> One thing we have found is that you should ensure that the network hardware
> is set to 100mb not auto. For some reason when we have the setting at auto,
> a backup which usually runs in 30 minutes will take 5 hours.

The huge disparity is because one end of the Ethernet connection
thinks it is a full duplex connection but the other end thinks it is
half duplex.

The half duplex end will see a constant of collisions and all the
conversations across that link will slow to a crawl.

Wherever possible I make BOTH the network switch and the host
auto-negotiating.

You can not have one end at full duplex and the other end
autonegotiating: the negotiating end will end up deciding on half
duplex and the connection will perform badly.  (One end can be half
duplex and the other auto-neg, then they end up the same.)

Of course, there is equipment that will not autonegotiate or behave
when connecting to a switch that is.  We have to force both ends.


Russell
(now back to your regularly scheduled ADSM)