Multiplied network performance and fault-tolerant connections
Network performance is no longer the efficiency bottleneck! QNAP NAS supports SMB 3.0 Multichannel to efficiently aggregate multiple network connections to maximize available bandwidth between NAS and your directly connected client devices, along with multi-path protection for greater reliability.
Enable SMB Multichannel for multiplied bandwidth
SMB Multichannel has been supported from QTS 5.1.0 / QuTS hero h5.1.0 to provide QNAP NAS with a massive boost to throughput, ideal for transferring 8K/16K multimedia and large files. With automatic failover for operational reliability, if one connection fails, application I/O will continue with the remaining network. Total bandwidth automatically reverts to full throughput once the failure recovers. By enabling SMB multichannel, available network paths are automatically detected and aggregated. No extra complex configuration is required.
Built-in High-speed Connectivity
Sufficient Ethernet ports
Boosted Network Performance
Multiplied bandwidth
Fault-tolerant Connections
Reliable operation
PCIe Expansion Card
Add Ethernet ports
Simplified Setting
Plug-and-use
QNAP 2.5GbE/10GbE/25GbE-ready NAS - perfect choices for SMB Multichannel
QNAP provides various NAS systems that come with built-in 2.5GbE, 10GbE or 25GbE Ethernet ports. By further leveraging PCIe expansion cards for adding more network connections, you can easily build up high-speed storage with flexibility and cost-efficiency.
Increased performance
Enjoy 2- 4 times faster speed from direct connection of single client devices.
Ultra-fast 50GbE
Acquire 50GbE ultra-high transfer speed using 25GbE NAS.
Productive collaboration
In a multi-connection environment, each client device doubles its transfer speed.
2X Faster Solution: Single client gains 5GbE transfer speed without buying additional network cards
TS-464 2.5GbE NAS with SMB Multichannel boosts read/write performance up to 2 times than usual, suitable for performance-demanding professionals and gamers.
SMB Multichannel (2.5GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (2.5GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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Tested in QNAP Labs. Figures may vary by environment. NAS: TS-464, QTS 5.1.0.2253, Seagate IronWolf ZA4000NM10002-2ZG104 x4, RAID 5 Client PC: Intel i3-8100T 3.1 GHz, Windows Server 2019, Intel I225 NIC
4X Faster Solution: Accomplish large file transfer over 40GbE
Featuring two built-in 10GbE ports with an additional dual-port 10GbE card installed, the TS-h1277AFX can aggregate bandwidth up to 40GbE – ideal for enterprise-level large and massive file transfer applications.
SMB Multichannel(10GbE x 4 channels)
Read
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Write
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Write
SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel(10GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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Read
Write
Actual transfer performance may vary depending on how the client operating system handles SMB multichannel connections.
Tested in QNAP Labs. Figures may vary by environment. FastCopy, 50GB File Transfer NAS: TS-h1277AFX-R7-32G, QuTS hero h5.2.6.3182, Samsung 870 EVO 1TB x12, RAID 5, 10% OP, QXG-10G2T-X710 NIC x2 Client PC: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.8 GHz, Windows Server 2025, Intel X550 NIC x2
Ultra-fast Video Editing Solution: Streamline 8K/16K video production with blazing-fast 50GbE
Aggregates two 25GbE ports of the TS-h1277AFX with SMB Multichannel to obtain 50GbE available throughput – making TS-h1277AFX the best match for high-resolution real-time video editing and post-production.
SMB Multichannel (25GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (25GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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FastCopy, 50GB File Transfer
NAS: TS-h1277AFX-R7-32G, QuTS hero h5.2.6.3182, Samsung 870 EVO 1TB x12, RAID 5, 10% OP, QXG-10G2T-X710 NIC x2 Client PC: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.8 GHz, Windows Server 2025, Intel X550 NIC x2
Collaborative Video Editing Solution: Fulfill 20GbE workflows for 5 clients respectively
Install four dual-port 10GbE PCIe expansion cards into the TS-h1290FX, which has two built-in 25GbE ports, and directly connect five PCs/workstations to the NAS – enabling 20GbE high-speed connection for each workstation user.
SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 2 channels)
Read
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Write
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Non SMB Multichannel (10GbE x 1 channel)
Read
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Write
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Tested in QNAP Labs. Figures may vary by environment. NAS: TS-h1290FX, QuTS hero h5.1.0.2253, Micron 7400 U.3 SSD x12, RAID 5, QXG-10G2T-X710 NIC x4 Client PC: PC1: Windows Server 2019 i7-6700 3.6 GHz, LAN-10G2SF-MLX PC2: Windows Server 2016 i7-7700 3.6 GHz, LAN-10G2T-X550 PC3: Windows Server 2019 AMD 7232P 3.0 GHz, LAN-10G2T-X550 PC4: Windows Server 2019 Xeon W1250 3.3 GHz, LAN-10G2T-X550 PC5: Windows Server 2019 AMD 7232P 3.0 GHz, LAN-10G2T-X550
Deploy network with SMB Multichannel to optimize transfer speed
2.5GbE NAS is the new normal of networking. Don’t worry if your PC/workstation only has 1Gb Ethernet ports, as you can install a QNAP PCIe expansion cards , enable SMB Multichannel, and enjoy multiplied network performance right away!
Before | Only up to 2GbE throughput
2.5GbE NAS and 1GbE PC provide Ethernet ports of different speeds, thus it only delivers up to 2GbE with SMB Multichannel.
After | Maximize throughput by adding a 2.5GbE expansion card
Step 1: Install a QNAP dual-port 2.5GbE PCIe expansion card in your PC, and enable SMB Multichannel for NAS.
Step 2: Set up two 2.5GbE connections between NAS and PC for aggregated throughput up to 5 Gbps.
SMB Multichannel notes and requirements:
Both NAS and Client device support SMB 3.0 protocol. NAS: QTS 5.1.0 (or later), QuTS hero h5.1.0 (or later). Clients: Windows Server 2012 (or later), macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 (or later).
SMB multichannel only allows for combining the Ethernet ports of the same speed and type on a device. For example, 10GbE+10GbE.
SMB multichannel uses the same number of Ethernet ports across devices.
If the NAS and client use different speeds of network ports, the slowest speed will be used. For example, connecting a PC with two 2.5GbE ports to a NAS with two 10GbE ports, the SMB multichannel transfer speed is 5 Gbps.
Actual performance may vary due to the configuration (CPU, RAM, hard drives, switches, etc.) and hardware performance of the NAS and client device.
The current version of SMB Multichannel does not support RSS, RDMA, NIC Teaming.
Add more Ethernet ports using QNAP’s comprehensive expansion cards
Upgrade your NAS and PC/workstation for higher transfer speeds. Flexibly use 2.5/5/10/25/100GbE expansion cards to unleash network performance.
What is the difference between SMB Multichannel and Port Trunking?
For increasing bandwidth and performance, which is the best solution for you?
SMB Multichannel: Suited for small/home office users. Fulfill multiplied available bandwidth with SMB Multichannel between NAS and directly-connected clients to accelerate transfer speeds – a switch is not required in the network architecture.
Port Trunking: Recommended for midsized to large businesses (working environments with multiple members) that care about reliability and users who deploy network switches in their IT infrastructure. Port Trunking not only increases file access efficiency but also avoids network resources being occupied by dedicated devices using SMB Multichannel, that could influence other concurrent applications.
SMB Multichannel
Port Trunking
Configuration
Plug and use. Simply connect Ethernet ports from NAS to client device.
NAS requires further settings.IEEE802.3ad (LACP) requires support in switches.
NAS Operating System
Yes
No version limitation
Bandwidth Aggregation
Yes
Yes
Transfer Speed Aggregation
Yes
No
Load Balancing
Yes
Yes
Fault Tolerance
Yes
Yes
Scenarios
Increased transfer performance for individual users
Simultaneous data access with multiple members
Does SMB Multichannel work with network switch connections?
SMB Multichannel facilitates fast traffic pipelines on the NAS side. It also provides multiplied throughput for clients/workstations connecting to the NAS through a network switch. Just choose a port-rich 10GbE switch to maximize your network bandwidth with ease.
