How to set MTU-size to 9000 on physical interface and lagg
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As described in my posts a few days ago, I try to improve the pfSense throughput by using jumbo frames on my 10G-vlans.
So I configured my switches, NAS and PC for that, and did a first test. As expected that did not work since pfSense does not by default support jumbo frames (sorry @jimp )
However using ssh to access pfSense and the gui, I managed to temporarily prepare pfSense for jumbo frames
- login via SSH: set the 10 lagg to a MTU of 9000 (=> 8 shell => ifconfig lagg1 mtu 9000)
- via GUI: interfaces => choose the involved interface (vlan) set mtu to 9000
So, a very quick test between NAS ansd PC, shows an improvement from about 10% (4,5 Gbit/s => 5 Gbit/s).
After the test I immediately reversed the interfaces (vlan mtu to 1500), since an earlier test showed me that the lagg mtu is not persistent over an rebootSo, the Idea is good, but before further testing and using jumbo frames, I need to know how to make the jumbo frame part of the config.
After searching the internet, I tried four options:
- add <shellcmd>ifconfig lagg1 mtu 9000</shellcmd> after the syslog entry in the config file
- add <shellcmd>ifconfig lagg1 mtu 9000</shellcmd> at the end of the config file just above pfsense
- add "dev.lagg.1.mtu value 9000" in the tunables
- add "dev.ix.0.mtu value 9000" and add "dev.ix.1.mtu value 9000" in the tunables
So all those options did not work
Does any one knows how to make the lagg mtu settings part of the config!?
And of course it should also work if you use a single NIC -
I found the solution. There is a package you can install called "Shellcmd".
After installing that package there is an extra command "Schellcmd" under "Services"There I did add the line " ifconfig lagg1 mtu 9000" followed by a reboot.
SSH => 8 (shell) => ifconfig | grep mtu shows that the setting has worked.
Via the GUI I now changed the MTU size for the 10G-NAS-vlan and 10G-pc vlan to 9000.NAS, PC mtu on 9000 and switch MTU to something higher (9216 seems to be advised)
Transfers between NAS and PC work. I will perform some test. Initial impression is a small improvement (smaller than I had expected and hoped for).
Goal is of course full 10G-speed, but NAS and windows should also support that (what they IMHO given NVME-ssd's should do)
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At this moment, I see transfer rates between PC and NAS, I have never seem before:
- up to 9.5 Gbit from NAS to PC
- up to 7 Gbit from PC to NAS
Note that the SSD in the PC (Seagate FireCuda 530) is a faster one than SSD''s the one's in the NAS.