Slow Browsing network with all NICs except VIA RHYNE's??

[oceangrace24]

In our companies network we have a folder that contains a large amount of files. This folder is on a windows NT server. It contains over 50,000 files taking up about 11 gb of space. There are a couple of subfolders.

When ever someone in our network browses to this folder, it takes about 30-45 seconds for the folder to actually open and display the files.

However anyone in our network that has an NIC integrated into their motherboard with VIA Rhyne Ethernet Adapter is able to open and browse the folder instantly.

No one with a PCI NIC can and no one with any other integrated NIC's are able to instantly open the folder. Everyone has 100mb adapters and the OS vary from windows 2000 and XP.

We can't figure out why the Rhyne NICs are able to open the folder so quick but the others are not.

Since we know it is possible to open them quickly, is there anything we can do to speed up the others? They browse fine to all the other folders in the network..

 

[DelJo63]

far more likely that that VIEW settings are different on the various machines.
Use only View:Options Name, type, size, date modified.
Also check Tools, Folder Options and UNCHECK Display file size in folder tips

 

[tipstir]

Run the www.speedguide.net tcp optimizer and see what settings the VIA is using. but since that's using bus channel speed which is usually faster than the 33MHz from the PCI slots. Another factor is turn on onboard PU on the NIC cards that act slower.

 

[oceangrace24]

The folder view option settings are not making a difference. I tried what you recommended and it is the same.

I am going to try the speedguide option now.

Thanks

 

[Nodsu]

How about putting a PCI NIC in one of those VIA RHINE machines and disabling the onboard adapter? That'd show if it's about the NIC or the OS.

And no, it's not the PCI bus. Your fast ethernet is 10 times slower than the 133MB/s PCI.

 

[oceangrace24]

My machine actually has a VIA RHINE card that is disabled. It has another PCI card that I am currently using.

Also, I was going to try and enable the onboard processor on the NIC, but I am not sure if it has one and I can't figure out for sure one way or the other? Would it cause problems if I added the registry key that enables onboard PU without actually having one?

This card is a SMC1244TX V2.
thanks

 

[oceangrace24]

any other suggestions or ideas??

 

[s3xynanigoat]

Are all of the faster computers on their own lan segment while the slower ones are on a seperate lan segment? Please lay out the topolgy of your network. How many switches do you have, are you using any hubs/repeaters, are your faster computers on the same segment as your slower ones?

 

[oceangrace24]

The network doesn't seem to be the problem. We have long since eliminated that as the problem. There seems to be something about the motherboards that have the VIA Rhine Chipset. These are the only ones that open the folders quickly. It doesn't matter where on our site we try it.

 

[Nodsu]

It is not the motherboard or the NIC that opens anything. Unless we are talking about gigabit vs fast ethernet or some serious adapter misconfiguration, it is the OS that does the network browsing and no, 30-fold increase in network performance can't come from a better ethernet chip. And it's not like RHINE is something famous for its speed.

In short - you have a software issue.

What else makes the fast-browsing computers special? Perhaps they are brand new and came with Windows XP SP2 while others are old? Or vice versa? Were the OS installations done by someone else who could have applied some tweaks?