IP115's cause computer to slow down

[tcpip]

Help!
I've got a problem with an install and maybe you've seen this before.

I received a bunch of calls from one office that was saying that since the 115's were installed, applications were very very slow.

I can rule out Call Manager because it isn't even installed.

I watched with my own eyes that the programs that accessed the network were really slow on their computers. So I unhooked the IP115 and plugged the same cable directly into the PC. Now all of the programs went back to normal speed.

I am really at a loss as to what is really causing the problem. The network appears to be okay. The IP115's work fine too. But when the 115 sits between the computer and the network, it all goes to hell.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[LonnieBear]

What is the link speed of the switch where the network cables terminate? The max link speed on the IP 115 phones is 100 MB. If the link speed of the network and the PC NICs is 1000 MB, then the phones are a bottleneck, slowing the PCs down to 100 MB. I had to run dedicated lines to our machines that needed 1000 MB speed.

[Forum]

I recently ran across a similar issue, but with an IP230. If I put the IP 230 on any other computer, it was fine, but when I put it behind this particular computer, it got slow. We even ran a new cable, same issue. It appeared to be an issue between the NIC and the Phone. We had 2 identical "White Box" computers give us this issue. Our resolution ended up being seperate new drops for the phones. I think it has to do with the NIC in the computer though.

Charles

[tcpip]

Well this looks like a known issue.

Check out ST-10114

For highly interactive, synchronous applications, the performance can be slowed down by a factor of 5 to 10. For instance an application that takes 2 minutes to run normally could take 10 to 20 minutes. ShoreTel recommends the IP 230 phone for such applications.

It seems that the IP110's have better switches in them and are not affected by this problem.

[cburgy]

The IP115 is not a line rate device. It should only be deployed with very light usage or as a standalone phone.

[Forum]

Well, I verified, we had issues with IP230's. Internet came to a crawl as well, so it was definetly a different issue than the tech note mentioned above.

Here is the complete note:

Ethernet throughput considerations and IP 115 phones

Issue: Can we run business applications via the PC Port on the IP 115
Scenario: What are the considerations when connecting a pc to the data port on the IP115 sets, will they run business applications which require heavy data traffic.
Response: The ShorePhone IP 115 telephone is a cost-effective single-line IP telephone, ideally suited for open areas including lobbies, visitor's offices and classrooms. It features a half-duplex speakerphone for hands-free calling as well as a 10/100 Ethernet switch that allows a computer to be connected to the telephone to obtain network access using a 2nd Ethernet port on the telephone, often referred to as a "PC Port"
Whereas the "PC Port" is fully compliant with the 10/100 Ethernet standard, there are some important throughput parameters that need to be considered before selecting the IP 115 for a particular application.
Just like Ethernet switches in the wiring closet offer different performance levels at different price points, the ShorePhone IP 115 Ethernet throughput performance is commensurate with its relative price point in the ShoreTel portfolio. For example, high traffic core Ethernet switches can cost 2-3 times more per port than a SME Ethernet switch which is reflected in their packet forwarding rates being 3-4 times higher.
Customers that wish to run business applications via the PC Port on the IP 115 are advised to evaluate the nature of the Ethernet traffic associated with the PC Port. Applications that are characterized by high traffic volumes and small packet sizes, may experience reduced throughput and hence degraded application performance.
Another aspect of the IP 115 PC Port performance to consider is latency. The phone introduces up to 1 millisecond of latency per packet. For some applications that are very transaction intensive and pass a high volume of small packets back and forth between client and server, the effect of such latency in the phone can be cumulative and could slow down the performance of the application.
In summary:

• For everyday computer applications such as file copying, e-mail or web browsing, the PC Port on the IP 115 provides more than adequate performance. Measurements have shown that throughputs on file copy operations exceeds 50 Mbit/s.
• For highly interactive, synchronous applications, the performance can be slowed down by a factor of 5 to 10. For instance an application that takes 2 minutes to run normally could take 10 to 20 minutes. ShoreTel recommends the IP 230 phone for such applications.