Solved Internet-based transfer speeds

[Torgog]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum, so if this question has already been answered, my apologies. Here are my system and network statistics:

• OS: Windows 7
• Internet download speed from my ISP: 200 to 220Mb/sec. Upload is pretty steady at 15Mb/sec. Both of these values have been tested via Speedtest.net
  • I can achieve file download speed averages of 60 to 70 Mb/s.
• LAN: Cat 5e with 1Gb/s switches. Every system piece of equipment is hard wired. No WiFi here (except for kids' devices).
• internet Cable modem is a Motorola, speed capable up to 300Mb/s.
• TP-Link AC-series router
• DS418play NAS with four Seagate Exos 6TB enterprise drives

I've measured LAN file transfer speeds between 600 and 700Mb/sec. Not bad. But when uploading or downloading over the internet (outside of my LAN) transfer speeds drop as low as 100kb/sec up to about 1Mb/s. I've read multiple forum suggestions and tested many settings on the NAS and my router to no avail. Looking for some creative suggestions on how to resolve this issue. Thanks much.

 

[WST16]

Hello and welcome

What are you using for downloads and uploads? Can you elaborate on what are you trying to achieve?

 

[Rusty]

But when uploading or downloading over the internet (outside of my LAN) transfer speeds drop as low as 100kb/sec up to about 1Mb/s.

Welcome.

Just want to be sure what this means exactly. Are these speeds when you interact with your NAS out side your LAN, or simply when your NAS does internet traffic (for example, downloading something)? Also where do you see these slow speeds from 100-1Mb/s?

 

[Torgog]

Within my LAN, speeds are fantastic, if I'm dragging and dropping via Windows Explorer. But, if I were to upload a file via the web interface (FileStation as an example), it doesn't matter if I'm 100 miles away or at home. The use of the internet is the bottleneck somehow.

The slow speeds are only via the internet (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, etc...) This creates issues if I want to upload/download a large file while at work.

 

[Torgog]

Hello and welcome

What are you using for downloads and uploads? Can you elaborate on what are you trying to achieve?

When using a internet based up/download, it doesn't matter if you use Chrome, Firefox, Edge...they're all slow. And it doesn't matter if I'm using Filestation or Photostation. Slow, slow, slow.

 

[Rusty]

When using a internet based up/download, it doesn't matter if you use Chrome, Firefox, Edge...they're all slow. And it doesn't matter if I'm using Filestation or Photostation. Slow, slow, slow.

When you use a browser to upload the files are you using a local ip address of your nas or a ddns/quick connect address?

Is there a problem of using the explorer method while inside your lan?

 

[fredbert]

But, if I were to upload a file via the web interface (FileStation as an example), it doesn't matter if I'm 100 miles away or at home. The use of the internet is the bottleneck somehow.

I’m confused here. First you say File Station is slow regardless of whether you connect from the home LAN or remotely across the Internet. And then you say it’s the Internet that’s the problem... but that can’t be right because of your first assertion: slow when at home too.

Are you confusing ‘the Internet’ and ‘web browser application’?

Is the problem with DSM’s web package (including the direct package web interfaces) with you web browser? I.e. not the networks traversed.

 

[Torgog]

Okay, let me try to elaborate. I can reach my NAS two ways: over my LAN when I see it as network attached storage, which is very fast as it uses only the network connection. The second way I can access it is through an internet web browser over the internet connection. This is when it's painfully slow. And it doesn't matter if I'm 100 miles away using Chrome or if I'm in my home using Chrome (i.e., using both as an internet browser0.

Let me clarify that last condition. If I'm in my home using Chrome web browser to connect to the NAS the pathway is rather indirect. The internet pathway is out of my computer, to my router, to my modem, then out to the internet, to my ISP, who essentially reroutes the traffic back to my modem, then router, then to the NAS. Yeah, it sounds silly. Why would I want to access my NAS over the internet through all those different in-house and ISP switches when I could just use the network attached storage.

But, whether I'm 100 miles away or 100 feet away, internet based access to the NAS, whether I'm uploading or downloading a file is SLOOOOWWWWW!

As for the DSM web package, this is new to me. Please elaborate what about DSM I should be looking at. These are the ideas I'd like to test.

 

[Torgog]

When you use a browser to upload the files are you using a local ip address of your nas or a ddns/quick connect address?

Is there a problem of using the explorer method while inside your lan?

I use the quick connect address.

When I use Windows explorer the NAS shows as a network device. If I "drag and drop" files from my computer into the NAS folder via explorer, it's lightning fast!

 

[Rusty]

I use the quick connect address.

When I use Windows explorer the NAS shows as a network device. If I "drag and drop" files from my computer into the NAS folder via explorer, it's lightning fast!

There we go... that's the answer. Ok, so what's your Internet upload speed? Also using QC be sure that all transfers will be slow considering they are going over Taiwan at least twice not to mention the rest of the world before hitting your box.

The suggestion here is to use outside access via DDNS configured address, and depending on your internet speed, try and upgrade it if possible.

 

[Torgog]

Okay, I think I figured it out. But first to answer your suggestion Rusty: up and download speeds were identical if using the quickconnect of the direct IP address.

Here's my theory, which my nephew in PA helped me realize. My Speedtest to my ISP is 230Mb up, but only 11Mb down. If my nephew downloads a file from my NAS, that should actually be an upload from the NAS to the ISP. Hence, limited to about 1.5MB, which is what he said it was going at. When he uploaded a file to the NAS through his Gig connection, it's like a download to me, which limits it to about 30MB/sec. He said the upload from his computer took about 3 seconds (90MB file).

So there you have it: it's my crappy Spectrum ISP that's causing the bottleneck. Wish I had fiber in this neighborhood.

Thank you everyone for the advice and suggestions.

 

[WST16]

This is strange. It should be the other way round. Your downloads should be much faster than your uploads (on most ISPs), unless they are symmetrical, then you’ll have dloads and uploads with the same bandwidth (rare).
So having your uploads much faster than your dloads does not make sense. I would talk to the ISP if I were you.

 

[Rusty]

I would agree. Still this whole thread should have be half long if the facts were presented to begin with.