Howto build fast home network with domains AND workgroups
 

Hi all,

At home we have a small home network, but it is very slow. I believe it is, because some computers are placed in a workgroup, called WORKGROUP and others are placed in a domain called TUE. The domain is because many of the laptops at our house also have to work on our university, and I can't simply put them in a workgroup.
The reason why I believe it is slow because of this, is because file sharing between the computers in the workgroup goes with 5 MB/s. File sharing between a domain computer and a workgroup computer goes as fast as 160 KB/s. This is the upload speed of our internet here. How to make the connection with the domain computers the same speed as the workgroup computers?

I can not simply put the domain computers out of their domain and in the workgroup (as explained before)

Our network looks as follows:

Internet
/\
||
\/
Modem
/\
||
\/
Router (Wireless)
=> fileserver (samba server, named razer, is a debian machine) on workgroup
=> webserver on workgroup
=> Wireless, has connected 6 windows machines (windows XP, vista); 1 on workgroup, 5 on domains
=> hub, has connected 6 windows machines (windows xp, vista) (the same as for the wireless)


Best regards,

Geert

Home Network and Wireless performance
 

Let me try to help.
As I see, the slow transfers are on the domain machines which are on WIRELESS connections, is that right? Then that should be the wireless fault. Remember that wireless routers are like old HUBs, not like new switches. Tha means that they are slow and the more online the slowers, because of network colisions.
Did you try plugin them all in the cable network (hub as you mention, but I bet it is a switch, which avoids packet colisions on the network)? Please do to make a fair comparisson between all PCs. The performance might NOT be related to workgroups or domains.
Any PCs that usually connect to Windows Domains should be able to login locally, without a domain, unless your Windows policies block that, but then you probably would not even be able to use them at home. I suggest forgetting the domain stuff, and setting up a regular samba. Start\Execute "\\ipofyoursamba" should always get you to your file shares in your file server, indepent of any domains.

Performance tip for your samba, add this in the global section of you smb.conf, check if they dont already exist and replace them, then restart samba:
smb ports = 139
local master = yes
preferred master = yes
wins support = yes

Yes, the smb ports is the most important one, Windows acts likes a virus trying several ports and ways to connect, which might delay and hang while trying to connect to a samba server (Windows XP experience), and this limits the connection to the traditional port.
Hope that helps!

Hi,

I have found the problem (thanks to your very good post). However, I did not yet found the solution!

The problem is the hub. I checked, and the hub says it is a 10 Mbps ethernet hub, connected to it 6 pc's.

The case: the file server is connected to the wireless router by cable
If i connect my PC through cable with the router, speed = 5.5 MBps
If i connect my PC through wireless with the router, the speed = 2 MBps (still ok)
If i connect my PC through cable with the hub, speed = 200 KBps

So the hub seems to be the problem. How can this problem be solved?

Best regards,

Geert

This problem is solved by buying a switch, instead of a hub.

Thanks Alroger for the very good reply. It helped me alot!

Best regards,

Geert

Happy to help!