Plugging the card reader into the 3.0 port on your NAS will be the fastest in your case. Your laptop will not enter the transfer speed equation, all you're doing is moving files from the card to the nas remotely.
FILE TRANSFER PROCESS
- Thread starter JFHughes08088
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It depends on the speed of the hard wired laptop to be able to receive it. If the laptop has a network card adapter which is a 10/100 speed, it will be received at that speed. It if has a 1 Gigabit speed it will be received at that speed which is faster. But then it also depends on the speed of the amount of your memory to take it in as well as the hard drive to be able to write it. Your functional speed is only as fast as your slowest link which means the many different components involved in whatever process you are initiating. That is why when you buy a new computer you usually want to ensure that all of the components are the fastest, which usually translates into more money. But, you get what you pay for. But, if your system is seemingly slower, you can always transfer files overnight. Hope this helps. If whatever end is receiving or transferring, is the slowest link, that is the speed at which your process will be finished.
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Your transfer will be received at the 10/100 rate of speed if that is the slowest link. The switch has no capacity to receive at any faster speed. Also, if you have an older laptop and the hard drive is an older 4500RPM speed, that will also add to the slowness of the writing of the information coming in. If you have only 1GB of memory, that will also slow it down. Many factors are involved in the true speed of a process. Also, your cat 5 cable can make a difference too versus cat 6 etc. Here is a link to a great article that explains the many different issues regarding just the types of cable, and speed as well as cost.
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/12/cat5e-cat6-cat6a-guest-blog.html
While I agree with your assessment about the slowest link being the ultimate bottleneck, unless the NAS treat peripheral drives as networked and not mounted, then plugging a usb drive directly into his NAS will not use the laptop's network connection at all and will therefore not matter the speed of his network.. It will (again, assuming it's not some odd NAS that shares the drive instead of mounting it) simply move the files from drive A to drive B via the BUS.
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I have to disagree with you because every point of connection and it's speed is relevant. He said above that his laptop which will be receiving the transfer is connected to a 10/100 switch. Before it ever reaches the laptop, he is already slower than the NAS because of this switch. Therefore, the transfer is backed up waiting for the slow switch to get the data in. It's like a freeway where you have all of a sudden 5 lanes going into 2 lanes. Also, unless I'm wrong, he is moving the files from the NAS through a network (hence all the discussion of a network and it's switches) to the laptop. Happy flying.
You're misunderstanding that he's got the card reader plugged directly into his NAS. He's not trying to transfer files from his NAS or his card reader to his laptop over the wire, he's issuing a mv command from his laptop sitting on the same network as his NAS box to move the files from the card reader to his NAS.
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Okay so in that case then, he is moving it from the card reader to external hard drive or some other component on the NAS. If so, yes the laptop speed would not be involved (lol, unless his laptop hung in the process of giving the mv command). Again, if you take my original statement that a process is only as slow as it's slowest link, you can answer your question of speed no matter what the scenario or component combination. Again, a fun and sound flight to you.
Clarification - The movie files are on the card and I want to move them to the NAS.
OK, Here's what's going on. Laptop with USB2 connected to router via cat 5 (short run, just a few feet) NAS connected to router via cat 5e, also short run. USB3 port on back of NAS. Router capable of gigabit ethernet. Switch 10/100 connected to router BUT neither the laptop or NAS are connected to it. I have 2nd laptop connected to the network via wifi (802.11G).
Here's where it gets interesting.
When I plug the micro SD card into the back of the NAS and tell wireless laptop to cut/paste 8 Gb of movies from card to NAS, it estimates 1 hour transfer time. When I do the same but using the wired laptop, it estimates 19 minutes. Can't imagine why the laptop connection type has any effect since I'm not copying or writing to it.
OK, Here's what's going on. Laptop with USB2 connected to router via cat 5 (short run, just a few feet) NAS connected to router via cat 5e, also short run. USB3 port on back of NAS. Router capable of gigabit ethernet. Switch 10/100 connected to router BUT neither the laptop or NAS are connected to it. I have 2nd laptop connected to the network via wifi (802.11G).
Here's where it gets interesting.
When I plug the micro SD card into the back of the NAS and tell wireless laptop to cut/paste 8 Gb of movies from card to NAS, it estimates 1 hour transfer time. When I do the same but using the wired laptop, it estimates 19 minutes. Can't imagine why the laptop connection type has any effect since I'm not copying or writing to it.
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When transferring files, the computer tries to calculate the time involved. However, it has to scan each file to be and deliver an estimated time for that file. Once, it has calculated one file, it tries to calculate the next until they are all calculated then it will attempt to calculate the combined file transfer time. So, at first, you will probably get the time for the first file and again, it depends on the speed of the particular components. Also, WiFi is generally slower depending on if it is half duplex or full duplex and can depend also on magnetic or electrical interference as well as what it has to pass through, like walls, electric cables in walls, and more. Wired networks are usually the preferred network (reliability and speed) unless wireless is necessary. It seems as though your slowest transfer point will be using wireless because it is just slower than wired networks. However, WiFi has become faster over the years. Here is another good packet of information concerning networks wireless and wired.
Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: How Much Better is a Wired Connection?
You're correct, it shouldn't matter. But Windows is notorious for pretty crappy estimation of transfer times. Try it and time it yourself, see what the actual transfer time is.
Out of curiosity, what kind of NAS? Is it just a network drive or is it a full blown NAS w/ an OS?
Out of curiosity, what kind of NAS? Is it just a network drive or is it a full blown NAS w/ an OS?
