Speeds: home network VS internet

[Toby Goodbar]

i have two questions. but will focus on one at a time.

Why is is that, i can download a torrent lets say, from the internet at speeds anywhere from 300 kb/s to as high as 700 kb/s but when i transfer files between computers its never see more than 100 kb/s?

it doesn't make sense to me. Over the internet i'm competing with public traffic for bandwidth. At home its just 3 macs and an iphone. Shouldn't a "closed" network be faster? I cant even watch a movie file on from someone elses computer without transferring ir manually setting up to stream first.

That being said, i am suspicious it has something to do with AFP and SMB protocols, but i enabled FTP in the sharing pref and tried using transmit and was not able to achieve faster speeds.

Why is this, and what can i do?

PART 2

when adding a user account to a mac in the sharing prefs, for sharing only, is it supposed to grant FTP rights? Because unless remote logging in as the admin on that mac (none of the macs here have more than 1 user account on them) service is denied. We want to be able to make "drop boxes" or give brwosing access to each others media folders without giving out our user names and passwords.

 

[belvdr]

Are you doing this over wireless? It may also be that your machine, if wired, is not linking at the correct duplex and speed.

 

[Toby Goodbar]

yes wireless. but at the old place, we had lan ports throughout and wired didn't seem to make much difference. it should be noted though, that in that case it was a mixed pc/ mac enviro

 

[tdgrn]

We need more information,
What kind of router?
How spread out are the computers?
What kind of wireless adapters do they have?

 

[belvdr]

yes wireless. but at the old place, we had lan ports throughout and wired didn't seem to make much difference. it should be noted though, that in that case it was a mixed pc/ mac enviro

Are you writing to this remote device or reading? If writing, do a local file copy and see how fast it performs.

 

[Toby Goodbar]

We need more information,
What kind of router?
How spread out are the computers?
What kind of wireless adapters do they have?

In this most current case, router is an Actiontec MI-424WR branded for verizon fios. router is placed right next to an imac. my powermac is 8 ft away, and the laptop when its home an on is obviously variable but probly never more than 30 feet away usually closer because of the easy chair placement and tv.

Are you writing to this remote device or reading? If writing, do a local file copy and see how fast it performs.

Depends. i've tried to do read only using VLC on the laptop to watch a movie located on the powermac. it plays smooth for maybe 30 seconds then becomes choppy and or pauses awhile before becoming smooth again.

In the case of writing, moving a 400-500 mb file from the powermac to imac takes a good hour give or take 10 mins. Moving that same file takes about 1 minute from ide to usb external HD and about 2 minutes to a usb stick if i'm remembering properly from the other evening.

 

[wildwell]

I'm guessing at least one of the computers on your wifi network is using an 802.11b card (Airport before "Extreme"). If you have one device on the network using the 802.11b protocol, all the devices will drop to that speed.

 

[Toby Goodbar]

I'm guessing at least one of the computers on your wifi network is using an 802.11b card (Airport before "Extreme"). If you have one device on the network using the 802.11b protocol, all the devices will drop to that speed.

oh no. that would probly mean my powermac is the weakest link. she's the only non-intel mac on the network. well of course the iphone is too, having an ARM processor and all hehe i don't think the card is even an extreme. i think its just an airport with FW 9.52. thats all its says in system profiler.

So even though the newer machines have the newer standard, the entire network is reduced to my Powermac's 11mbps throughput? because for 8 feet i'll just wire it in. if i use the ethernet port the whole network should run at G speeds correct?

 

[belvdr]

if i use the ethernet port the whole network should run at G speeds correct?

Yes, that's correct.

 

[Badger^2]

you could always get a "g" USB stick for your QS

and keep it wireless.

About $25-30 at OWC.

And I have no idea whats wrong with your wired network, here on mine I can transfer a gigabyte worth of stuff from one mac to another in about 45 seconds.

Yes, we are on 1000bt, but a 1000bt switch is under $50.

 

[Toby Goodbar]

Yes, that's correct.

why is that the same airport card on my powermac that is crippling the network, is capable of downloading from the internet over that card and the wifi at speeds in excess of 300 kb/s?

 

[Toby Goodbar]

well, unless anyone has anymore input on the first part...

on to:

PART 2

when adding a user account to a mac in the sharing prefs, for sharing only, is it supposed to grant FTP rights? Because unless remote logging in as the admin on that mac (none of the macs here have more than 1 user account on them) service is denied. We want to be able to make "drop boxes" or give brwosing access to each others media folders without giving out our user names and passwords.