[mdlug] OT: Gigabit Ethernet - Worth it?

[Jeff Hanson]

On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 4:57 PM, Stan Green <Stan at mcomputersolutions.com> wrote:
> Oh ye experts of the network....
>
> I do a lot of data transfer of large files (4gb - 40gb ) and large sets of
> data (100gb+). These transfers take some time. I'm thinking of upgrading some
> of the network to Gigabit Ethernet. I've read conflicting information about
> Gigabit Ethernet; some say it is faster and some say the PC is the
> bottleneck. My PC's tend to be a few (3-5) years old. I transfer data over
> both NFS and Samba. Most of the large files go over Samba. If I replace the
> NIC cards, cables and hub, should I expect to see a BIG difference in
> transfer speed?

It depends on where the bottlenecks are.  If it's your network then it
will help.  Using jumbo frames can also improve transfer rates but
your routers must be able to use them also.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo_Frame