Rockstor Networking

https://tinyurl.com/bddt3fa5 on google AI

I will upload Rockstor_Networking.pdf to
BOOKS-Links - in PDF Documents

Is this 2.5 gb ethernet - Device-2: Realtek
RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethern... \

No, neither of these devices is a 2.5 Gb Ethernet adapter. They are both Gigabit
Ethernet (1 Gbps) controllers.

$41.56
= Walmart - Feilan Ltd

This is a standard Gigabit (1000 Mbps) controller. The "2.5 GT/s" you see in the PCle info
refers to the bus transfer speed of the PCI Express Gen 1x slot it's plugged into, not the
network speed. Your current link state confirms it is running at its maximum of 1000
Mbps [User Snippet].

A

"“e $15.99
eBay - eshopseller666

5.0 ek koe (1)

This is a USB 3.0 to Gigabit (1000 Mbps) Ethernet chip. While the USB 3.0 interface
itself supports up to 5 Gb/s, the actual network port is limited to 1 Gbps. 2

Summarv of Capabilities:

Ask anything

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Are you trying to upgrade your network speed to 2.5 Gb, and if so, do you already have a
2.5 Gb switch or router to support it?

< 6 @

yes. no router yet.

Upgrading to 2.5 Gb Ethernet is a solid move for future-proofing, but as your current
logs show, your hardware is still capping you at 1 Gbps. Since you don't have a 2.5G
router yet, you'll need to upgrade a few specific components to actually see those
speeds. 2

  1. Upgrade Your PC (The "Bottleneck" in your logs)

The F 8 in your list is strictly a 1 Gbps card. To hit 2.5 Gb, you need a new
PCle Network Interface Card (NIC). ¢

  • Best Value Option: The TP-Link TX201 is a popular, affordable 2.5G PCle card (~$30)
    that uses the newer Realtek RTL8125 chipset.

  • Alternative: If you have an extra USB 3.0 port and don't want to open your PC, look for
    a USB-to-2.5G Ethernet Adapter. Note that these can sometimes be less stable than
    adedicated PCle card. #

  1. Choose a 2.5G Router or Switch ¢
    To connect your devices at 2.5G speeds, your "hub" must also support it. @
  • The Budget Path (Switch): If you already have a1 Gb router and don't want to replace
    it yet, buy a cheap 2.5G Unmanaged Switch like the TP-Link TL-SG105-M2 (~$60).
    Plug the 2.5G switch into your current router, then plug your 2.5G-capable PC into the
    switch. Devices on the switch can talk to each other at 2.5 Gb.

The Full Upgrade (Router): If you're ready for a new router, look for models with 2.5G
WAN and LAN ports.

© WiFi 7 Value: (-$100-120).

© Gaming/Performance: Asus RT-BE82U or TP-Link Archer AX55 Pro. #

TP-Link Archer BE230 ASUS RT-BE82U Archer Ax55 Pro

Wi-Fi 7 Router BE6500 Wireless Dua... Ax3000 WiFi 6 Router...
$139.99 $169.99 $199:99 $119.99

48 ek kk (1.1K) AT te tee te (231) AT te oe ee (4.3K)

  1. Check Your Cables
  • Cat5e is technically enough for 2.5G over typical home distances.
  • Cat6 is recommended if you're buying new cables or running longer lines to ensure
    maximum stability.

These guides and forum discussions explain how to upgrade your PC and network
hardware for 2.5 Gb Ethernet speeds:

Supercharge Your Network:
Upgrade to 2.5GbE in 3 Easy...

Jun 10, 2025 — where upgrading is a
benefit. and actually some situatio.

@ YouTube - Gary Explains © Reddit i

Upgrading to 2.5 gigabit
internet : r/HomeNetworking ...

