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Way To Quantify Terminal Server Traffic Speed?

Hi Experts,

I am in need of some guidance on how to measure speed across a network.

I have two sites (see picture below for rudimentary idea of layout). Users in site 2 are complaining that the Terminal Server sessions are a bit sluggish, especially in the afternoon.

People running local to the Terminal Servers at site 1 do not experience the same sluggishness, so I am looking for a way to see if I can isolate and show what the connection speed is for Terminal Server users (not just ping response times, I have that).

Users in site 2 (users are running Win XP SP3) are coming across a AT&T MPLS full T1 to our primary location, site 1. They are connecting into our Terminal Servers which are running Server 2008 (not R2).

Some useful data (I believe):
-we have a bluecoat packetshaper 1700 in place doing QoS, with Terminal Server traffic at a very high (only behind VoIP) priority
-a majority of the traffic (approximately 97%) on the T1 is SAN traffic replicating from site 1 to site 2
-there is a light amount of http/https and a CIFS/SMB traffic going across the wire from site 2 to site 1

Here's the question:
Is there any tool that I can use (aside from ping response times) that can tell me what the potential hold up is for my Terminal Server users? I am simply trying to improve their response time so they can work more efficiently. Also, I don't mind paying for a tool, but something reasonable is much preferred (say, under $750).

Thanks, please let me know if you need further details!

ts-traffic-questions.png

Kamran Arshad

Hi,

Wireshark is a nice handy utility for network bottlenecks and protocol error discoveries.

www.wireshark.org

To check the total available bandwidth you can use IPerf;

http://openmaniak.com/iperf.php

Clayton Pruett

ASKER

hi uetian1707,

i know (and love) wireshark, but for this purpose i was hoping for something a little more automated that did the dirty work for me.

as for iperf, good tool, but i have something that tells me what amount of the bandwidth is used.

i am looking for something that breaks the traffic down and shows me "terminal server traffic is getting stepped on by such-and-such traffic between 3 and 5 pm".

any ideas for that?

thanks!

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Kamran Arshad

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Clayton Pruett

ASKER

uetian1707,

thanks for the input, nprobe looks like a great option, i have been poking around with ntop already, nprobe looks promising.

take care.