Peer to Peer network speed problems

[wintomato]

I have 3 pcs, all Dell Optiplex GX240 P4, 1.6ghz 256 RAM 19gb HD running Windows 2000 Pro with 3com 3c905c NICs running at 10mbps.
It seems that anytime a document in someone elses 'my documents' folder needs to be opened from a different pc, the pc doing the opening slows to almost crashing, or just crashes. Nothing that can't be resolved by control alt delete. Individually the pcs have no problem opening documents on their own hard drive. The cables all work fine, as do the NICs
All documents are Office XP documents.
All cables go into a hub.
Not sure where to start, I've turned off all 3d style screensavers and waiting to see if that makes a difference.
Any ideas would be greatly received.
Thanks

[reboot]

What protocall are you using? If it's TCP/IP it's bound to your internet access and could be causing the slowdown/crash because it's trying to look at every computer on the network (millions!).
I would install NETBEUI to use for filesharing between the computers, and unbind it from the internet.
Steve Gibson has a great article on just how to do that at www.grc.com

[glc]

If you have 3C905's running at 10mbps, you must have an old 10mbps hub. Best thing to do is replace it with a 10/100 switch, they aren't expensive at all. Are your cables Cat 5?

[wintomato]

Thanks guys, all the cables are cat5, I am not 100% sure about the hub actually, I didn't install the cabling, a professional cabling company did, and I would like to think they used decent equipment. THe actual hub is a 1U rack mount with about 20 sockets, 3 being used by the pcs from cat5 sockets in the walls, and another one being used by the adsl modem, an Alcatel Speedtouch pro 510 I believe. I think the way he set it up was with a view to having voice over IPfor one day when we feel like we can afford a digital phone system!
I would tend to think the hub is 10/100 but I'll check.
The way the network was setup was just using the Windows 2000 pro setup, when you first use the new pc from scratch, it asks you questions about the use of the pc, will be on a network etc, so I am assuming it has all been setup using TCP/IP, but again I will check. TCP IP is my preferred protocol, the one I have mostly used and recommended to me by network support people.
I will get a chance to check this info on friday 25th Oct and will post my findings, cheers guys

[piasabird]

I saw this on a hub once and the hub was shot. I received a lightning strike to my tel pole in the backyard. I have a darn transfomer on it and it is like a magnet. If you have expensive equipment, you better protect it. I have 3 computers networked with a Linksys workgroup switch. It is fantastic for simple netwroking.

[wintomato]

The hub / router is an Alcatel Speedtouch router adsl modem. So it acts as a hub but is also our adsl modem, it has 4 ports on the back, of which the 3 pc peer to peer network is all going through. The speed problems irratic, ie everything seems to be a little better now.
I haven't tried a different protocol as suggested by reboot, although I like the sound of that, but don't like the prospect of doing it.
I am also investigating if the pcs themselves are causing the problems, as it seems odd that speed problems occurs on such recent / up to date pcs PIV 1.6ghz

[piasabird]

It is also advisable to have only one computer set up to be master browser. This is more an issue with Winxp. I have seen a computer look for 5 to 15 minutes just to find all of the network printers on our network at school before it will list the network printers.

[mattg2k4]

It is also advisable to have only one computer set up to be master browser.

What is a master browser, how do I set it, and how will it help?

[piasabird]

I have heard of this being a conflict problem. I think it is an option on the TCP or netbeui in the networking section of the control panel. Other things cause problems also. Like having multiple protocols and different computer have different primary protocols.

[piasabird]

this could be a bad cable if it is always with one computer. I have also seen this happen when a hub went bad after a lightning storm.