QNA-UC5G1T performance 2.4 Gbps >> 1.4 Gbps after QNAP firmware update 3.1.6

[FredDL31]

Description of the problem

Transfer speed was ~2.4 Gbits/sec, then after updating QNA-UC5G1T to last firmware (3.1.6) expecting improving speed, finally speed fall down to 1.4 Gbits/sec ... No other change in HW/SW configuration.

iperf3 before firmware update

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 701 MBytes 588 Mbits/sec sender
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 701 MBytes 588 Mbits/sec receiver
[ 6] 0.00-10.00 sec 739 MBytes 620 Mbits/sec sender
[ 6] 0.00-10.00 sec 739 MBytes 620 Mbits/sec receiver
[ 8] 0.00-10.00 sec 726 MBytes 609 Mbits/sec sender
[ 8] 0.00-10.00 sec 726 MBytes 609 Mbits/sec receiver
[ 10] 0.00-10.00 sec 743 MBytes 623 Mbits/sec sender
[ 10] 0.00-10.00 sec 743 MBytes 623 Mbits/sec receiver
[SUM] 0.00-10.00 sec 2.84 GBytes 2.44 Gbits/sec sender
[SUM] 0.00-10.00 sec 2.84 GBytes 2.44 Gbits/sec receiver

iperf3 after firmware update

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 282 MBytes 237 Mbits/sec sender
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 282 MBytes 237 Mbits/sec receiver
[ 6] 0.00-10.00 sec 502 MBytes 421 Mbits/sec sender
[ 6] 0.00-10.00 sec 502 MBytes 421 Mbits/sec receiver
[ 8] 0.00-10.00 sec 573 MBytes 481 Mbits/sec sender
[ 8] 0.00-10.00 sec 573 MBytes 481 Mbits/sec receiver
[ 10] 0.00-10.00 sec 285 MBytes 239 Mbits/sec sender
[ 10] 0.00-10.00 sec 285 MBytes 239 Mbits/sec receiver
[SUM] 0.00-10.00 sec 1.60 GBytes 1.38 Gbits/sec sender
[SUM] 0.00-10.00 sec 1.60 GBytes 1.38 Gbits/sec receiver

Rq: acq111 driver for DSM 7.2 broadwellnk not provided on GitHub, compiled from sources

Description of your products

- Xpenology DS3622XS on baremetal HP Micro Gen8 w/QNAP QNA-UC5G1T
- Linux 4.4.302+ #69057 SMP Fri Jan 12 17:02:26 CST 2024 x86_64 GNU/Linux synology_broadwellnk_3622xs+
- DSM 7.2.1-69057 Update 4
- QNAP QNA-UC5G1T

Description of your environment

- connect using a hub
- PC: Intel X520-DA1
- Hub: CISCO/Linksys LGS328C
- cable category Cat.6

Output of dmesg command

[  359.153170] aqc111 5-1:1.0 eth2: register 'aqc111' at usb-0000:04:00.0-1, QNAP QNA-UC5G1T USB to 5GbE Adapter, 24:5e:be:4d:a7:0b
[  359.153481] usbcore: registered new interface driver aqc111
[  359.422395] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth2: link is not ready
[  359.529220] device ovs_eth2 entered promiscuous mode
[  359.529350] audit_printk_skb: 609 callbacks suppressed
[  359.529469] audit: type=1700 audit(1706093376.846:3183): dev=ovs_eth2 prom=256 old_prom=0 auid=4294967295 uid=0 gid=0 ses=4294967295
[  359.535920] device eth2 entered promiscuous mode
[  359.536034] audit: type=1700 audit(1706093376.853:3184): dev=eth2 prom=256 old_prom=0 auid=4294967295 uid=0 gid=0 ses=4294967295
[  359.538020] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): ovs_eth2: link is not ready
[  366.877831] aqc111 5-1:1.0 eth2: Link Speed 5000, USB 3
[  366.884645] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): ovs_eth2: link becomes ready

