File Sharing Hesitates

[Guest]

I’ve recently added a new desktop computer to my peer-to-peer home network.
The network now consists of a laptop, three desktops and a shared printer.
All components share a single Internet connection through the network. All
computers are running Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Up until the introduction of the new computer everything worked fine. In
fact everything still works. All four computers can access the Internet.
All four computers can use the printer. And, all four computers can
communicate together. The problem is that accessing files on the three old
computers from the new computer is very slow sometimes.

Using Windows Explorer, when I first try to access files on the other
computers, it hesitates. Windows Explorer is completely frozen for a minute
or more but other programs are responsive as long as I don’t try to access
the file system. It’s almost as if Windows Explorer is waiting for something
and hangs until it times out. After the timeout I will be able to access
files on the other computers fine for a while and then it will freeze again.
It always works fine again (for a while) after the timeout.

The new computer (the one that freezes) has Microsoft OneCare on it. The
others are running Trend Micro’s PCCillin. Could this be causing a problem?

The new computer has a gigabit controller built on the motherboard. The
rest of the network (including the wired router) is 10/100. I tried changing
the network properties to 10/100 but this made no improvement. Would adding
a 10/100 NIC in the computer help?

Any ideas on how to resolve this problem?

 

[Harry Boyne]

Have you checked that the firewall allows EVERYTHING going on in the
network?

Normally the firewall is blocking something.

Harry

 

[Guest]

From what I saw it looked like the firewall was only blocking some programs
from accessing the Internet. I didn't see where it was blocking anything
within my network. Is there something specific I should be looking for that
would delay Windows Explorer when it tries to obtain a list of files and
folders on a peer computer?

 

[Harry Boyne]

You would want to check that all the IP addresses that are on your network
are allowed.

All of the computers are connected by ethernet, not by wireless, right?


Harry

 

[Guest]

Check.

You would want to check that all the IP addresses that are on your network
are allowed.

All of the computers are connected by ethernet, not by wireless, right?


Harry

 

[Chuck]

I’ve recently added a new desktop computer to my peer-to-peer home network.
The network now consists of a laptop, three desktops and a shared printer.
All components share a single Internet connection through the network. All
computers are running Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Up until the introduction of the new computer everything worked fine. In
fact everything still works. All four computers can access the Internet.
All four computers can use the printer. And, all four computers can
communicate together. The problem is that accessing files on the three old
computers from the new computer is very slow sometimes.

Using Windows Explorer, when I first try to access files on the other
computers, it hesitates. Windows Explorer is completely frozen for a minute
or more but other programs are responsive as long as I don’t try to access
the file system. It’s almost as if Windows Explorer is waiting for something
and hangs until it times out. After the timeout I will be able to access
files on the other computers fine for a while and then it will freeze again.
It always works fine again (for a while) after the timeout.

The new computer (the one that freezes) has Microsoft OneCare on it. The
others are running Trend Micro’s PCCillin. Could this be causing a problem?

The new computer has a gigabit controller built on the motherboard. The
rest of the network (including the wired router) is 10/100. I tried changing
the network properties to 10/100 but this made no improvement. Would adding
a 10/100 NIC in the computer help?

Any ideas on how to resolve this problem?

I'd look at three setups - on all computers, make these consistent.
# Name resolution.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/address-resolution-on-lan.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/address-resolution-on-lan.html
# SMB transport / personal firewall settings.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-using.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-using.html
# Protocols used by each computer. IP, and NetBT, is all that you need. More
than that, and you will have problems. More than that on just some computers,
and you will have more problems.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/fix-network-problems-but-clean-up.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/fix-network-problems-but-clean-up.html

Look at "browstat status" and "ipconfig /all" from each computer, and diagnose
the problem. Read this article, and linked articles, and follow instructions
precisely (download browstat!):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp

 

[Herman Jones]

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