Slow KDE start & Firefox Problems with Added Router

[Kenneth Jacker <khj@be.cs.appstate.edu>]

[sarge/testing;  kernel-image.2.6.8-2]

I had been running my system using a single CAT5 wire between a cable
modem and a desktop machine, i.e.,

   { Internet } <===> Cable Modem <===> Desktop


Gaining experience with that setup, I decided to go ahead and insert a
(LinkSys) router/switch into the configuration.  The current layout
looks like this (all cables, no wireless),

   { Internet } <===> Cable Modem <===> Router/Switch <===> Desktop


Now, however, a "KDE login" takes, maybe, 3 - 5 minutes.  Also, some
Firefox transfers (e.g., from SourceForge) hang the application.  I
must abort Firefox (through a popup dialog), and restart it.  Other
things "just don't feel right" ...

Trying to figure out why, I disabled the firewall (Shorewall).  But it
made no difference.

Thanks for any ideas!
-- 
Prof Kenneth H Jacker       khj@cs.appstate.edu
Computer Science Dept       www.cs.appstate.edu/~khj
Appalachian State Univ
Boone, NC  28608  USA