Personal Project 10Gbps Storage Server & Quick Emulex Unboxing Linus Tech Tips
Linus Tech Tips dives into a personal project demonstrating a 10 Gbps storage network using Emulex/OCe style adapters and a DIY daisy-chained setup. The host highlights the affordability and practicality of direct-attach copper and Cat6/6a solutions to achieve multi-gigabit throughput without expensive switches. He explains that two-port SFP+ adapters enable daisy chaining, allowing a quad Gigabit server to connect multiple workstations and a video editing rig through a simple ring of connections. The video walks through the hardware choices, including the OCE 11102 NX style 10 Gbps copper adapters, and discusses why latency, bandwidth, and cost matter for uncompressed video workflows and editing pipelines. A key demo shows the network handling large, uncompressed video files, illustrating real-world transfer rates well above Gigabit speeds and approaching the storage subsystem's sustained read/write limits. The storage server itself packs eight Seagate drives on an Orico RAID controller, capable of hundreds of MB per second in sustained transfers, underscoring the bottleneck that determines practical speeds. The host emphasizes total project cost under a thousand dollars for a functional 10 Gbps daisy-chain, making high-speed networking accessible to enthusiasts and prosumers with budget constraints. The conclusion suggests that this setup is a compelling option for video editing, large file transfers, and networked storage without the overhead of enterprise-grade gear, while inviting viewers to subscribe for more hands-on, hardware-focused content.
Topics · technology · hardware · networking · video-editing · storage · DIY · unboxing · consumer-electronics
Questions answered
- What makes a 10 Gbps network affordable with Cat6 and SFP+ adapters?
- Two-port SFP+ adapters allow daisy chaining, enabling multiple devices to share high-speed links without needing expensive multi-port switches, and Cat6/6a copper paths provide a cost-effective alternative to fiber for short runs.
- How many drives and what performance does the storage subsystem provide in this setup?
- The storage server uses eight drives on an Orico RAID controller, capable of up to about 700 MB/s sustained reads and 500 MB/s sustained writes, which is more than enough to feed a 10 Gbps link for large transfers.
- What is the rough total cost to build a three-machine 10 Gbps daisy chain as described?
- About $750 for the Emulex cards plus cables, with a total under $1000 when including the necessary adapters and cables to connect three machines.