slow LAN performance issues
kanezfan
sunny south florida Icrontian
omg it's me! I feel like such a douche popping in on here every few months asking for help but you guys are experts so I need your help lol.
OK I have this client, it's a simple LAN setup. Three windows xp PCs, one is running this database called Advantage Database Server. All three run this software called Medisoft Network Professional. It's a small doctor's office and the thing that baffles me is how slow the software works. From what I've been told and witnessed personally, the software should work much faster. However, it's slow. I mean it takes a good 10-15 seconds sometimes to pull up patient records. The company, Medisoft, says that the database should run on a computer that is not used as a client PC, but here's the thing. In the past, I've seen one computer zip through patient records while another computer trudges through slowly. At times both are really slow, but it's never been the case where both work flawlessly.
There is no 2003/SBS server authenticating logons at the location. There is one linux server running samba for file sharing and for backups to be copied to and I wonder if it's not causing some broadcast storm (i think that's what it's called, been a long time since I took the MCSE NT 4.0 TCP/IP class). Also all three windows xp computers and the linux server are connected to a netopia wireless router, all on the same subnet. All are using DHCP except for the computer running the DB, it has a static IP.
There is a backup utility built in to the medisoft software. When I run it from the computer that runs the database, it is very quick. When I run it from either of the other two computers, it is much slower.
Granted the easiest thing to do would be to install the DB on a separate computer and see what happens but I just have a hunch that it wouldn't do anything. I really think the linux server or something else I might have not configured properly is to blame. Any ideas?
OK I have this client, it's a simple LAN setup. Three windows xp PCs, one is running this database called Advantage Database Server. All three run this software called Medisoft Network Professional. It's a small doctor's office and the thing that baffles me is how slow the software works. From what I've been told and witnessed personally, the software should work much faster. However, it's slow. I mean it takes a good 10-15 seconds sometimes to pull up patient records. The company, Medisoft, says that the database should run on a computer that is not used as a client PC, but here's the thing. In the past, I've seen one computer zip through patient records while another computer trudges through slowly. At times both are really slow, but it's never been the case where both work flawlessly.
There is no 2003/SBS server authenticating logons at the location. There is one linux server running samba for file sharing and for backups to be copied to and I wonder if it's not causing some broadcast storm (i think that's what it's called, been a long time since I took the MCSE NT 4.0 TCP/IP class). Also all three windows xp computers and the linux server are connected to a netopia wireless router, all on the same subnet. All are using DHCP except for the computer running the DB, it has a static IP.
There is a backup utility built in to the medisoft software. When I run it from the computer that runs the database, it is very quick. When I run it from either of the other two computers, it is much slower.
Granted the easiest thing to do would be to install the DB on a separate computer and see what happens but I just have a hunch that it wouldn't do anything. I really think the linux server or something else I might have not configured properly is to blame. Any ideas?
0
Comments
What are your internal ping times like? Have you checked for viruses and spy ware on every machine? Is it base 10, or base 100....I could probably fill two screens of possibilities.
Is that machine doing database backups during the day, virus scans...etc...etc...etc...
The router could even be faulty and be over loaded. So many possibilities.
What kind of network infrastructure do you have here? hub? switch? brand? speed? Like Kryyst said, it could be so many things, even one bad patch cord.
Its unlikely that the Linux box unless somethings really really misconfigured.
Also can you run Wireshark on one of the hosts that is experiencing low speeds and post a meg of traffic or so. (You could have excessive broadcast traffic or multicast ... but unless your on a 10megabit network they shouldn't slow things down too much.)