Slow access to win2k mapped drives and folders

[The PIT]

This is something I've noticed on many win2k machines that are sharing folders or mapped drives. If you click on them to gain access you have to wait 20 or 30 seconds before you can do this. Any subseqant action like copying viewing details again goes through this delay.
Under windoze 9x accessing the same machines the problem doesn't occur.
I've administrator access and the sam eusername on both machines so that isn't the problem and enabling or disabling the caching of the folder makes no differance. Is there a setting that I can alter to speed things up or is this a feature (Bug) of win 2k.

[EchoWars]

Haven't noticed this myself...are the servers doing anything they shouldn't (like running a worthless screen-saver, or being allowed to go into suspend mode..??)

[The PIT]

So I ain't going daft then. Just timed my home network and the time to map the network drives after logging on is 30 secs and thats on a 100mb direct link between two machines.
On the windoze 9x the connection is instant almost just a brief flash that couldn't read if you wanted two.

[Jammrock]

Just a few networking things I've picked up on in Win2k:

1) If you are accessing a Win2k computer from a Win9x/Me system you need to setup an account on the Win2k box for the exact user name and password of the Win9x/Me logon. If you do this and map over the Win2k it works fine.

2) Win2k mapped drives (i.e. mapped in Win2k) time out. If a drive goes unused for about a half hour it will put a red X through the drive and disconnect. When you next try to access the drive Win2k will pull the logon info from cache and logon. That would account for a 20-30 pause on accessing a mapped drive. This is done to reduce network traffic.

3) Since Win2k is made more for corporate than home use, when Win2k searches the network it is dog slow. I too have tried many things and can't get it working fast. I suggest setting up shares on the Win9x computers and mapping drives. Much faster and efficient than searching the network.

Just my thoughts on it.

Jammrock

------------------
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Hope Matrox releases the G800 before rebuild time, becuase the end is near!

[The PIT]

I can understand them wanting to cut down on net traffic. But there must be corpation users using map drives between win2k machines and in this case slowing down access to these folders doesn't make sense.
I'm sure theres a work around for it.
I'd try microsoft but it looks like someone messed up there dns again.

[This message has been edited by The PIT (edited 25 January 2001).]

[Paulr]

Yes the drives time out, but 20-30 seconds wait to re-establish the link, no way.
My Win2k network at work does exactly that.
The mapped drives on the Win2k Professional machines appear as a 'Red Cross' after about 30 mins of no use.
When a user double clicks on that drive I would say the wait is no more than 5 seconds until full access is re-established.
We are having exactly the opposit problem.
Some Win9x workstations are being more or less kicked from the network and they have no option but to re-boot to re-establish themselves.

[The PIT]

I found a command line that is supposed to turn this off but I couldn't get it to work.
Net config server /autodisconnect -1 is supposed to work but it doesn't like the syntax.
I've also found autodisconnect under sections refering to the lan in the registry so there must be a value that you can change in there but what I don't know which.
Can't be bothered to mess aroubnd further with the syntax as I need some shut eye so i'm off to make some Z noises.

[Jorden]

I'll have a question in a moment, but need to reboot for that and go into Win2k to test that, and check my drives there, since I don't feel I have that problem. BrB

So, I rebooted and am now in Win2k. My server runs at a certain IP address, with the client running DHCP only. No DNS, no WINS, nothing.

What you could try is changing the WINS setting (Properties on My Network, Local Area Connections Properties, Advanced, WINS tab) use NETBIOS setting from the DHCP server. Do this both on the server and on the client.

I've got a connection to Holly's drives using this setting, no matter what. And the network doesn't spin down after 30 minutes.
(Though, there is a setting for that as well, somewhere in Win2k...)

Jord.

There was no question


[This message has been edited by Jorden (edited 25 January 2001).]

[The PIT]

Nope just sitting around doing nothing. The problem also occurs between normal w2k machines not just servers.

[Ant]

I have exactly the same problem, takes an age for my Win2K machine to see and access any others on the network yet my Win 9x machines instantly see and can access all of them. I've tried everything I can think of but no improvement, I end up having to do everything from Win9x > Win 2K instead of the other way around which is a pain as my main system is the Win 2K one.

[Guyver]

Try setting fixed IP addresses with a host file.

If using ICS or a DSL/Cable Router, be sure to use the DHCP server to feed all info.

Make sure the "Browse Master" is disabled on all units, except for one, I use my W2k as the browse master.

I have a convoluted network with a 3Com phone-line network connection to my GF's PC set to do ICS so that she can get to the web, the second connection is an Intel 10/100 PCI Managament (Pro 100B+) card, tied to an Allied Telesyn 8 Port 10/100 Switch, which is tied to my Linksys BFSR11 Cable Router to the internet.

My 2 Linux boxes have fixed IP addresses, and my Win2K and WinME boxes get their IP addresses from the Router.

I have no delays/except for the norm 1-2 second hello/response types.

I tried sharing a drive on my ME, connecting to it with my 2K via NetNeighborhood/Map network drive, and the connection times/delays were nominal.

Stepping onto soapbox....

One thing though... I never - ever let the Network Cards auto-detect anything...

This is a major problem with almost all network devices.

Know what your connection rates are, and whether or not they support full/half duplex, and set the options accordingly.

If you setup one device with 10/half, and another as auto, and your switch/hub support 100/full, 100/half, 10/full, 10/half. The hub/switch may negotiate for 100/full, but the card may decide to talk at 100/half. This causes packet drops, delays, re-broadcasts, and a plethora of other problems.

Stepping down from the soapbox...

Guyver

[Rags]

Not bad

[The PIT]

I can't see disabling master browser will have any effect on a larger network. all that would happen is that the machines would go and find another machine thats just been elected master browser. On a small network it may work however where is the option to disable master browser.
At home I'm using internet sharing so one machine gives the address to the other when connected to the internet.Theres no hub and both cards are set at 100 full duplex.
netbios is enabled at work and I'm pretty sure it's disabled at home but I can't check for the moment.

[The PIT]

I've got the command line to work at work however this only speeded up access to the top folder accessing the folders below still had this annoying delay unless you'd just in them.
At home I'm using netbios over dhcp and at work it's netbios over tcp/ip. Either way there is a delay.

[Jammrock]

Fasinating! I just got down with re-installing Win2k at home. It access my Win98 shares without flaw now. It's weird.

I also went through all the services and diabled everything I don't use. Win2k boots up with only 48 MB memory used. Pretty snazzy.

Jammrock