Question : Windows 7 Local Lan Browsing Painfully Slow

Have a 2 machine setup, with all docs, videos, music and photos on 1 machine. The 2nd machine access these files over the local lan. Both are on same subnet connected to a linksys rv016 router/switch. Both machines and the router's ethernet adapters and ports are set to 100 Full duplex. Cable length is about 10 feet each. Drives are defraged.

Tried using homegroups and saw forum topic regarding slow browsing that suggested homegroup browsing being slow. Turned off homegroups and just did windows sharing and problem still exists.

Issue is very bad when browsing the pictures share, 550 folders / 8,000 files / 16Gb, just to display the initial directory's thumbnails (221 folders) takes about 10 mins. Locally it takes 2 seconds.

1 thing i did notice is that the 2nd machine is using a p5p 800 se (asus) mb that has no drivers for windows 7. (lets not blame it all on that please :)

Windows firewall is disabled on both machines.

Answer : Windows 7 Local Lan Browsing Painfully Slow

there's a bunch of things to troubleshoot, slow network traffic is almost always the physical network, cables, switch, or the NICs.

get a crossover cable and hook the machines straight together, skip the router/switch

swap the switch.

swap the patch cords.

get another machine to test speed with a known good system.

try browsing by IP instead of name or network neighborhood.

The MB/Driver thing is certainly a concern, but I'd expect BSoD or Freezes or bizarre behavior. not really working but slow Network traffic.