Can you help me understand if this is a bottleneck

[JohnnyCarnage]

We have a bottle neck and I think I know why, but I could use some help.

Here is the scenerio:
The DSL Modem connects to a 12 port switch, which feeds the upstairs users and also connects to a 12 port switch downstairs through 1 single Cat 5 cable.

The downstairs 12 port switch then provides connectivity to the rest of the users while I believe there is one 4 port hub between some users and the downstairs switch.

There are approxamitely 14 users on this LAN and it's probably a 50/50 split in terms of location, that is 7 users upstairs, 7 users downstairs.

Would this environment potentially see issues in their connectivity?
Any tips of suggestions on how to troubleshoot where the issue is coming from?

Thanks

 

[jimbopalmer]

DSL is rarely over 10 meg, switches, even cheap switches, tend to be 100 meg, so it is unlikely that an internet bottleneck exists. It is possible that viruses and worms on one floor so fill the 100 meg, that you are unable to get to the other floor, but you would see the blinky lights when you thought the network was idle.

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[countrypaul]

You don't actually state what the bottleneck problem is. Is it acess to the internet for all users? Do the downstairs users get a poorer performance than upstairs users?

I think jimbo mean that an Ethernet bottleneck is unlikely rather than an internet bottleneck.

Just my tuppence worth.

Paul

 

[JohnnyCarnage]

I was told the overall network performance was slow.
I guess I was interested to know if having 2 12 port switches connected via a Cat 5 cable could be causing a problem and if there was potentially a more efficient was to provide the downstairs users with a network connection. Wouldn't it make more sense to buy a 24 port switch and connect all users through one piece of hardware?

 

[jimbopalmer]

Yes if you have the budget to string that many wires between floors, it would.

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[countrypaul]

An alternative might be to run gigbit ethernet between switches on each floor - this might avoid having to put in lots of new wire.

I always worry when someone says "overall network performance was slow" it usually points to something specific being slow, or something seriously impacting performance like a broadcast storm.

Paul