I've been banging my head against the wall on this problem for a few days, please help.
I just installed a new fileserver, (Windows Server 2008 R2), And replaced a few users laptops (Windows 7 Pro 32bit).
I am seeing incredibly slow response times between this server and the Windows 7 laptops. Only between these two types of systems though. The laptops can access file shares on Server 2003 boxes with no problems. Older Windows XP machines can access files on the Server 2008 R2 box with no problems.
Specifically, if a user tries to open a Excel file from the network share, it will open right away but Excel will be frozen and become nonresponsive for at least 30 seconds. It is not just Office files, pdfs, jpgs and other file types as well.
I ended up testing this out with others servers as well with the same results, always with Win 7 and Srv 08 R2. On the laptops, I have tried:
disabling "autotuning"
disabling IPv6
disabling Remote Differential Compression
reinstall network drivers
disable antivirus (network threat protection)
disable firewall
various other fixes found around the internet.
Ping is 1ms response time, transferring a file exhibits erratic transfer speeds, 22MB/s down to 130kb/s and back up and back down or it just locks up. Wired or wireless
On the server I have tried
disabling "autotuning"
disabling IPv6
disable antivirus (network threat protection)
This server is also the Domain Controller and DNS server as well as a file server. I know this really isn't the desired config, but this is for a branch office, I had no options.
Nothing in the event logs on the clients, and nothing relevant in the event logs on the server.
More details: when a user opens an Excel file for example; the file opens right away but Excel becomes unresponsive. During this time while it's frozen, the green progress bar starts again in the address bar of Windows Explorer. Once the progress bar is done loading then the file becomes available for editing.
About the only thing I haven't done is install Wireshark on the laptops and server and watch the traffic.
Any thoughts? What technologies are in Win 7 and Srv 08 R2 that is causing this type of network slowness?
As always, thanks to anyone who reads this and/or responds.
Lys
Best Answer
This has the fetid spoor of SMB2-related shenanigans I've seen before with a certain Symantec AV product. The fact that Win7 is affected but XP isn't, and the Win7 machines can talk to the Win2003 server just fine points a big finger at SMB2 somehow falling on its head. I saw that before about two years ago with Symantec Endpoint Security (since patched, IIRC) installed on the 2008 server. This suggests your AV or firewall product might possibly be getting in the way here