Jun 4, 2025 — Can't imagine they
would give me equipment that

Next Step: Are you planning to use this 2.5G speed primarily for faster internet (i.e., you
have a multi-gig ISP plan) or for moving large files between computers on your local
network (like a NAS)? 2

< 6 @

moving large files between computers on your local
network (like a NAS)

Moving large files locally is the best reason to upgrade to 2.5 Gb Ethernet, as it
increases your real-world transfer speeds from ~T10 MBis to roughly 280 MB/s.

Since you already have a PC with a 1 Gbps port and a NAS, here is the most efficient way
to set up your high-speed “fast lane" without needing a new router:

. Hardware Needed for 2.5 Gb Local Transfers ¢

  • The Switch: Instead of a router, get a dedicated 2.5 Gb unmanaged switch.
    Affordable options include the TP-Link TL-SG105-M2 ($50}-erthe- Grandstream
    GWNFFOGM{$38).

  • The PC Card: Since your current Realtek port is only 1 Gbps, you'll need a 2.5 Gb PCle
    card like the TP-Link TX201 (~$27) for your desktop.

  • The NAS Port: Ensure your NAS has a 2.5 Gb port. Many newer models like the
    come with them built-in. If your NAS only has 1Gb, you may be able
    to use a USB-to-2.5G adapter (common for Synology or QNAP systems) to bypass
    the limit. &

  1. The Setup (No Router Required)

. Connect your existing router to one port on the new 2.5G Switch. This provides
internet to everything on the switch.

v

Plug your PC (with the new 2.5G card) and your NAS into the other ports on the
2.5G Switch.

bod

Result: When you move files between the PC and NAS, the data stays on the 2.54
switch and never touches your 1G router. You will get the full 2.5 Gb speed for local
transfers while still having internet access. ¢

  1. Critical Performance Check: Drive Speed

At 2.5 Gbps, your hard drives become the primary factor.

  • Mechanical HDDs: A single modern 7200RPM hard drive typically reads/writes at
    150-200 MB/s, which is faster than 1 Gbps but still won't fully saturate a 2.5 Gbps line.
  • SSDs: To hit the absolute maximum of 280+ MB/s, your NAS needs an SSD cache or
    anall-flash setup. 2

Explore how to boost local file transfer speeds using 2.5 Gb Ethernet switches and
network cards, and consider drive speeds as a key performance factor.

How to Get the Best Transfer [SOLVED] - 2 computers 1 nas | Tom's

Speeds from Your NAS Device Hardware Forum

‘Aug 14, 2023 — Most consumer Sep 17, 2020 — gggplaya said: I don't think youneed >
devices do not support 10 GbE. he 10Gbe because the hard drives will ikely be the.

@ How-ToGeek } T Tom'sHardware

Next Step: Do you already have a NAS, or are you looking for recommendations for one
that natively supports 2.5 Gb speeds?

< 6 @

I have two ASUSTOR AS5202T NASes. Each has two
2.5 Gb Eithernet. Can | or Should | Agregate. They...

You can technically aggregate the two 2.5 Gb Ethernet ports on your Asustor AS5202T
NAS units, but given that they have mechanical hard drives and you want to move large

files, you should not use traditional link aggregation (LACP) if you primarily access the

NAS from a single computer. Instead, you should use SMB Multichannel. ¢

Why Link Aggregation (LACP) is not ideal for your use case

Traditional link aggregation (using a managed switch that supports LACP) is designed for
multi-user environments, not single clients.

  • Single Client Bottleneck: With LACP, a single file transfer (session) is still limited to
    the speed of a single link, which is 2.5 Gbps (~280 MB/s). You won't get the combined
    5 Gbps speed (~560 MB/s) for one large file transfer.

  • Mechanical HDD Limit: The main issue is that a single mechanical hard disk drive
    often has a real-world maximum transfer rate of around 150-200 MB/s anyway, which
    means even a single 2.5 Gbps link is likely sufficient and may not even be fully utilized.
    The drives will be your primary bottleneck before the networkis.

