LACP vs 10GbE Questions

[shovenose]

Here's my situation... I have Gigabit internet service, a Plex server with NZBGet, Sonaar, and Radaar running on it, and a NAS. I wanted to upgrade everything to 10GbE but that's expensive... So I'm thinking of buying a managed switch with LACP support and using two gigabit connections on the Plex server and on the NAS.

First off, I understand that I will not achieve 2Gbps file transfer speeds. Rather, the way it works is I get two concurrent 1Gbps connections. This works for me, because for example if I'm transferring a file from the Plex server to the NAS but also downloading from my gigabit internet I won't experience any slow down. Or if I'm moving data between the Plex server and the NAS but also accessing something on the NAS from my PC...
Or at least that's how I think it's gonna work, right?

Any suggestions on good and cheap dual port NICs that support LACP properly under Win10 Pro x64 which all my computers are running.

For a switch I like Ubiquiti EdgeStuff but it's overkill for this purpose so I'm thinking of the TP-Link T1500G-10PS. I've had good experiences with TP-Link in the past.

I've attached a detailed masterpiece of art on my proposed setup. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[SniperHF]

Here's my situation... I have Gigabit internet service, a Plex server with NZBGet, Sonaar, and Radaar running on it, and a NAS. I wanted to upgrade everything to 10GbE but that's expensive... So I'm thinking of buying a managed switch with LACP support and using two gigabit connections on the Plex server and on the NAS.

First off, I understand that I will not achieve 2Gbps file transfer speeds. Rather, the way it works is I get two concurrent 1Gbps connections. This works for me, because for example if I'm transferring a file from the Plex server to the NAS but also downloading from my gigabit internet I won't experience any slow down. Or if I'm moving data between the Plex server and the NAS but also accessing something on the NAS from my PC...
Or at least that's how I think it's gonna work, right?

Yes, assuming you don't hit a bottleneck somewhere else. There's some overhead in addition to not getting a larger maximum throughput, you won't get 1+1+ speeds for every link you add. But you'll get more provided you have separate sessions as in your example.

I tested it on a Cisco switch before using intentionally bottlenecked speeds of 10mbps on the individual LACP group members just to see what it would do, and I got about 190% of the total throughput if I was doing large file transfers. And that was just using the load balancing on the switch only, not using a proper LACP capable NIC/HBA so it might work better that way.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Link aggregation seems to be a bit hit and miss, but yes, it should allow the NAS to work better with multiple clients.
You didn't specify what the NAS or Plex server is in terms of hardware, so make sure they support link aggregation.
I can say from experience that some NAS appliances doesn't do a great job of link aggregation and you need to hit a certain throughput before it kicks in, so if you're not hitting a combined throughput above Gigabit speed, you might never see any benefit from the link aggregation.

I'd suggest getting an Intel based NIC if you're going down this route, again, assuming your devices support it.
Maybe something along the lines of this?

Amazon.com: Intel PRO/1000 Pt Dual Port Server Adapter : Electronics

Buy Intel PRO/1000 Pt Dual Port Server Adapter: Network Cards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Or this

Amazon.com: 1G Gigabit Ethernet Converged Network Adapter, Compatible Intel 82576 Dual RJ45 Port, PCI Express 2.0 X1, NIC Card for Desktop PC: Computers & Accessories

Buy 1G Gigabit Ethernet Converged Network Adapter, Compatible Intel 82576 Dual RJ45 Port, PCI Express 2.0 X1, NIC Card for Desktop PC: Network Cards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Or even this

Amazon.com: Dell Intel PRO/1000 VT Quad Port Server Adapter LP PCI-E with Both BR : Electronics

Buy Dell Intel PRO/1000 VT Quad Port Server Adapter LP PCI-E with Both BR: Network Cards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Have you considered another alternative to 10Gbps, such as 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps?

You can get a 2.5Gbps Ethernet card for the same cost as the dual Gigabit cards.

Amazon.com: Syba 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express PCI-E x1 Network Interface Card 10/100/1000/25000 Mbps RJ45 LAN for Desktop PC SD-PEX24065 : Electronics

Buy Syba 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express PCI-E x1 Network Interface Card 10/100/1000/25000 Mbps RJ45 LAN for Desktop PC SD-PEX24065: Network Cards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Yes, it's Realtek based, but judging by my quick testing, the performance isn't half bad.

Quick comparison, 1Gbps, 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, 10Gbps Ethernet

Note that this test is limited by the fact that the target is a mechanical hard drive, even if it's a NAS drive. The NAS also has an Aquantia 10Gbps card in it. This is obviously not a thorough test, but I wanted to see how the Realtek 2.5Gbps chip performed. Take this for what it is, a quick...

www.techpowerup.com

If you want more than two ports, you might run into issues finding an affordable switch.
This is your best bet for a 8+2 port switch with Gigabit and 2.5-10Gbps ports right now.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Dashboard-Multi-Gig-GS810EMX/dp/B0787JFFZ3/

If you want more 2.5Gbps ports, then this is the way to go.

Amazon.com: TRENDnet 10-Port 2.5GBASE-T Web Smart Switch, 8 x 2.5GBASE-T RJ-45 Ports, 2 x 10G SFP+ Slots, Lifetime Protection, TEG-30102WS, Black : Electronics

Amazon.com: TRENDnet 10-Port 2.5GBASE-T Web Smart Switch, 8 x 2.5GBASE-T RJ-45 Ports, 2 x 10G SFP+ Slots, Lifetime Protection, TEG-30102WS, Black : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Yes, the switch will be a lot more expensive than going with Gigabit Ethernet, but your'e also starting to build a more future proof network.

 

[remixedcat]

What os is the Plex server? On 2012 r2 you can make a team that doesn't even depend on the switch setup and can even be done with "dumb" switches..

I even have a trick to get wired and wireless teamed lol

This site has some teaming info http://techgenix.com/nic-teaming-windows-server-2012/amp/