100Mbps Enet is very slow - how to debug?

[Steve]

WinXP desktop and Vista laptop, connected via Enet ADSL modem+switch.
Backing up to the desktop takes many hours even tho it's only a 160GB disk
less than half full.

Network utilisation is at about 0.2%. Can this be right? I've tried
resetting network adapters to default, swapping cables, etc. etc. Should I
try a new switch? What else can I try? Renewing everything networkish and
going wireless at the same time seems a bit drastic..

Ideas?

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi'
Do you have a combo Modem/Router, or you are backing up through the
Internet.
If the IPs of the computers are Not local (the 192.168.xxx.xxx) type, it
means that you do not have a Local Network, and the backing up is done at
Internet "Speed".
As a frame of reference, http://www.ezlan.net/net_speed.html
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

 

[Steve]

I am using the local connection - it's a Zyxel P660H with latest firmware,
integrated 4 port switch. Addrs. 192.168.1.33 & .35, everything shows it
should be running at 100Mbps.

I've seen some posts here about using "netsh" to turn off a Vista autoconfig
TCP parameter. I'll try that next, but it's not really satisfactory that
Vista autoconfigs to something well nigh useless, is it......

 

[Bob Moore]

Backing up to the desktop takes many hours even tho it's only a 160GB disk
less than half full.

I've seen this a couple of times and our resident network guru told me
it's sometimes due to auto-config 10/100 cards "hunting". Try forcing
the network cards on both machines to a single speed/duplex setting
and retry your transfer.

Government Health Warning: Just because I code sockets programs
doesn't mean I'm an expert on networks. I may just be smoking dope,
but it's worked for me in the past.

--
Bob Moore
http://bobmoore.mvps.org/
(this is a non-commercial site and does not accept advertising)
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[Steve]

Setting both adapters to 100Mbps half-duplex certainly improved performance.
Thanks.