slow access to network shares under XP

[Vedran Vrbanc]

Hello,

I have the following problem:

When accessing a shared folder with a large number of files/subfolders
(around 2000) from any XP client, opening the folder takes 5-6 seconds.

Performing the same task from any win98 client takes less than a second.
The shared folder is located on a win2003 server (pure file server, static
addressing through lmhosts, no domain).

However, in another environment I haven't noticed any such slowdowns in the
similar scenario: XP client, large shared folders, BUT: the XP client and
the file server are domain members (the server is not the DC itself).

I am guessing that this is an XP authentication issue but I can't think of
anything to alleviate this problem. Currently, the authentication is set up
so that I have the same username/password on both the client and the
server. Is this a bad practice?

I have tried mapping the share through the IP address but it didn't help.
TCP/IP is the only protocol used.

Kind regards,
Vedran

 

[Marina Roos]

Try putting the XP-nic on 100, so don't use autosense.

Marina

 

[Vedran Vrbanc]

Try putting the XP-nic on 100, so don't use autosense.

Marina

One of the first things I tried. No discernible effect. However, I found
out that it makes crossover-connected 3com cards work properly.

Disabling task scheduler and webclient services (which are known to cause
slowdowns when browsing network neighborhood) didn't help either. I tried
changing MTU and tweaking other NB and TCP/IP registry settings. Finally, I
connected a linux client (which browses shares at a normal speed just like
win98) and sniffed network traffic to see what's going on but it's just too
complex, all I figured out is that there's more of it when I'm browsing
with XP.

In a moment of desperation I ran some "network optimizing wizard" tools but
browsing large network folders still gives me grief.

I'm pretty much certain now that this in an authentication issue. Perhaps
it can not be resolved except by creating a domain (for 3 computers, doh!).
Win98 probably works faster because of a less complex networking
architecture.

Am I the only one with this problem or I am just the only one who is
bothered by it?

Last thing I'm gonna try is to write a small tcp fileserver/client app that
lists shares and try to work out where the bottleneck is.

Anyway, thank you all for hearing me out. I'll post an answer if I ever get
to the bottom of this.

Kind Regards,
Vedran

 

[Mark Pewsey]

In Vedran Vrbanc wrote:
<snipped>
| I'm pretty much certain now that this in an authentication issue.
| Perhaps it can not be resolved except by creating a domain (for 3
| computers, doh!). Win98 probably works faster because of a less
| complex networking architecture.
|
| Am I the only one with this problem or I am just the only one who is
| bothered by it?
|

You are the only one in a while that has had a reply, but not the only
one with the problem.

I build web pages on a PC that dual boots Win95 and Win2K.

When it's running Win95 I can access it's shares and open files nice and
fast from my XP machine.

Same hardware and network, but running Win2K, browsing is a little
slower, but opening files takes simply ages.

Both machines can access the Internet nice and fast through the
switch/router that provides the network connectivity (SMC Barricade
7004BR), and I have tried various settings - Autosense, 10/HD, 100FD,
and everything in between.

Like you I have tried the various tweaks and tucks, but to no avail, and
agree that everything else being pretty much normal it must be an
authentication issue.

Good luck and let us know if you fix the problem!

Mark
--

 

[Vedran Vrbanc]

Good luck and let us know if you fix the problem!

YESSSS I fixx0red it! )

At first I didn't know exactly what fixed it so I compared service/registry
entries against my laptop (also running XP and slowly opening large
shares). Thus, I came up with a .reg file and after importing it on the
laptop, it started browsing shares at a normal speed, too!

Here's the reg branch:

---begin---
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters]
"Tcp1323Opts"=dword:00000002
"EnablePMTUDiscovery"=dword:00000000
"EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000000
"SackOpts"=dword:00000000
"GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:ffffffff
"TcpWindowSize"=dword:ffffffff
"DefaultTTL"=dword:00000000
"TcpRecvSegmentSize"=dword:00000003
---end---

I don't know exactly which of these keys fixed the problem, I didn't have
time to optimize it yet (and I'm not going to, it's 1 am . Note that
these settings are applied to all interfaces and you may not really want
that. A better solution would be to apply the parameters to a specific
adapter under HKLM_CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces ,
supposing that the paramaters are acknowledged by windows (didn't try that
out, either).

Note that my webclient service is disabled and the following registry key
is deleted:

KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace\
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

These two tweaks may be the prerequisites for fixing the problem.

Let me know if it works out for anyone.

Kind regards,
Vedran

 

[Mark Pewsey]

In Vedran Vrbanc wrote:
| In article <[email protected]>,
| (e-mail address removed)12.com says...
||
|| Good luck and let us know if you fix the problem!
||
|
| YESSSS I fixx0red it! )
|
| At first I didn't know exactly what fixed it so I compared
| service/registry entries against my laptop (also running XP and
| slowly opening large shares). Thus, I came up with a .reg file and
| after importing it on the laptop, it started browsing shares at a
| normal speed, too!
|
| Here's the reg branch:
|
| ---begin---
| Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
|
|
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters]
| "Tcp1323Opts"=dword:00000002
| "EnablePMTUDiscovery"=dword:00000000
| "EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000000
| "SackOpts"=dword:00000000
| "GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:ffffffff
| "TcpWindowSize"=dword:ffffffff
| "DefaultTTL"=dword:00000000
| "TcpRecvSegmentSize"=dword:00000003
| ---end---
|
| I don't know exactly which of these keys fixed the problem,
<snipped>

Well done!
Some of those keys look familiar from previous attempts to fix my PC,
but I'll have a look at the rest when time allows.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Jace]

You might take a look at this kb article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811169&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

"Update to Increase the Performance of the Network Redirector
The information in this article applies to:
a.. Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition
b.. Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
c.. Microsoft Windows XP Professional
SYMPTOMS
When you access files over a network, you may sometimes notice a small
delay. "

the fix is due in xp sp2.

 

[Vedran Vrbanc]

Its the "Tcp1323Opts = 1 or 3 what kills it,.
Use either 0 or 2 Nothing or Windows Scalling

Regards
Don Grover

thanks, everyone!

Regards
Vedran Vrbanc