Network latency?

[pfaffben@pilot.msu.edu (Ben Pfaff)]

I've got two Linux boxes in my room here connected via the campus
network, going additionally through a hub in the room.  Both of the
boxen are running kernel 2.1.122, although I've also tried 2.0.36 and
the results are the same.

Anyway, the problem is that one of the boxen, a 486/25 with an NE2000
clone card, causes problems for the other Linux box (a Pentium II with
a pair of SMC EtherPower IIs) when I try to access it via the net.
Sometimes it works.  Other times, nothing at all happens for up to a
couple of minutes--pings don't come back, telnet sessions stop, ftp
stalls.

This doesn't happen when accessing the Linux box from a Windows
machine in the same room.  It doesn't happen when a keyboard is
attached to the machine's console and you type at the keyboard.

Also, sometimes ftp sessions *from* the 486 stall.

I tried enabling the `CPU is too slow for network' option in the
kernel options, but it didn't help.

Does anyone have a suggestion?  This is really mysterious behavior.
I'm considering trying a different network card.

Thanks,

Ben.