One computer is slow on the LAN

8 May 2009 7:16 PM

Martin B. Brilliant

Problem: one computer on my home network is slow. Sending any print job larger
than a page of text across the network fails whether the printer is on the slow
computer or the slow computer is sending to a remote printer. File transfers
take about ten times as long to and from the slow computer as they take to or
from another Windows XP computer.

Last time I tried posting this I composed the text very carefully and lost it
when I tried to post and got a message that the server disconnected. So I'm
sending just a quick description and will post more if this post goes out OK.

Marty

8 May 2009 8:01 PM

John Wunderlich

mbrilli***@alum.mit.edu (Martin B. Brilliant) wrote in
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news:u5R#FGB0JHA.5728@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:

> Problem: one computer on my home network is slow. Sending any
> print job larger than a page of text across the network fails
> whether the printer is on the slow computer or the slow computer
> is sending to a remote printer. File transfers take about ten
> times as long to and from the slow computer as they take to or
> from another Windows XP computer.
>
> Last time I tried posting this I composed the text very carefully
> and lost it when I tried to post and got a message that the server
> disconnected. So I'm sending just a quick description and will
> post more if this post goes out OK.
>
> Marty

I have seen similar problems caused by a (Max)MTU setting that is too
big. Try running the Tweak Test at DSL Reports and see if it
recommends changes...

<http://www.dslreports.com/tools>

HTH,
John

8 May 2009 8:01 PM

Jack [MVP-Networking]

Hi
Slow Network can be a result of…
Bad cable, Problematic Network card (NIC), OS’ TCP/IP Not Optimized.
To optimize read this - Optimizing the TCP/IP Stack -
http://www.ezlan.net/Internet_Speed.html
Otherwise, you have to try a cable, and if it does not help, upgrade the
drivers to the current NIC, and or try NIC with good drivers.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

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"Martin B. Brilliant" <mbrilli***@alum.mit.edu> wrote in message
news:u5R%23FGB0JHA.5728@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Problem: one computer on my home network is slow. Sending any print job
> larger
> than a page of text across the network fails whether the printer is on the
> slow
> computer or the slow computer is sending to a remote printer. File
> transfers
> take about ten times as long to and from the slow computer as they take to
> or
> from another Windows XP computer.
>
> Last time I tried posting this I composed the text very carefully and lost
> it
> when I tried to post and got a message that the server disconnected. So
> I'm
> sending just a quick description and will post more if this post goes out
> OK.
>
> Marty
>
>

9 May 2009 2:14 PM

Martin B. Brilliant

Disconnected by server again. Here's a replay of how I solved the problem.

I knew the trouble wasn't in the cable because I had swapped the cable.
Lowering the MTU didn't help. Transferring a 26MB file from SLOWXP took 280
seconds, about 1MBps, while transferring a 32MB file from GOODXP took 75
seconds, about 4Mbps. I let Windows update the adapter driver, no help.

I plugged in an old PCI NIC and let Windows find the driver for it (using the
onboard adapter). Then I moved the cable to the PCI NIC. Transferring the 26MB
file now took about a minute, about 4Mbps. SLOWXP isn't slow any more.

It's disappointing that these days when we use computers to diagnose problems
in cars, we're still swapping cards to diagnose problems in computers.

Show quoteHide quote

"Jack [MVP-Networking]" <j***@discussiongroup.com> wrote:
>Hi
>Slow Network can be a result of…
>Bad cable, Problematic Network card (NIC), OS’ TCP/IP Not Optimized.
>To optimize read this - Optimizing the TCP/IP Stack -
>http://www.ezlan.net/Internet_Speed.html
>Otherwise, you have to try a cable, and if it does not help, upgrade the
>drivers to the current NIC, and or try NIC with good drivers.
>Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)
>
>"Martin B. Brilliant" <mbrilli***@alum.mit.edu> wrote in message
>news:u5R%23FGB0JHA.5728@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> Problem: one computer on my home network is slow. Sending any print job
>> larger
>> than a page of text across the network fails whether the printer is on the
>> slow
>> computer or the slow computer is sending to a remote printer. File
>> transfers
>> take about ten times as long to and from the slow computer as they take to
>> or
>> from another Windows XP computer.
>>
>> Last time I tried posting this I composed the text very carefully and lost
>> it
>> when I tried to post and got a message that the server disconnected. So
>> I'm
>> sending just a quick description and will post more if this post goes out
>> OK.
>>
>> Marty
>>
>>

Marty