Network Problems Because of XP... ME, 98(& SE)

[BlockSender]

I just got done setting up a network running on TCP/IP only (5 computers)...I dislike NetBEUI's severe overhead data problem. Anyway, I got all the machines (except the xp machine) to see and talk to eachother. When I turn the XP machine on, It will see some of the other computers...Some it won't...Then after about 30 minutes, the whole network becomes inactive and no one can see anyone else. In this case, I shutdown the XP machine, then reboot the others, and voila, the network is back. It is odd indeed.
I don't have the XP machine set to be an NT domain 'cause I don't believe in users. Is there something else I am missing here?
Things to narrow down the guessing:

All computers can see eachother at some point, but then it dies.
All computers have been checked 4 times for the same network name.
All computers (without the XP machine running) remain on a stable network connection for hours at a time
With XP, 30 minutes max.
The XP machine is simply another entitiy on the network, not the router/nat/gateway for anything.
One is XP pro, other computers are 1 ME, and 3 98, two of the 98's are SE.

I used XP's foofy little "Setup my network because I am a cl00b13" thing to set its primary network name. soooooooo...Now what?

What I guess:
Is it a browse master problem? XP crushes all other browsemaster's therefore flogging the network to death?
I don't think the hub or media has a problem -- it is a 24 port Cisco Hub (Not catalyst.)
I know all the ip's are correct within the same subnet because at some point they CAN all see eachother...
Would it really solve this problem to make all machines log into the XP machine as an NT domain?
Won't you be my neighbor? :-D

Thanks for your time!

 

[TheDuck]

Try swapping the NIC in the XP for a different one. Sounds to me like that may be bad. I have XP running in a multiple OS (98 to 2000) environment and everything works great.

 

[BlockSender]

Hrm...It is a new puter from gateway (the XP machine) I'd find it difficult to believe the nic would fowl the entire network, but I shall try that tomorrow if all else fails. Thanks

 

[TheDuck]

A single faulty NIC can bring down a network pretty quick if it starts broadcasting a bunch of large packets to everything causing the network to overload.

 

[BlockSender]

hrm, good point. But that wasn't it Still bogging. Anyone else?

 

[BlockSender]

Welp, I fixed it. I had to move all the other computers to the MSHOME workgroup, but then I also noticed that, even though it had an assigned ip address, it still wanted to DHCP..I figure that, above all, is what was screwing up the network. *shrug*