Upgrading Home Network Switch to 2.5GbE

elecpurch on 30/04/2024 - 21:30

I am looking at getting a TrueNAS setup which will have 2.5GbE. I'll be connecting this NAS via a standard 1GbE switch (CAT6 cable). My ASUS router has a 2.5GbE port. Most of my other devices such as computers, TVs and media boxes support 1GbE and are all maxing out at 1.0Gbps, except for one computer which supports 2.5Gbps. All of these devices are connecting back to the router via the same standard 1GbE switch.

I am going to be running Jellyfin Server on the NAS and all my TVs, media boxes and mobile devices will connect back to this NAS via Jellyfin client for video content. There will be times when multiple devices will access video content simultaneously. Is it worth upgrading my network switch to 2.5GbE and connecting this switch to my router's 2.5GbE port? This will mean connectivity between the Jellyfin Server and the router will be at 2.5Gbps. I was thinking this will help with the multiple incoming connections to the Jellyfin Server even thought the devices accessing the Jellyfin Server would be maxing out at 1.0Gbps, except for that one PC which supports 2.5Gbps. Should I invest in that 2.5GbE switch or will it not make any difference?

Computing Network Switch

Comments

  • VishSunny on 30/04/2024 - 21:54
    +8

    You could invest in 2.5GbE if you constantly transfer files between your multiple devices and the Truenas server over ethernet.

    For Jellyfin even with multiple 4K streams its not going to saturate 1GbE.

    1 giga bit = 1000 Mega bit. Assuming that an ultra high quality 4K stream will be 100 Mega bit (Very unlikely), you could theoratically run 10 4K streams.

    Just for jellyfin, no point in updating to 2.5GbE.

    • bdl on 01/05/2024 - 08:34

      this x1000, may as well go to 10G if you want to overengineer the link

      Save your money and instead buy storage for your content :)

    • MagnamoniousRex on 01/05/2024 - 09:18
      +2

      This is very true, though I would note one thing for OP:

      If you're a gamer, Lancache and the SteamPrefill app can mean your likely <1000mbit internet connection will download games and updates slowly at the interval you set, and then 95% of the time when you actually have time to game, you will be able to download games at close to the maximum limit your network can do.

      For me upgrading to 2.5gbe means I get just over 2gbit from my Lancache, which makes a 30gb update fly by, essential when I have 45 minutes to game after the kids are asleep.

  • Wiadro on 30/04/2024 - 23:38

    i recently got a TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 8-Port 2.5GB for $115.37 for my place.
    its fast enough

    • elecpurch on 01/05/2024 - 08:22

      I've been looking at the same model. A good price for 8 x 2.5Gbps port switch with 40 Gbps switching capacity.

  • realaaa on 01/05/2024 - 00:25

    what is the router, will it serve all devices over WiFi?

    something tells me that it will choke up first, before generating more than 1 Gbps bandwidth to TrueNAS

    • elecpurch on 01/05/2024 - 08:19
      +1

      It's a ASUS RT-AX86U. I was hoping this would be able to handle 2.5Gbps fine.

      • trongy on 01/05/2024 - 08:43
        +1

        I would just install the NAS on the current network and test how it performs

        Blu-ray 4k seems to max out at 50Mbps and most video files have a significantly lower bitrate. Watching multiple video streams should not come anywhere close to saturating your current network.

      • realaaa on 01/05/2024 - 11:09
        +1

        looks like it's a good one indeed !

        and the 2.5 g port seems to be suitable for LAN as well

        so I would just plug NAS to that, as this would need to be the fattest pipe for sure

        https://www.asus.com/au/networking-iot-servers/wifi-routers/…

  • rumblytangara on 01/05/2024 - 09:39

    Are the NAS disks going to be able to support more thatn 1Gbps sustained- are you running SSDs?

    • elecpurch on 01/05/2024 - 13:30

      Unfortunately not…..just HDDs.

      • rumblytangara on 01/05/2024 - 14:52
        +3

        You might want to test where the bottleneck is then. I doubt it's in the 1Gb ethernet connection.

        This is also especially relevant to anything wireless- the highest single-client throughput figures I've come across IRL are only slightly north of 1Gbps (single client, ideal distances, no walls etc). As soon as you have more than 1 client, your wireless throughput per device will drop big time.

        It would make sense to look into this before dropping (probably wasting imo) money on a faster ethernet switch.

        If you had SSD storage and hardwired clients capable of 2.5Gbps, it would make sense if you're regularly copying huge amounts of data around.

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