Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

network speed is ungodly slow

0 helpful
15 replies

by bc3 technologies

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
is there anything that would be causing the network speed from my computer to others on the network to be VERY slow? i notice this when it takes a minute or more simply to connect to another users computer and list the shares available. this is going from a win2k machine to a win9x (mE) machine. there are multiple computers on the network, 10/100 format.

15 replies

by dcassat

I have found the following to be the most common problems on slow networks:

The server is at 100% utilization because of a runaway process and must be rebooted.

Norton Antivirus is installed and setup to run when programs are opened. In general any antivirus can slow a workstation significantly. Disable it to test.

There is a virus that is causing 100% of the network bandwidth to be used. You can check this by looking at the hub if it reports network utilization.

A hub or networkcard is defective or needs to be reset or replaced.

Good Luck

by dc1

Is the NIC set to auto negotiate its speed? Have seen really bad response times due to this. Change the NIC to either 10 or 100mbs, depending on the speed of the switch that it plugs into.

by bc3 technologies

i set it to both 100mbps and 10mbps but both times got "network cable disconnected" icons in the system tray. had to set it back to auto detect and reboot before i could get my network back

by rkelly

Could it be a collision problem on your network? If you have too many devices and two few physical segents (or broadcast domains depending how your physical network is set up)you could be running into collison problems or packet routing problems.Use something like Network Monitor (or any other LAN Analysis Tool) to check what is actually going on between the machines - is their available bandwidth? are you getting DNS/NetBIOS name resolution timeouts?

by bc3 technologies

it seems another user on the network that has windows 2k pro is also having ungodly slow network speeds. is there an issue with win2k i don't know about?

by rkelly

In response to my earlier answer, and your comment it could be a simple networking configuration error on your client. Windows 2000 uses DNS as it's primary name resolution mechanism - if this is setup incorrectly on your client (i.e. DNS Server information is wrong) then it can cause this type of error due to timeouts on the network. Full networking services will still be available due to WINS and NetBIOS still being used by default, but you will notice this slowdown in connection.

Check your DNS settings and check that they point to a valid server and that the DNS Domain Name that you are using is correct.

by lastsurvivor

I see two possible things going on here. First of all you either have to be running at 10/half duplex or 1000/full duplex. Even if you are auto negotiating it will negotiate to 10 or 100 mb at either half or full duplex and if it is auto negotiaingto 100 half duplex the chatter that is going on is tremendous. Secondly are you running the Novell lient or IPX. If so then there is a setting that will definetly increase your speed. Go to Network and Dial up connections, Highlight Local area connections and choose advanced and advanced settings. Disable IPX for All microsoft network pieces. Then go to the provider order and move whatever system you attatch to more often be it Microsoft or Novell to the top of the provider list. Hope this helps.

This discussion is closed to new replies.