Terrible network performance

I'm sure it's a configuration/setup issue, but our network's performance has
gone down the toilet since changing from Win2K/Win2kServer to
WinXP/Win2003Server.

We started with an attempted upgrade of systems (memory, hard drive, etc.)
The performance was so pitiful, we bought new workstations, new switches, and
new wiring. We now have the following:

1 File server with Dual Xeon 2.8, 2GB RAM with Gigabit NIC
7 PCs with P4 3.2GHz, 1GB RAM each with Gigabit NIC
Cat 6 high quality cabling
2 Gigabit switches

Login to the domain takes up to 2 minutes while "Applying Computer
Settings.....". Browsing network drives is fine at first, but throughout the
day there are times when things seem to timeout and browsing the network
drive takes minutes per click.

I set the server's 'net config server' autodisconnect to -1 as well as the
workstations.

Is there something that times out the network connections?

We have a basic internet security package in place that I have completely
disabled with much concern.

PLEASE help.

This is a very small network with minimal needs--none of which are overly
sophisticated. It just seems this is as close to a plug-n-play situation as
you can get, yet the plug-n-play ain't getting the job done.

On 2004-12-14 18:05:05 -0500, "=?Utf-8?B?SnVzdCBzb21lIGd1eQ==?="
<(E-Mail Removed)> said:

> I'm sure it's a configuration/setup issue, but our network's
> performance has gone down the toilet since changing from
> Win2K/Win2kServer to WinXP/Win2003Server.
>

Try disabling the Group Policy setting that requires SMB signing for
all network traffic--I've had situations where Win2K workstations
against Win2K servers were MUCH faster than WinXP against Win2K3
servers on the same network fabric, and this was the cause.

HTH.

--
Scott Lowe