Slow file copy perfomance over network in Vista

[Antoneo]

Hey guys, I really want to like Vista but slow file copy transfer speeds over the network is very annoying. Perhaps you can help me; I have googled and was directed to SP1, which I have already installed.

Here's my setup:

Lenovo X60s with Vista x86 SP1 (full updates)
Symantec Antivirus 10.2 x86
Intel 3945 Wireless ABG

Lenovo X61 with Vista x64 SP1 (full updates)
Symantec Antivirus 10.2 x64
Intel 4965 Wireless ABGN

Windows 2003 Server R2 with SP2 (full updates)



I've been getting the following errors:

0x8007003a

"There is a problem accessing \\network_share_name
Make sure you are connected to the network and try again."


I am able to browse network shares, but am having difficulty gettting larger files to transfer. The strange thing is that I get the problem intermittently using 35-700MB files, about a 10% success rate. Wireless strength is excellent as the laptops are right next to the AP. Smaller files (4MB) transfer quickly though...


The following settings were changed without success:
Windows Vista firewall on or off
Disabled remote differential compression setting
Used wireless or wired nics
802.11g only setting
Uninstalled Symantec Antivirus

Any ideas guys?

 

[Antoneo]

Ok, it's still broken even after disabling Windows Defender.

 

[VinDSL]

I've never had any luck transferring files across a Windows network et al - especially big files. Even if they do transfer, they're corrupt.

I use FTP instead, just like the 'big boys'. FTP works first time, every time - that's why it's still around!

I've got this proggie on all of my Win machines (and yes it's *free* for non-commercial work): http://www.cerberusftp.com/index.html

You might give that a try...

 

[Antoneo]

Yeah, I was thinking about FTP but I think it's kind of silly that an operating system can't move files across a network without problems. Their changes in Vista were probably made with good intentions but this is annoying.

It's wierd because prior to my reinstalls of Vista over the weekend, I was able to transfer files without issue. Latest drivers, no software configuration modifications, and no BIOS updates.

From this, I was giving Ubuntu serious consideration to learn the operating system and gcc/python programming. I am now trying to find a reason why I should keep Vista as a primary OS with VMs in the back instead of the other way around.

 

[Onund]

I've been copying large files between my Vista machine and Ubuntu server across wired lan with no problems. Last night I just dl'd Ibex (~700mb) and copied it over to my server with no problems.

Is maybe your router the issue? Do you have a different one you can try, or maybe setup an adhoc network?

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: VinDSL
I've never had any luck transferring files across a Windows network et al - especially big files. Even if they do transfer, they're corrupt.

I use FTP instead, just like the 'big boys'. FTP works first time, every time - that's why it's still around!

I've got this proggie on all of my Win machines (and yes it's *free* for non-commercial work): http://www.cerberusftp.com/index.html

You might give that a try...

You are definitely not doing something right, or have bad network hardware. I can count on my right hand fingers the number of times I've had data corruption while copying a file using CIFS from a Windows to Windows machine, and I've definitely transferred somewhere in the order of 10's of Terabytes.

 

[Antoneo]

Originally posted by: Onund
Is maybe your router the issue? Do you have a different one you can try, or maybe setup an adhoc network?

I have a gigabit switch that I could use to see if the problem lay with my Linksys WRT-54G DD-WRT. I would be surprised if it was; I was able to transfer files between machines using the same network setup before, but I will give it a try.

I wonder if there is some update for Vista that is known to cause this issue.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Crusty
You are definitely not doing something right, or have bad network hardware...

I've definitely transferred somewhere in the order of 10's of Terabytes, blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, I know - heard it all before...

Hail Microsoft! LoL!

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: Crusty
You are definitely not doing something right, or have bad network hardware...

I've definitely transferred somewhere in the order of 10's of Terabytes, blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, I know - heard it all before...

Hail Microsoft! LoL!

Where did I "Hail Microsoft"? Just because I stated that something so simple as network file sharing works as expected out of the box? Come on, that's a bit far fetched. You know what, with all the backups I have to run for work I've definitely pushed 100's of TB's worth of data from Linux to Linux with the same very limited rate of data corruption. It pays to invest in networking hardware.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Antoneo
Yeah, I was thinking about FTP but I think it's kind of silly that an operating system can't move files across a network without problems...

From this, I was giving Ubuntu serious consideration to learn the operating system and gcc/python programming. I am now trying to find a reason why I should keep Vista as a primary OS...

Um...

Ditching Vista makes more sense than using FTP?!?!?

You can have Ceberus FTP Server up n' running in less than 3 minutes!

BTW, IE was a FTP client built into it - it's the only thing I use IE for these day...

If nothing else, it might be a good way to test your network hardware, no?

Anyway, happy hunting and good luck!

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Crusty
Where did I "Hail Microsoft"? Just because I stated that something so simple as network file sharing works as expected out of the box? Come on, that's a bit far fetched...

Heh! Actually, I was going to dismiss you with a belch, but you seem like a pretty savvy guy!

I just replaced our trusty Cisco DSL router with a Netgear DNG2000 - amazing how much hardware this is replacing!!!

Maybe you can answer this...

We run Kiwi Syslog Daemon 'cause MS never saw fit to add one to their wonderful OSs.

Has MS fixed this yet? Do they offer a syslog daemon out-of-the-box yet?!?!?

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: Crusty
Where did I "Hail Microsoft"? Just because I stated that something so simple as network file sharing works as expected out of the box? Come on, that's a bit far fetched...

Heh! Actually, I was going to dismiss you with a belch, but you seem like a pretty savvy guy!

I just replaced our trusty Cisco DSL router with a Netgear DNG2000 - amazing how much hardware this is replacing!!!

Maybe you can answer this...

We run Kiwi Syslog Daemon 'cause MS never saw fit to add one to their wonderful OSs.

Has MS fixed this yet? Do they offer a syslog daemon out-of-the-box yet?!?!?

Your first problem is using your router to switch your packets, get a switch to do that! Your router doesn't need to be busy mucking with all your LAN traffic.

As far as your OS question, I don't know. Windows Server is not my territory really, I've setup a few Server 2k8 boxes to play with but I've never done anything to in depth. We use a Linux syslog daemon for everything. Windows gets the attention of the Users, while my Linux machines actually run everything else

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Crusty
We use a Linux syslog daemon for everything...

Okay, thanks!

AFAIK, MS doesn't make a syslog daemon - never has, never will - but you can always dream!

We use Kiwi Syslog Daemon mostly to monitor the router - got it setup to display & log router events - and Win eventlog messages. It's just easier to collect and watch all this stuff in one spot, you know?

You might want to give it a try - works great just like (ahem) FTP! LoL!

 

[VinDSL]

Hrm... Just curious.

I'm transferring some files between my Vista HP Lappy and a W2K Pro LAN machine via WiFi.

I noticed that I've got my 'file sharing' and 'network discover' turned off in Vista - for 'war driving' and general mobile security...

FTP is working great!

Don't you have to turn this stuff on to transfer files using Windows? Can't remember...

BTW, I'm using WinSCP on the client machine and Cerberus FTP on the lappy. Wicked combination and they're *free*!

 

[Crusty]

The only thing I have enabled is "Enable Password protected sharing." and I have no problems transferring files to and from my samba shares in Vista.

 

[Raduque]

No issues transferring files between Windows(vista to vista, vista to WHS, vista to xp, xp to whs, whs to vista) machines simply by copying them from a local folder to a networked folder.

 

[VinDSL]

That's great - glad to hear it!

Any solutions for the OP?

 

[RebateMonger]

When testing connections, is one or the other (WiFi or wired) of the adapters disabled?