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Understanding Ethernet Jumbo Frames: Unlocking High-Speed Network Efficiency

Last Update: November 22nd, 2024
Article ID: 2949460

For network enthusiasts and IT professionals alike, Ethernet Jumbo Frames can make a significant difference in network performance—especially on high-speed local networks where maximizing data transfer efficiency is key. However implementing Jumbo Frames can cause increased latency and requires additional configuration on both source and destination computers. In this article, we'll dive into the benefits of Jumbo Frames, discuss when and where to use them, and guide you through enabling Jumbo Frames on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What Are Jumbo Frames?

Ethernet frames are packets of data that move across your network. The standard Ethernet frame size is 1,500 bytes, which generally works well for most networks. However, for reliable high-speed local networks, such as Gigabit 2.5Gbps or faster, these smaller frames create more traffic, in some cases causing bottlenecks.  WiFi which is not a reliable network connection may not benefit from Jumbo Frames and could even see reduced performance or reliability.  Jumbo Frames are best employed on a wired-only network segment.

Jumbo Frames increase the frame size from the standard 1,500 bytes to 9,000+ bytes. This larger size reduces the number of frames needed to send the same amount of data, which in turn reduces the network’s overhead and improves performance, but also increases latency.

This can benefit large file transfers between very high speed storage systems like NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices or SANs (Storage Area Networks), but can also be used between desktop and notebook computers when using a reliable network like wired Ethernet which minimizes packet loss compared to WiFi.

Benefits of Jumbo Frames

Reduced CPU Load: By sending fewer frames, your computer's CPU has less processing to do, which can improve the speed of data transfer and reduce latency in data-heavy operations like backups, large file transfers, or multimedia streaming. This may not be as noticeable on modern computers with multiple cores and CPU boost frequencies, however in a server environment where every bit of performance matters it can make quite the difference.

Higher Network Efficiency: Jumbo Frames reduce the amount of "chatter" on your network. With fewer frames to process, your network equipment can handle data more efficiently, especially beneficial in high-performance environments. This benefits large flat networks - lots of Ethernet switches and host computers, network segmentation can also help to improve performance for devices on the same segment.

Ideal for Data-Heavy Applications: If you work with video production, scientific data, or other large file types, Jumbo Frames can provide the bandwidth and efficiency when backing up data to a local area NAS, or transferring between computers on the same Ethernet network.

When to Use Jumbo Frames

Not every network setup will benefit from Jumbo Frames. They are best used in environments where you have:

High-speed Ethernet (1 Gbps or faster).

Controlled environments like home labs, small business networks, or data centers. Only devices with Jumbo Frames enabled will see a performance improvement.

When all devices in the network segment can support Jumbo Frames, if a switch or server doesn't have Jumbo Frame support then it can slowdown the whole network segment.

Note: For Jumbo Frames to work effectively, all network devices (routers, switches, network cards, etc.) in the data path must support Jumbo Frames and have them enabled.

Enabling Jumbo Frames on Different Operating Systems

We'll walk through how to enable Jumbo Frames on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Jumbo frame support may require updating Ethernet drivers and may not be available for all Ethernet controllers and operating system configurations.

How to Enable Jumbo Frames on Windows

Open Device Manager

  • Right-click on the Start Menu and select Device Manager from the pop-up menu

Locate Your Network Adapter:

  • Expand the Network adapters section, and double-click on your Ethernet adapter.

Access Advanced Settings:

  • In the adapter's Properties window, go to the Advanced tab.

Enable Jumbo Frames:

  • Look for an option called Jumbo Frame in the list.
  • From the drop-down, select a value such as 9,014 bytes (this may vary depending on your network setup and the maximum frame size supported by your network controller).

Save and Reboot:

  • Click OK to save the settings and restart your computer if prompted.

How to Enable Jumbo Frames on macOS

Open Network Preferences:

  • Go to the Apple Menu > System Settings > Network.

Select Your Ethernet Interface:

  • In the Network window, select the Ethernet interface you want to configure, then click on Details....

Configure Jumbo Frames:

  • In the Hardware tab on the left, look for the MTU option.
  • Change MTU from Standard (1500) to Custom and enter 9000 (or the size appropriate for your network).
  • Jumbo Frame support depends on the operating system and network driver. With macOS on Apple Silicon (M-Series processors) USB Ethernet adapters rely on Apple's built-in drivers and may not have support for Jumbo Frames enabled.

Apply Settings:

  • Click OK and then Apply to save your changes.

Reboot if Needed:

  • Some configurations may require a restart to take effect.

How to Enable Jumbo Frames on Linux

Identify Your Network Interface:

  • Open a terminal and run: 
    ip address 
    Note the name of your Ethernet interface (e.g., eth0, enp3s0 etc)

Configure MTU for the interface

  • In the same terminal, use the following command, replacing eth0 with your interface name: 
    sudo ip link set dev eth0 mtu 9000

Make Changes Permanent

  • This depends on how your distribution is configured and we recommend following your distribution's specific documentation.

Testing Jumbo Frames

Both endpoints need to have Jumbo Frames enabled, we can then send a ping from one host to the other with the frame size set to the lower of the system's MTUs minus an 8 byte ICMP header and 20 bytes for the ping to account for the ping packet overhead we subtract 28 from the MTU.

For Windows - open a terminal and use the ping command below ( assuming 9000 MTU on source and destination ):

ping -f -l 8972 Destination IP 

For Linux - open a terminal and use the ping command below ( assuming 9000 MTU on source and destination ):

ping -D -s 8972 -c 4 Destination IP 

For macOS - open a terminal and use the ping command below ( assuming 9000 MTU on source and destination ):

ping -D -s 8184 -c 4 Destination IP

Note for macOS, from multiple sources macOS ping only supports 8192 byte packets, in this case we subtract 8 bytes for the ICMP header, the 20 bytes for ping is included in this packet. If 8184 does not work try 8164 instead.

When both source and destination computers are configured for Jumbo Frames the ping command will complete successfully. If one or both are not configured to handle larger packets there will be an error displayed in the terminal window.

Wrapping Up

Enabling Jumbo Frames can be a simple yet powerful way to enhance your network’s efficiency, especially when dealing with large data transfers on a high-speed Ethernet network. For users like Taylor the Techie, who is focused on improving infrastructure for productivity and efficiency, this setup can play a crucial role in handling large datasets with ease. With reduced CPU load and fewer frames, Jumbo Frames optimize resources, making networks more efficient and robust.