Output of lsusb command

|__usb1          1d6b:0002:0404 09  2.00  480MBit/s 0mA 1IF  (ehci_hcd 0000:00:1a.0) hub
  |__1-1         8087:0024:0000 09  2.00  480MBit/s 0mA 1IF  ( ffffffd1ffffffb2ffffffdbffffffad) hub
    |__1-1.5     0463:ffff:0100 00  1.10  1.5MBit/s 20mA 1IF  (EATON Ellipse PRO P360G45BA6)
|__usb2          1d6b:0002:0404 09  2.00  480MBit/s 0mA 1IF  (ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0) hub
  |__2-1         8087:0024:0000 09  2.00  480MBit/s 0mA 1IF  ( ffffffd1ffffffb2ffffffdbffffffa0) hub
    |__2-1.3     0424:2660:0801 09  2.00  480MBit/s 2mA 1IF  ( ffffffd1ffffffb2ffffffdbffffffa1) hub
      |__2-1.3.1 f400:f400:0210 00  2.00  480MBit/s 96mA 1IF  (Generic Ultra Fast Media Reader 000002660A01)
|__usb3          1d6b:0001:0404 09  1.10   12MBit/s 0mA 1IF  (uhci_hcd 0000:01:00.4) hub
|__usb4          1d6b:0002:0404 09  2.00  480MBit/s 0mA 1IF  (Linux 4.4.302+ xhci-hcd xHCI Host Controller 0000:04:00.0) hub
|__usb5          1d6b:0003:0404 09  3.00 5000MBit/s 0mA 1IF  (Linux 4.4.302+ xhci-hcd xHCI Host Controller 0000:04:00.0) hub
  |__5-1         1c04:0015:0101 00  3.20 5000MBit/s 896mA 1IF  (QNAP▒ Pacific▒ 02I08969)

Output of ifconfig -a command

ovs_eth2  Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 24:5E:BE:4D:A7:0B
          inet addr:192.168.1.85  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::265e:beff:fe4d:a70b/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:9000  Metric:1
          RX packets:1877154 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:540491 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1
          RX bytes:2420592616 (2.2 GiB)  TX bytes:10727146890 (9.9 GiB)

[bb-qq]

What will the speed be if I use the same configuration of Hub and cables but change only the QNA-UC5G1T to connect to a Windows PC?

[FredDL31]

This is good idea, and with Windows PC I performed tests, and speed is correct:

D:\System\iperf-3.1.3-win64>iperf3 -c 192.168.1.85
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 4] 0.00-1.00 sec 281 MBytes 2.36 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 1.00-2.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 2.00-3.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 3.00-4.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 4.00-5.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.34 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 5.00-6.00 sec 279 MBytes 2.34 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 6.00-7.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 7.00-8.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 8.00-9.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec
[ 4] 9.00-10.00 sec 280 MBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec

---

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 2.74 GBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec sender
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 2.74 GBytes 2.35 Gbits/sec receiver

Btw, it is something wrt last firmware (but from 2020 !) vs. driver ?

Thanks.

[bb-qq]

I have already updated the firmware in my environment and the performance is fine. I also have low power mode enabled.

When you measure the speed on a Windows PC, are all other conditions the same, such as MTU, opposing devices, switches along the way, etc.?

[FredDL31]

Sure, strictly same configuration ... tested on 3 differents PC, all on same switch as the NAS, with standard MTU to avoid pb.

The 3 PC shown ~2.4 Gbits/sec, where the NAS now (after firmware update) show 1.6 Gbits/sec.

Btw, it was working fine (except a "poor" 2.44 Gbits/sec expected better), and then only firmware was updated in the whole HW/SW configuration, with consequence performed bad as ever on NAS ... but stable on PC.

[bb-qq]

Since then I have tried to find out where the stock firmware is, but unfortunately I could not find it.

This adapter is inherently capable of more than 4Gbps, we may as well forget about Synology and investigate what the bottleneck is.
For example, change the switch to a direct connection, adjust the MTU values of the devices related, etc.