Number of Clients

[Robert Howard]

I am setting up a server that will have 3 tuners and would like to have 4 clients. After reading the boards I see that supporting 3 cards should not be a problem for the SageTv server however I would like to know how many clients can be using that machine with all 3 tunners recording? Is it possible to have 4 clients running against the server at the same time?

Thanks
Robert Howard

[jptaz]

I do not believe there is any limitation to the number of clients.

Basically the limitation is that you can not change channels or watch "live tv" because they are all busy. But since you probably will be just be watching one of the prerecorded shows or watching one of the 3 active recordings this not a problem.

The only limitation is network banwidth, but if you have switched full duplex 100Base this should not be a problem. The only time bandwidth is strained is during a fast forward or rewind when according to XP network monitor I reach 25% usage when I am normally at about 5-10% on playback using the default recording quality 2GB/hr.

John

[Robert Howard]

John, Thanks for the answer. You are correct the real question is bandwidth. Have you or anyone else setup 4 clients running on a network (I have a 100 megabit network with 3com nics in all of the computers and the server is a 2.4ghz PIV with 384k ram with a 200gb wd ide hard drive).

Robert

[JasonJoel]

I've done 6 before.

Originally posted by Robert Howard
John, Thanks for the answer. You are correct the real question is bandwidth. Have you or anyone else setup 4 clients running on a network (I have a 100 megabit network with 3com nics in all of the computers and the server is a 2.4ghz PIV with 384k ram with a 200gb wd ide hard drive).

Robert

[jmeeks]

I think the limitation on bandwidth would be maximum recorded bit rate/max network bandwidth (100mbits)=12/100=8 clients. But that would be if all the playback was at the max quality.

[fidget]

Originally posted by jmeeks
I think the limitation on bandwidth would be maximum recorded bit rate/max network bandwidth (100mbits)=12/100=8 clients. But that would be if all the playback was at the max quality.

I have noticed a max bandwidth of 55-65 Mbps on my 100baseT network. This was achieved copying one MPEG file to another computer (through a hub). I would expect this to be a best case value (large block transfers, etc.).

[fidget]

Originally posted by fidget
I have noticed a max bandwidth of 55-65 Mbps on my 100baseT network. This was achieved copying one MPEG file to another computer (through a hub). I would expect this to be a best case value (large block transfers, etc.).

For the rate at which I record (3.25 MB/hr or 8Mb/s), that would give me seven (7) concurrent network transfers. If you use both SageRecorder and SageTV Client, the max number of recordings and viewings would drop, one stream in from the recorder and one out to the client. The more clients you have. the fewer recorders, and vice verse.

[jmeeks]

I'm on a switched network. Wouldn't that provide better (more efficient) throughput?

Your right though, I wasn't thinking about a hub based network.

[fidget]

Originally posted by jmeeks
I'm on a switched network. Wouldn't that provide better (more efficient) throughput?

Your right though, I wasn't thinking about a hub based network.

My switched network yields about the same numbers. The hub based only had two computers connected. I use a Linksys router/switch combo and it yielded about 5 Mbps less bandwidth than the hub.

FWIW, Microsoft's TCP implementation is probably one of the worst in the industry, even under Win 2k/XP (they supposidly did a complete rewrite for Win 2k). Even with a good TCP implementation, I wouldn't expect to see more than 70% utillization of the network. On a 10base2 or 10base5 network (non-twisted pair), the network becomes unusable at 30% of the available bandwidth (a non-dedicated LAN).