WindowsXP Pro workgroup performance

[Alex]

I have a WindowsXP workgroup consisting of 8 reliable Windows XP Pro
workstations connected using a Netgear 100mbps router. The problem is that
file access is slow and not very consistent, i.e. connections may be briefly
lost, especially with large file transfers. One of the XP workstations acts
as the file server and this machine is used by a user for general office
duty type work. I'd imagine that a dedicated file and print server would be
the way to go but Is this what is to be expected from a workgroup setup like
mine?

Thank you

 

[Guest]

Alex,

I believe that Windows XP will only allow 10 simultaneous connections at a
time. This is both a technical limitation and a License limitation. You say
there are 8 machines in the workgroup so it is not inconceivable that a few
might have multiole connections to the XP box acting as the file and print
server...too many connections could cause connectivity issues and slow file
transfer issues. Slow file transfers could be caused by malware or virus on
the other machines a malfunctioning NIC jabbering. Jabbering is when the NIC
is actually sendiong malformed packets. There could be a bad port on the
switch or the backplain could be failing, or for that matter dependiong on
what you are doing you could be over taxing the back plain. There are just
so many possibilities. I do not know the environment that you are in, work,
home. Or what type of time you have to do this.

Start with the simple stuff scan all systems for malware and virus. If you
haven't done any basic maintenance then this could actually be the culprit.
But, from what you mentioned that they were solid systems so it probably
isn't an OS issue. If the problem is not OS realted then you have to go to
the wire.

There are several utilities that could help you diagnose network
connectivity issue, netmon is a free utility from Microsoft. There is some
excellent software from Wild Packets, just use the eval version. Both of
these will take a bit of work in order to learn how to use to track down the
actual culprit of a slow network.


Before you do anything I would disconnect all but one XP station and the XP
File/Print Server and test the connectity and file transfer speed. Then I
would connect a differnt machine and one by one check connectivity and
transfer rates. This is laborious but it atleast isolates the systems and
you wont have to learn how to use any of the software I mentioned before.

Beau