[bwilliams4]

At work we have an x-serve. It is used by a department that runs on OS 9. I have a 17" Powerbook and also use the server. Is there a way for me get faster file transfers? Could/should I connect directly to the server? It runs quick but not nearly as fast as I would expect. I think I connect using appletalk.

Thanks - Bob

[utidjian]

Originally posted by bwilliams4:
At work we have an x-serve. It is used by a department that runs on OS 9. I have a 17" Powerbook and also use the server. Is there a way for me get faster file transfers? Could/should I connect directly to the server? It runs quick but not nearly as fast as I would expect. I think I connect using appletalk.

Thanks - Bob

How big are the files? Largest? Smallest? Average? How long does it take to open a file?

If you are accessing the server from the LAN at work you are connected directly to the server.

[bwilliams4]

I am a photographer so the files and folders are large. I connect using Appletalk. Is there a better way? Also the building that I am has its data center about 1/4 mile away. The xserve is only about 50 feet away but I think that the data may travel throught the network and slow it down.

Bob

[C.J. Moof]

Appletalk is probably only being used for discovery of the Xserve, the actual communications are over TCP/IP. You're effective getting an invisible upgrade behind the scenes.

Best thing you can do for speed is ask them nicely to put you and the Xserve on gigabit ethernet.

If a network is built properly, it doesn't have to matter if your data flows through a datacenter over there... all depends on how it's constructed.

Of course, you realize that hardwired ethernet is much faster than airport, right?

[bwilliams4]

Thanks for the reply. I will find out if they can change to gigabit ethernet. I am not using my airport. Does the xserve have airport built in?

Thanks

[CatOne]

Originally posted by bwilliams4:
Thanks for the reply. I will find out if they can change to gigabit ethernet. I am not using my airport. Does the xserve have airport built in?

Thanks

Airport will be SLOW for large file transfers. It's about 5 mbit/sec transfer... which would mean a 50 MB file would take something like 100 seconds (~10 bits/byte times 50/5).

100 Mbps should take about 4-6 seconds, and gigabit should take, er, maybe a second or two (disk may start to limit transfer speeds here).

-B

[C.J. Moof]

Nope, an Xserve is not an airport base station. Couldn't be if you wanted it to.

Just stay away from airport (even airport extreme) when you're looking for maximum speed. Speed is traded in for flexibility in the wireless world.