🚀 go-pugleaf

tbenson@dzs.com wrote:

>  I have a small Netware 411 10BASE-T network that is growing (1 server, CAT
>5, 4 hubs, 24 users).  I'll soon have another 10 nodes.  Are there statistics
>in the LAN/WAN section of MONITOR that I can use to see how much bandwidth is
>being used?  How about a freeware/demo/shareware utility?  I'll pay for
>"regular" software if I have to, but can't spend much.	If I had some network
>monitoring software it would help me decide what new hardware I'll need.

I went from two 10Mbps segments (4 hubs daisy-chained on each NIC to a
tune of 50 users) to a switch that has one 100Mbps segment to the file
server & 10Mbps to the workstations. I just dropped the eight 10 Mbps
hubs I had each from the switch port; the switch I got came with 24
10/100Mbps auto-sensing ports so I used eight of those ports for the
hubs & one for the server & I still have 15 ports open on the switch
where I can either hang hubs or connect a power hungry user direct to
the port @ 10Mbps or 100Mbps.

I think what I heard from the gurus was in a single server environment
with the same pipe width all around one won't see a difference (or
even a worse performance like Dave has suggested) but if the pipe to
the server is bigger than pipe to the workstations & the box can
handle the requests (I upgraded my CPU from 486/66 to PPro200; also
from NW312 to NW411) then it should be at least the same as or better
performance.

For me the performance was not a concern even before the switch but
the introduction of a switch had the added benefits like no need for
subnetting IP, easier to expand (instead of adding segments each time
I hit the 4 hub daisy-chain limit I can just hang another hub from a
switch port), etc.

Also, go look @ www.wg.com; there's a demo of their s/w called
"LinkView" ... I tried that & it was neat. Although it is crippled in
the sense that it's limited to collecting packets for only 5 minutes &
is limited to only 5 workstations I had fun playing w/it. 

HTH. Robert



>
>Thanks for any suggestions,
> Tom Benson
>
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