How to speedup data sharing on Microsoft home network

I use a microsoft home network with 2 XP (128 meg memory)
and 1 Me (320 mg memory) machines. Transfers and using
data files is fast between the two XP machines but
transfers and particularly runing Peachtree accounting
software on Me with datafiles on XP is like molasses. How
do I check and find out where the slowness is comming
from. All components work...just slow.

Also when running a DOS stand alone program on the XP, the
data transfer is even much slower makeing it impractable
to even use the data from XP on ME system running
peachtree.

What should I check and where should I start to
troubleshoot this bottleneck in our small network. At one
time data transfer seemed faster.

Thanks
..