Highspeed data sharing between two computers

Question

I often need to move/access data (several GB at a time) between my Laptop and Desktop computers (it's on the laptop for mobility, and desktop so it can process it in 10 minutes rather than 2 hours).

The local network is only 100Mbps and gives me around 500KB/s. I tried linking them with an Ethernet crossover cable (1Gbit) but this only hit 20MB/s (I calculated that it should be up around 120MB/s...) which is still not that great and it prevents the desktop accessing the internet or the rest of the network while it is at it (only one Ethernet port).

Why is the crossover cable so much slower than I expected? What other options do I have for moving/accessing/etc. stuff?

Available Ports:
Laptop: 1Gbit Ethernet, USB 2.0.
Desktop: 1394a, eSATA 3.0Gb/s, USB 2.0, USB 3.0

I can't use a local router to connect both computers with 1Gbit as their disallowed on the network :(

Answer 1

I can't use a local router to connect both computers with 1Gbit as their disallowed on the network :(

As a professional network adminsitrator, I have to agree with that rule. However, as a short-term option you could add a network switch and be just fine.

A switch means your devices are still part of the same business network, so your admin can see them and manage them correctly. It won't interfere with any wireless access points that might be deployed or inadvertently open your internal network up to outside wifi users. It will also switch packets directly between your laptop and desktop at gigabit rates such that the data is never sent to the rest of the network (unlike a hub). In networking terms, you want a layer 2 device, not layer 1 or 3. That means no hubs and no consumer-level routers.

I'm talking about something like this. It should be okay, as it's not a router:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156250

Note that this is not an endorsement of that specific item. I've never used that model. It's just an example and I didn't shop around that much. But it is the type of device I'm talking about. Whether that will be able to outperform something like a direct firewire or usb2/3 link is another matter.

Answer 2

Your bottleneck is disk I/O (input/output, aka read and write). Plattered hard drives normally max out between 20-50 MBps. You can CONCEIVABLY transfer data faster, but if you are sending a large file, you can only send as fast as the drive can access it, and only as fast as the SLOWER of the two drives can either read or write.

Answer 3

Why not get an fast external hard disk that has a eSATA and a USB connection, then put the data on the hard disk. Just plug the hard disk into the machine that needs access to the data.