Re: [Openvpn-users] Samba performance and ICMP

[David H. <li...@ll...>]

Leonardo Rodrigues Magalhães wrote:
> 
> 
>     from time to time we always have someone complaining about M$ File 
> Sharing protocols performance, even with Microsoft or with 3rd party 
> implementations (Samba). I've seen these complains on OpenVPN lists, on 
> IPSec lists, on every kind of network-related lists when there's a low 
> bandwidth/little higher latency connection involved. Not only VPN, but 
> even with WAN links.
> 
>     It seems to me that Microsoft file sharing protocols were simply not 
> designed for those low bandwidth/little higher latency situations. It's 
> interesting to compare these M$ file sharing protocols with other 
> standards protocols, like HTTP/SMTP/FTP/whatever, which are purely TCP 
> ones, and compare that they perform pretty nice on any kind of 
> situation, being limited only by the bandwidth involved.
> 
>     But M$ sharing protocols no ..... they work fine on LAN networks but 
> when it comes to WAN/VPN, it simply sucks.
> 
>     it can be some workarounds to make it a little worst, but it's clear 
> to me that the protocol simply wasnt designed having these connections 
> in mind. It seems clear to me that it was designed to run LAN only.
> 
> 
SMB is very poor when used over a link with a high latency, regardless 
of whether it's OpenVPN or something else. Unfortunately you're stuck 
with it as soon as you leave your LAN behind. There are caching 
solutions available that can reduce the effects, but they are more use 
for inter-office VPN solutions where your local office can cache stuff 
from the remote end and give a better response time to local queries.

Dave