Network performance is directly impacted by the computers, devices and other hardware involved.
A Local Area Network will only transfer as fast as the slowest device on the network. This means that if you have two Gigabit Ethernet devices connected to a 10 Mbit/s switch, the entire network will transfer at 10 Mbit/s. Check your device's connection speeds in its manual or on its support site to ensure compatibility.
Most networks will transfer (on average) at the following speeds:
10 Mbit/s Ethernet Networks - 1 or 2 megabytes a second
100 Mbit/s Ethernet Networks - 5 to 15 megabytes a second
1 Gbit/s (Gigabit) Ethernet Networks - 20+ megabytes a second
Typically, wireless devices will not be able to reach the same speeds as when using a wired connection.
A few other aspects to keep in mind:
- Any hubs (not switches) on the network could be reducing traffic since they split bandwidth instead of amplify it.
- If the data source or target is sending multiple streams at once, each stream is dividing the bandwidth
- If the data source or target is processing heavily, network traffic will be affected as less CPU power can be dedicated to transmitting.
- Malware and viruses often take bandwidth or reduce it, ensure that you have an active anti-virus program running and that it is up to date.
Please contact LaCie Technical Support for further assistance.
