't have to run another cable. Not as clean as running another cable but much less effort.

[fanchazstic]

1 hour ago, leadeater said:

Direct connect the NAS and desktop with 10G and then use a small 5-8 port switch to connect the NAS and desktop to the local LAN. This way you don't have to run another cable. Not as clean as running another cable but much less effort.

That would work much better, I don't know how I didn't think of that lol. I even have a spare switch I could use. Thanks!