Subject: ftp performance with netbsd ?
To: None <current-users@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Peter Galbavy <peter@wonderland.org>
List: current-users
Date: 06/06/1995 06:45:18
I have been trying to track down some network problems froim home,
and at the end of a 64k line I was getting appaling thoughput NetBSD
<-> NetBSD ftp as a test. After trying a lot of things to see what
was wrong on the network, I then (for kicks) tried Solaris <->
NetBSD and SunOS <-> NetBSD (with NetBSD the client in all cases),
and the thoughout was *very* different.

The route to the NetBSD and SunOS servers is through two routers (the
same ones) and the Solaris through the 'net including a 2mb link.

(using ncftp or ftp)

*** SunOS *** (route via 64k link and two routers)
disabuse.demon.co.uk:/pub/doc/rfc
ftp>get rfc0822.txt
rfc0822.txt: 107337 bytes received in 14.03 seconds, 7.47 K/s.

*** Solaris *** (route thru 'net, smallest pipe 64k same routers)
phoenix.doc.ic.ac.uk:/rfc
ftp>get rfc822.txt
rfc822.txt: 106299 bytes received in 18.37 seconds, 5.65 K/s.

*** NetBSD *** (route via 64k link and two routers)
dontcare.demon.co.uk:/disaster/home/peter
get rfc0822.txt
rfc0822.txt: 107337 bytes received in 309.82 seconds, 346.45 Bytes/s.

erk! 

And also the NetBSD server just *feels* slower. Commands take longer
to execute (like dir). What made me notice this is that I was
playing with dontcare.demon.co.uk as a proxy web server to show
how bad Solaris was. And ouch. I was proven wrong.

Locally, my ftp server (on Ethernet) is fine. It is the thin pipe
that seems to slow things down.

I can generate tcpdump's if needed.

Any comments or ideas people ?

Oh, NetBSD-current/i386 for the server, and NetBSD/sparc (1.0 + bits)
for the client.

Regards,
-- 
Peter Galbavy                                           peter@wonderland.org
@ Home                                                 phone://44/973/499465
in Wonderland                              http://www.wonderland.org/~peter/
                               snail://UK/NW1_6LE/London/21_Harewood_Avenue/