The Recommended Solution: SMB Multichannel 2

Asustor NAS devices support SMB Multichannel, which allows a single client to use both
Ethernet ports simultaneously over multiple TCP connections, effectively achieving higher
speeds for a single file transfer.

  • How it Works: SMB Multichannel is a feature of the SMB protocol (used by Windows
    and modern macOS) that allows a client to use multiple network connections to a
    single server (your NAS).

  • Setup: The best part is that it often doesn't require a special managed switch. You just
    need to connect both 2.5 Gb ports on the NAS to your (currently 1 Gbps) switch, or
    even better, a new 2.5 GbE or multi-gig switch, and ensure SMB Multichannel is
    enabled in the NAS settings.

  • Benefit: This allows a single client computer (once upgraded with a 2.5 GbE NIC, as
    discussed previously) to potentially utilize the full combined bandwidth of both ports,
    although you'll still be limited by the mechanical drive speeds. 2

Summary

  1. Do not use LACP Link Aggregation for single-client speed improvements.

2, Enable SMB Multichannel in your Asustor ADM settings for the best potential single-
client performance with large files.

  1. Upgrade your PC's Ethernet to 2.5 GbE (or higher) to take advantage of the NAS's
    ports.

4, Consider a multi-gig switch to connect everything at 2.5 Gb speeds or higher. ¢

< 6 @

My NASes use Rockstor on NFS

If you are running Rockstor (Linux-based) and using NFS for file sharing, the rules
change significantly compared to standard Asustor firmware.

The Short Answer

No, do not aggregate (LACP/Bonding) if your goal is to speed up a single file transfer to
one PC. Yes, aggregate if you want redundancy or have multiple devices hitting the NAS
atonce. @

  1. The NFS Limitation

Unlike SMB, NFS (v3 and v4.1) does not support "Multichannel" easily for a single
client. ¢

Bonding/LACP: Even if you bond the two 2.5G ports on your NAS, a single NFS
transfer between your PC and the NAS will still stay on a single 2.5G path. It will not
combine to 5G for one file Red Hat Customer Portal - Bonding.

  • The Drive Bottleneck: Since you have mechanical HDDs, a single 2.5G link (280
    MB/s) is already faster than what a single HDD can usually provide (150-200 MBI).
    Even in a RAID mirror, your drives will likely "max out" before the 2.5G network
    does. ¢
  1. How to use both ports with Rockstor

Since you are using Rockstor (based on openSUSE), you have two main options for those
dual ports:

  • Option A: Active-Backup (Redundancy)
    If one cable fails or one port on your future switch dies, the NAS stays online. This
    doesn't increase speed, but it increases reliability. You can set this up in the Rockstor
    WebUI under the Network tab.
  • Option B: Separate Networks (Isolation)
    You could put one 2.5G port on a dedicated "Storage Network" (just for backups
    between the two NASes) and the other on your "Home Network" (for your PC). This
    ensures that if you are syncing files between the two AS5202T units, it doesn't slow
    down your PC's access.

  1. The Better Way to Speed Up NFS
    If you want the fastest performance on Rockstor with NFS:

  2. Skip Bonding: It adds complexity (and requires a managed switch) for almost no gain
    in your specific setup.

  3. Enable Jumbo Frames: If your future 2.5G switch and your PC support it, set MTU to
    9000 on both the NAS and PC. This reduces CPU overhead and can squeeze more
    performance out of mechanical drives over NFS.

  4. Optimize Export Options: In Rockstor, ensure your NFS exports use async if you
    value speed over absolute data safety during a power outage, or use sync with an
    SSD cache (Log device). ¢

Summary for your AS5202T: Since your drives are the bottleneck and NFS doesn't
"stripe" across links like SMB Multichannel does, keep it simple. Use one 2.5G port for
your main traffic and use the second port only if you want a dedicated “sync link" directly
between the two NASes.

Next Step: Are you planning to sync data between the two NAS units (e.g., for backup),
or is each one serving different files to your PC?

