Network has a great impact on Zero Client performance
We all know the zero clients are free of CPU, memory, processor and hardware requirements. This means that another strong factor plays a role in transmitting of the information from server to client. That is the network. And in case of zero clients, this network bandwidth should be really wide and sufficient enough for the seamless transfer of information.
Let us start with an example. ZC1080 Zero Client uses Ethernet as the network connection. The deployment so far has registered recognition about its appreciable performance, which is attained with the category 5 or 6 network cable to connect to the Ethernet network. The next question is :
What is a Category 5 or Category 6 cable ?
Usually, the high quality copper wires are used for Cat-5/6 cabling. They are twisted into 4 pairs which run along an outer cover. This design of the cable makes it immune to the other signal interference, which means a better transmission of the data signal over the cable.
Most of the times, the poor cabling is responsible for the faulty network transmission. This very often leads to the unnecessary testing of the other equipments. There are a few very high standards tagged with the category 5 and 6 cabling, which must be followed during installation as well. This guarantees a high performance over the network.
Recommendation With Us :
For multimedia intensive environments, especially those with concurrent multiple video playback, we recommend a standard 100 /1000 Mbps network between the host computer and the Zero Clients, to guarantee a smooth high-end experience; as shown in the figures : (click to view large pictures)
The videos consume higher bandwidth, for example, when the server side videos are played at Enson ZC1080 zero clients, each 480p video file consumes up to 13 Mpbs of the network bandwidth, a 720p video can take up to 15 Mpbs of bandwidth and a 1080p video can take up to 17 Mpbs of bandwidth straight away.
Most of the Wide Area Networks (WAN) have excessive latency and lower bandwidth. This compromises with the rich PC-like experience over the network.
The ideal recommendation from Enson ZC1080 is a low latency higher bandwidth Local Area Network, which is the secret behind the excellent performance of zero client devices.