Should I connect a NAS to a router, switch or access point for optimal in- and outbound performance?

Question

I've got a

• NAS
• Router (downstairs)
• Access point (upstairs)
• Switch (upstairs)

Each of these devices is connected with simply CAT.5e gigabit cables. Currently the NAS is connected to the switch, which is connected to both the access point upstairs and the router downstairs.

I was wondering whether the location of the NAS (i.e. connected to what device (router, switch, AP) affects the in- and outbound performance.

My main priority is having optimal transfer performance (LAN/WLAN) upstairs. Less prioritized is the outbound upload speed for when I'm outside.

Possible scenarios I could think of are

1. Connecting the NAS to the AP directly, instead of the switch, could improve the transfer speed upstairs, since there is one device less in between
2. Connecting the NAS to the router downstairs, which is the first/last device between that and the outside word, would improve the outbound upload speed

Which, if any, is true? Or perhaps the better question: Does the transfer speed performance of a NAS depends on what device it is connected to?

Answer 1

Your Internet connection is almost certainly the limiting factor for upload speeds so the location wouldn't matter for that.

Access to the NAS from wireless clients will be limited by the Wi-Fi connection itself so the location won't matter there either.

In theory, in a switched network, there may be an improvement when moving the device closer to the client that is accessing it due to the smaller chance of a collision, however in practice you likely won't see any difference unless your overall network traffic is very high.

I would leave the NAS connected to the switch.

Answer 2

The best device is most likely the switch.

In theory it should not matter much which device it is connected to, but a lot of router 4-port switches are not actually switches, rather they are separate ports bridged together to act like a switch. This requires CPU and can definitely limit throughput - especially on a gigabit device.