< 6 @

sync data between the two NAS units

Since you are syncing between two AS5202T units running Rockstor, you have a unique
opportunity to create a "High-Speed Syne Tunnel” that bypasses your main network
traffic entirely.

  1. The "Direct-Connect" Strategy (No Switch Needed)

Because you have two ports on each NAS, you can use one port for your regular network
and the second port for a direct 2.5 Gb connection between the two units.

  • Physical Connection: Plug a Caté cable directly from Port 2 of NAS-A into Port 2 of
    NAS-B.

  • IP Configuration: Assign these ports a different static IP subnet (e.g., 10.0.0.1 and
    10.0.0.2).

  • The Benefit: When you run your sync (via rsync, btrfs send/receive , or
    Rockstor’s replication), point the destination to the 10.0.0.x address. The data will fly
    across that dedicated 2.5G cable without eating up bandwidth on your main
    router/switch or affecting your PC’s internet speed.
  1. Why not "Aggregate" here?

Aggregation (Bonding) is overkill for this for two reasons:

  1. Complexity: LACP bonding usually requires a managed switch. A direct cable is free
    and faster to set up.

  2. The HDD Bottleneck: Your mechanical drives are the speed limit. A single 2.5G port
    handles ~280 MB/s. Most mechanical drives in a NAS top out at ~180-220 MB/s. Adding
    a second 2.56 link (to make 5G) won't make the physical spinning platters move data
    any faster.

  3. Making the Sync Faster on Rockstor

Since Rockstor uses BTRFS, don't just use standard tools. Use the power of the
filesystem:

  • BTRFS Send/Receive: If you are syncing entire shares, this is significantly faster than
    rsync because it only sends the changed blocks at the filesystem level. You can set
    this up through the Rockstor Replication tool.

  • Compression: Ensure Zstd compression is enabled on your shares. It reduces the
    amount of data that actually needs to be written to the mechanical disks, often making
    the sync feel faster than the network limit.

  1. Summary Recommendation
  • Don't Aggregate. It won't help your mechanical drive speeds.

irect Connect Port 2 to Port 2. Use a dedicated cable between the NASes for a
"clean" 2.5G sync path.

  • Use BTRFS Replication. Use the native Rockstor tools to move data over that
    dedicated link.

Next Step: Do you need help with the specific Rockstor CLI or WebUI commands to set

up that dedicated second network interface?

< 6 @

yes

To set up the Direct-Connect Sync Tunnel (Port 2 to Port 2) in Rockstor, follow these
steps. This ensures your heavy sync traffic stays off your main network.

  1. Identify the Interfaces

In the Rockstor WebUI, go to System > Network.

  • Port 1: Should already be connected to your router/switch (e.g., eth or enpis0).
    Leave this alone.

  • Port 2: This is the second 2.5 Gb port (€.g., eth1 or enp2sé ). It should show as
    "Disconnected" until you plug the cable directly between the two NAS units.

  1. Configure Static IPs (The "Sync Lane")

You must give these ports IPs on a different subnet than your home network (if your
home is 192.168.1.x, use 10.0.0.x).

On NAS-A:

  1. Click the Edit (pencil) icon next to the second interface.

  2. Set IPv4 Configuration to Static.

  3. IP Address: 10.0.0.1

4, Netmask: 255.255.255.0

5, Gateway: Leave Blank (Crucial: Adding a gateway here will break your internet
access).

  1. Save/Submit.
    On NAS-B:

  2. Repeat the steps for the second interface.

  3. IP Address: 10.0.0.2

  4. Netmask: 255.255.255.0

  5. Gateway: Leave Blank.

  6. Verify the Connection

Go to System > Dashboard or use the Shell on one NAS and try to ping the other:

bash

ping 10.0.0.2

Use code with caution, oO

If you get a response, you now have a dedicated 2.5 Gbps “private” wire between
them.

