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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Knowledge Base

[Thunder2 10GbE Adapter] Why is the data transfer rate so slow?

There are several different scenarios that could cause slow data transfer rates. Following is a list of items that might affect the speed:

  1. Make sure to use the correct driver for your Thunder2 10G network adapter.
  2. Preferrably, use a Cat 6A Ethernet cable but just for testing, temporarily use a different cable and the shorter the better.
  3. If possible, test both AFP and SMB and then choose the faster method to mount the network drive.
  4. Use a different benchmark tool and/or different settings to test the data transfer rate.
  5. If the disk speed at the destination (e.g. NAS or server) is too slow, data transfer rates can be limited by the disk.
  6. When using an SMB connection on macOS, turn off packet signing.
  7. If you have installed OS X Server, uninstall it or disable all services.
  8. When using a laptop, plug in the power adapter.
  9. For Mac users, go to the network preferences, delete the built-in Ethernet adapter and turn off Wi-Fi. As an alternative, set up a subnet for your 10G network.

To see what kinds of speed that you can expect with the Thunder2 10G network adapter, please refer to the benchmark below.

10GbE Network Performance