Reasonable configuration of the server's hard drive
Users who work in a local area network (LAN) often use the network to print materials and access files. For some reason, the speed of network access may become abnormal. At this point, we often mistakenly believe that the cause of reduced network speed could be due to bottlenecks in certain devices within the network, such as network cards, switches, or hubs. In fact, the biggest factor affecting network speed is still the speed of the server's hard drive. Therefore, correctly configuring the hard drive on the LAN server will greatly improve the overall network performance of the entire LAN. Maintaining a LAN can bring many benefits to enterprises. Typically, when setting up the hard drive, we need to consider the following factors:
The hard drives in the server should preferably be high-speed and large-capacity, because faster hard drive speeds result in quicker data access over the network;
The hard drive interface in the server should ideally be SCSI, as this interface transmits data faster than IDE or EIDE interfaces. It uses a parallel mode for sending and receiving data;
If conditions allow, we can install a RAID card on the network server, as RAID cards significantly enhance the read/write performance and security of the hard drive;
Of course, it is important to note that on the same SCSI channel, low-speed SCSI devices (such as CDs) should not be shared with the hard drive, otherwise the high-speed data transmission capability of the hard drive's SCSI interface will not be fully utilized.
Correct use of "bridge" devices
"Bridge" devices are typically used for network equipment within the same network segment, while routers are used for different segments. In my workplace, we once installed a microwave networking device. After the physical devices were connected, during online debugging, the server kept prompting that the current network segment number should be the other party’s network segment number. After aligning the server's network segment number with the other party, the server alarm disappeared. Ah! It turned out that this was a device with bridging characteristics. Later, when installing another microwave networking device at a different location and using products from another manufacturer, we had already aligned the network segment numbers on both sides before installation, but after installing the device, the server again showed an alarm: incorrect current route. The alarm disappeared after modifying one side's network segment. Clearly, correctly distinguishing between "routing" devices and "bridge" devices is very important in setting network parameters.
Connecting according to rules
Each computer in the LAN is connected using twisted pair cables, but simply connecting two computers with a twisted pair cable does not achieve communication purposes; we must connect according to specific wiring rules. I once tried to connect two computers more than 100 meters apart using a twisted pair cable to achieve communication, but no matter how hard I tried, the connection failed. Later, experts pointed out that the maximum distance for twisted pair cable connections cannot exceed 100 meters. Additionally, if we need to connect two computers over 100 meters, we must use conversion equipment, and when connecting conversion equipment and switches, we must perform crossover wiring. This is because in Ethernet, generally two pairs of twisted pair wires are used, arranged in positions 1, 2, 3, and 6. If the original paired wires are separated and used individually, crosstalk will occur, resulting in significant interference (NEXT), which has a major impact on network performance. In a 10M network environment, this situation is not obvious, but in a 100M network environment, if the traffic is high or the distance is long, the network will fail to connect.
Strictly enforce grounding requirements
In LAN management, all transmitted signals are weak. If operations are slightly improper or do not follow the specific operational requirements of network devices, interference information may appear during networking, which can severely lead to the entire network being inaccessible. Especially for some network switching devices, since they involve remote lines, their grounding requirements are very strict. Otherwise, the network device will not reach the specified connection rate, causing various inexplicable faults during networking. I once accidentally plugged the router's power cord into a city power outlet, resulting in the inability to connect the 128k DDN dedicated line to the Internet. The telecommunications bureau checked the lines and found everything normal, but upon checking the zero-ground voltage of the router's power supply, it was discovered to be incorrect. After switching back to the UPS socket, everything returned to normal. Another time, the grounding terminal of the router's power plug broke, causing frequent data packet loss. When doing a ping test, the connection was intermittent. After replacing the power cord, everything returned to normal. From this, we can see that when using network devices, we must operate under the specified conditions; otherwise, it will cause significant trouble to our work.
Use new-style network cards with good quality and fast speed
In a LAN, it is quite common for computers to be unable to communicate with each other, and there could be many reasons for this fault. I have previously observed that most faults in LANs are related to network cards, either due to incorrect installation of the network card, poor contact of the network cable, or old network cards that cannot be correctly recognized by the computer. Additionally, some network cards installed in servers cannot withstand the impact of large amounts of data, eventually leading to failure. Therefore, to avoid these phenomena, we must be willing to invest. If the network card is installed in a server, we must use a high-quality network card, as servers generally run non-stop, and only high-quality network cards can sustain "work" for extended periods. Additionally, since servers transmit large amounts of data, the capacity of the purchased network card must match accordingly, thus achieving the principle of "good horse with good saddle."
Reasonable configuration of switches
Switches are an important data exchange device in LAN maintenance. Correct and reasonable use of switches can also significantly improve the data transmission performance in the network. I once configured the switch port to 100M full-duplex, and installed an Intel 100M EISA network card on the server. Everything seemed normal after installation, but during high-traffic data transfer, the speed became extremely slow. Finally, it was discovered that this network card did not support full-duplex. After changing the switch port to half-duplex, the fault disappeared. This shows that the port of the switch and the rate and duplex mode of the network card must be consistent. Currently, there are many self-adaptive network cards and switches. In theory, they should correctly adapt to the rate and duplex mode, but in practice, due to differences in brands, full-duplex mode is often not correctly achieved. Even though the server network card is set to full-duplex, the duplex light on the switch remains off unless manually forced. Therefore, when setting network device parameters, we must refer to the network device parameters on the server or other workstations, trying to ensure that all devices match and work together.