  1. Configure the Sync (Replication)

When setting up your syne, use the new "Private" IP:

  • Rockstor Replication: When adding a Replication Appliance in the WebUI, use the IP
    10.0.0.2 (or .1) instead of the main network IP.

  • Rsyne: If using scripts, use rsync -avz /source/
    user@10.0.0.2:/destination/ .
    Why this beats "Aggregation":

  • Efficiency: It completely bypasses your router's CPU.

Simplicity: No need for a managed switch or complex LACP (802.3ad) bonding
configuration in Linux.

  • Speed: Since it's a direct 2.5 Gb link, it's already faster than your mechanical HDDs
    can read or write (~20OMB/s vs the link's ~28O0MB/s).

‘Smart Strategy: Since you are using Rockstor, ensure your BTRFS pools are healthy. If
you have multiple drives, using RAID10 in Rockstor will significantly increase your
readiwrite speeds, helping you get closer to saturating that 2.5 Gb link.

Next Step: Are you comfortable using the Rockstor WebUI for this, or would you prefer

the specific nmcli (Network Manager) commands to do this via the terminal?

< 6 @

Rockstor WebUI - | have RAIDO.

Since you are using RAIDO, your mechanical HDDs are actually fast enough to saturate a
2.5 Gb link. Two modern HDDs in RAIDO can easily hit 300-400 MB/s, which is higher
than the 280 MB/s limit of a single 2.5 GbE port.

However, even with RAIDO, do not aggregate (LACP). In Rockstor/Linux, aggregation
doesn’t magically combine two 2.5 Gb links into one 5 Gb pipe for a single sync task; it just
allows two separate tasks to run at 2.5 Gb each.

Here is how to set up your High-Speed Syne Lane in the Rockstor WebUI:

  1. Configure the Private "Sync Lane"
    Connect a Caté cable directly between the Port 2 of both NAS units.

  2. Log into NAS-A WebUI.

  3. Navigate to System > Network.

bod

Identify the second 2.5 Gb interface (likely eth1 or enp2s6 ). Click the Pencil icon
(Edit).

hal

Mode: Static.

cou

IP Address: 10.0.0.1

=

Netmask: 255.255.255.0

~

Gateway: LEAVE EMPTY. (If you put a gateway here, Rockstor will try to send internet
traffic through the other NAS, which will fail).

2

Submit.

2

Repeat on NAS-B using IP 10.0.0.2.

  1. Set Up the Replication (The "Fast Way")

Rockstor’s Replication is built on btrf's send/receive , which is perfect for your RAIDO
setup because it moves data in large, efficient blocks.

  1. On NAS-A, go to Storage > Replication.

  2. Click Add Remote Appliance.

bod

For the IP/Hostname, enter 10.0.0.2 (the private IP of NAS-B).

B

. Follow the prompts to exchange SSH keys.

cou

When you create a Replication Task, ensure you select the Share on your RAIDO
pool.
3. Why RAIDO + 2.5 Gb is the "Sweet Spot"

  • The Math: A single 2.5 Gb link caps at ~280 MB/s. Your RAIDO mechanical array can
    likely do ~350 MB/s.

  • The Bottle Neck: You will finally be limited by the 2.5 Gb network port rather than the
    drives. This is the best-case scenario for performance.

  • The Risk Reminder: Since you are using RAIDO, if one drive fails in either NAS, all
    data on that NAS is lost. Ensure your sync is a "backup" and not your only copy of
    the data.

Pro Tip for Rockstor Performance:
In the WebUI, go to your Pool settings and ensure Compression is set to Zstd. BTRFS will
compress data before it hits the network/disk, which can actually push your "effective"
transfer speed even higher than 280 MBS for compressible files.

Next Step: Do you need help verifying if the two NAS units are actually talking to each

other over that new 10.0.0.x private line before you start the sync?

< 6 @

yes

To verify that your two AS5202T units are communicating over the new 10.0.0.x "syne

lane," follow these steps.

