Alix 2D13 + pfSense 2.1 - Low throughput
-
2.1-RELEASE (i386)
Alix 2D13
Cable Modem 70/10 mbit.If I connect PC directly to Cable modem, I get download and upload speed 68/11 mbit. Ping is about 6-7ms.
If I connect the Alix with pfSense between, I get download and upload speed 11/5 Ping is about 6-7ms.
How can I address this problem ?
–--Someone wrote I should post some figures;
[2.1-RELEASE][admin@pfsense.qlinux.org]/root(1): vmstat -i interrupt total rate irq0: clk 1296253 99 irq4: uart0 290 0 irq8: rtc 1659463 127 irq10: vr0 1948820 150 irq11: vr1 1894113 146 irq12: ohci0 ehci0 1 0 irq14: ata0 20536 1 Total 6819476 525
–--
Is similar to the problem on this thread; http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,56581.30.html
And this system has been running for 1.5 year without this issue... it just suddenly startet going slow..
-
To check if there is something wrong with the Alix box, I have setup another PC with 2 network cards.
It's an old box, with Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.66GHz, with 2027 MB memory.I made a backup of the pfsense running on alix.
I then connected the new PC, and restored the backup - setting up the wan/lan interface to match the new PC/hardware.The new (old) PC box gives me full throttle!!! Both download and upload :D
Download: 70.05 Mbit/s Upload: 10.82 Mbit/s Ping: 5 ms
What I get out of this, is that the Alix box have gone bad :-(
Maybe I might have made a power failure.. where the power pin (minus side) gets connected to the chassi giving the alix board Short-circuit of some sort..
- what do you think ?
-
Unlikely that a power fault would allow traffic through at a reduced rate. I would expect it to fail completely.
Is this the 256MB board? Do you have IPv6 enabled? Are you running any packages?Steve
-
Since the new PC is setup (with backup and restore) I guess checking the new PC with pfSense will give me the answers;
Yes, 256Mb is correct. (http://www.pcengines.ch/alix2d13.htm)
IPv6 is disabled. (unchecked "Enable DHCPv6 relay on interface")
There are no packages currently installed.
Addon information:
I remember that Memory was about 45-50% used. If this matters. But I never seen it go any higher.
CPU could jump to 70% but would go down pretty fast again.
I was running on a Sandisk 2Gb Compact flash.Compact Flash issue?
..i thought there might be something wrong with the sandisk CP (writing failure).. This was with pfSense 2.0.1.
So I made a raw copy of it with HDDGURU to a new CP card.
But this also did not affect the speed in any way.
I also upgraded this new CP card to pfSense 2.1.
But still It did not do anything with the speed issue.. -
Since you are seeing this difference between 2.0.x and 2.1 I'm trying to think of what might have changed. However normally with that level of restriction I would be looking for a speed or duplex mismatch on the interface, possibly a bad cable. I can't think what might cause that software wise, the driver will have changed I guess. Worth checking the NIC is negotiating the connection correctly though.
How is the CPU usage looking when you are pushing data?
Steve
-
2.1 and 2.0.x result in the same speed. (sorry for writing misleading..)
I also read that trying to set "Speed and duplex" to 100BaseTX full-duplex have helped in other cases.. but it did not help me.
–-
pfSense On the PC box:
Download very large file, 1Gb file from; http://www.thinkbroadband.com/download.html
CPU is around 12-16%. Memory 5%.
Download speed jumping up/downo 38-40.66M Bits/sec.
As soon as files is downloaded, CPU drops to 0-1%... (web page updated every 10sec)I will check the cables, and try replacing them for new once.. and see if it helps!
-
Ah ok, so this is not the box that's been running for 1.5 years? Or the same fault has appeared on both 2.0.x and 2.1?
So 40Mbps is quite a big higher than 11Mbps, is that a repeatable number?
Steve
-
Solved!
It was actually what you, stephenw10, suggested, TP-cables!!
I changed both cables, restartet the Cable modem and Alix.
Bang! Full speed again..even if if test it several times :-) (testing with nettfart.no)
66-70.3 Mbit/s
10.81 Mbit/s
4 ms PingThank you so much for helping me research this issue!!!
For info:
Alix 2D13 = been running for 1.5 years.
PC = just a couple of days.. ;)Same fault appeared on Alix 2D13, with both pfSense 2.0.x and 2.1.
Using Alix 2D13, pfSense 2.1, and downloading a 1Gb file.. the Alix used 25-31% CPU.