Ethernet Speed
Why does it take ~8minutes to transfer ~11MB over ethernet?
RE:
How do you transfer from PrusaSlicer, or from the Connect page?
I am exporting from Prusa slicer directly and it doesn't take that long.
In PrusaSlicer, you have to have the icon in the bottom right to export directly.
RE: Ethernet Speed
It took 1-2 minutes to transfer a 10.5MB file for me using PrusaSlicer over ethernet that's running over a wireless bridge.
RE: Ethernet Speed
It’s pretty well known that the networking stack is shit at the moment and they’ve already promised improvements to it in 5.1 for the MK4 and XL.
They’re approaching it from a few angles:
- Actual throughput improvements to the wifi and ethernet code.
- Binary encoding to reduce the file size of your gcode and hence reduce transfer time
- gcode streaming, essentially the printer can start working as soon as it gets a small enough bit of the gcode instead of having to wait for the whole thing upfront.
- octoprint support so you can circumvent the whole network stack if you’d like as it uses serial over USB.
RE: Ethernet Speed
Really hoping that the first point sees major improvement. All of the other points you listed are basically hacks/workarounds due to the network speed being several orders of magnitude slower than it should be in 2023.
It’s pretty well known that the networking stack is shit at the moment and they’ve already promised improvements to it in 5.1 for the MK4 and XL.
They’re approaching it from a few angles:
- Actual throughput improvements to the wifi and ethernet code.
- Binary encoding to reduce the file size of your gcode and hence reduce transfer time
- gcode streaming, essentially the printer can start working as soon as it gets a small enough bit of the gcode instead of having to wait for the whole thing upfront.
- octoprint support so you can circumvent the whole network stack if you’d like as it uses serial over USB.
Brand new to 3D printing and my 5-tool XL is my first 3D Printer! I have done massive amounts of research though, so I'm not starting completely from square one....
RE: Ethernet Speed
Why does it take ~8minutes to transfer ~11MB over ethernet?
What firmware are you using? The new alpha should bring major improvements to transfer speed, as they use a new binary gcode format. This has improved the transferspeed over ethernet for my mini significantly. Should also improve the speed for the XL.
RE: Ethernet Speed
Yes, with the new firmware and using binary Gcode with the alpha/beta slicer I get acceptable transfer times.
RE: Ethernet Speed
The logical explanation for this is probably that most of the pre-orders were placed on 18th of November. 😉
RE: Ethernet Speed
Seems i got the wrong topic. 🤣
RE: Ethernet Speed
What kind of monkey has design and tested this printer?
45mb file (ethernet, bgcore on, arc on) --> 8 minutes
2024...repeat 2024 and wifi or ethernet speed are less than 100kb per second, Josef....can you install a 256kb modem at least.....?
RE: Ethernet Speed
Fwiw: it’s greatly improved with the latest firmware. I’ve also switched to using “binary code” and no longer have any complaints.
RE: Ethernet Speed
I had a 55mb file that took several minutes over Wifi using the web portal on the printer (and this was binary). Printer isn't in a location where I can get wired Ethernet to it easily. Will try via PrusaSlicer.
Also noticed (just arrived Thursday, built it on Saturday & Sunday, so still learning my way around this thing) that some prints (even when set to Print on transfer) got through part of the startup process, then sits for 6-9 minutes with a countdown timer saying "absorbing heat" which I have absolutely no idea what that is or why it needs to do so. Doesn't happen on every print, but about every 3rd one.
RE: Ethernet Speed
These days I mostly use Prusa Connect (and have it wired to an Ethernet switch). I’ve never experienced more than the standard 1 minute “absorbing heat”… which is itself a bit “lol wut?”. Especially since it isn’t adjustable.
good luck! Try the latest Prusa slicer with the latest firmware and binary gcode.
RE: Ethernet Speed
Apparently Prusa is not addressing this problem seriously. The WiFi and Ethernet tranfer speeds are still unacceptable making PrusaLink barely usable.
They are not even giving any honest feedback on this issue. Hey - if they really know the hardware is the limit - then the hardware should be replaced!
Can you imagine buying a modern car today and finding out it can only do 90 km/h? But the customer support will tell you they did everything to reach what it's hardware can do?
Take a look at all those forum threads - apprently Prusa put poor harware in MK4. No customer support with their soft words or any magical firware will fix that.
I suggest Prusa to upgrade MK4 and offer a free replacement part to existing customers. That's the only way for Prusa to keep the customers' respect on the long term. Unless they just want to sell as much of MK4 as they can and just let their reputation to slowly die.
RE: Ethernet Speed
Soon you will only be able to buy speed limited new cars at least in europe...
Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Ethernet Speed
Until then you can always just buy a Raspberry Pi, put OctoPrint on it and forget all about those problems with networking on the hardware that is included in the printers. 🙂
To stay with the car analogy: it is like switching from a 2-stroke engine to a 4-stroke 4-cylinder engine. 🙂
RE: Ethernet Speed
The WiFi and Ethernet tranfer speeds are still unacceptable making PrusaLink barely usable.
Thats your opinion.
RE: Ethernet Speed
For us that have used octoprint for years, and know that faster speeds are not only possible, but normal with different hardware, the transfer rates and frequent file transfer failures for prusalink/prusaconnect are really disappointing.
RE: Ethernet Speed
I never had any issue with the transfer speed over ethernet to my mini oder my XL, but i have to say, i never used octoprint. So i guess it's like knowing 720p and never have seen 4k. For me the transfer speed is ok.
RE: Ethernet Speed
As a point of reference, for me, file transfers to octoprint were usually on the order of 2-3 seconds. Maybe 5 seconds at most, and then only very large files. Even with bgcode, it not uncommon for it to take 30 seconds or more. I seen a couple that took more than 2 minutes to transfer. Before bgcode it was usually in the minutes range even for small files.
Transfer rates with the prusa networking solutions are not even in the same class. When I first upgraded to MK4, octoprint wasn't yet supported and thought I mighty as well give PrusaLink a try. Now that octoprint seems to be working for others I keep telling myself to go back to octoprint, but I'm currently too lazy.