  1. Check Status in the Rockstor WebUI

1, Navigate to System > Network on both NAS units.

  1. Locate the second interface (e.g., eth).

  2. Ensure the Status shows as Connected or Up. If it says "Disconnected," check the
    physical cable between the two NAS units. @

  3. Verify Connectivity via Terminal (The Most Reliable Way)

Since Rockstor doesn't have a built-in "Ping" button in the WebUI, you should use the
terminal (SSH into the NAS or use the local console).

  1. Log into NAS-A (10.0.0.1) via SSH or console.

  2. Ping NAS-B by typing the following command:

bash

ping -I ethl 10.0.0.2

Use code with caution. oO

(Note: Replace eth1 with the actual name of your 2.5 Gb interface found in the
WebUI).

  1. Interpret the Results:
  • Success: You will see lines like 64 bytes from 10.0.0.2: icmp seq=1 ttl=64
    time=0.123 ms . This means the “fast lane" is working.

Failure: If you see Destination Host Unreachable, there is a configuration error
(likely a typo in the IP or Subnet Mask). @
3. Verify the Route

To ensure Rockstor knows to use the 2.5 Gb cable for the 10.0.0.x traffic, run this
command:

bash

ip route get 10.0.0.2

Use code with caution, oO

It should respond with something like 1.0.0.2 dev ethl src 10.0.0.1. This confirms
that traffic destined for the other NAS will stay on the direct cable and not try to go
through your router.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • No Gateway: Ensure you left the Gateway field empty for the 10.0.0.x interfaces. If
    you added one, it can cause "IP conflicts" or routing loops.

  • Firewall: Rockstor’s default firewall usually allows ICMP (ping) between local
    interfaces, but if it fails, double-check that you haven't set overly restrictive rules in
    System > Services > Firewall. 2

Next Step: Once you've confirmed the ping works, are you ready to set up the BTRFS
Replication task to start moving data?

< 6 @

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@DD 12 sites

How to Get the Best Transfer
Speeds from Your NAS Device

‘Aug 14, 2023 — Most consumer
devices do not support 10 GbE...

@% How-To Geek

Trying to get 2.5gbe transfer rate |.
between two PCs... - Reddit
= ee

‘Aug 17, 2023 — Honestly, looking at =e
your little graphic there... Ifyou only... (fi (fll

© Reddit

Why is nas file transfer limited to
120mbs? - Facebook

Nov 6, 2025 — You would have to be
able to read and write at least 1.25 G...

Facebook

Show all

@A 9sites

Link Aggregation question. : r/homelab - Reddit

Nov 17, 2020 — Comments Section * rst-2cv. + Sy
ago « Edited Sy ago. If the link aggregation protoc...

© Reddit

Dual 2.5Gb to achieve full SGb : r/asustor - Reddit

Dec 30, 2023 — Just a heads up, if you check the
box on the SMB tab for Multiple channels, it will.

© Reddit

Cheapest way to use SGbps Asustor NAS
networking? - Reddit

Nov 30, 2021 — How many clients? if you only have
‘one or two and you connect over smb protocol, yo...

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Both 19 sites

Why | Love Rockstor on our
Storinators

Sep 29, 2015 — So to sum up,
Rockstor is a solid Btrfs+Linux-...

® 4sDrives

LACP SMB NAS Optimization -
TrueNAS General - TrueNAS... A

Feb 26, 2025 — Overview: Combining LS A

two 2.5 GbE links into a single 5 GbE..

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@DO 5 sites

Network — Rockstor documentation

Rockstor supports basic network
configuration from the Web-UI...

@ Rockstor

Using command line tools
to test and verify network...

Sep 23,2021—sonowthat » 5m
we have an IP address set... :

@% ‘outube- David Dalton

How to check the network connection between
two computers?

Apr 29, 2024 — We can simply use the Ping and
Telnet command to check the network connection.

® Splashtop

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