Windows 7 File Sharing between computers, PROBLEMS!!

[xargon15]

I'm at an absolute loss here. I cannot seem to get very good file transfer speeds no matter what I do. I could really use some help. I'll supply info on what i'm trying to do and what i have hardware wise, but i can't get a music file to open in under a minute! Videos are over 5, and still jump, they don't flow...Any help would be nice.

I'm running 3 computers on a network

1st, the computer hardware:

1. HTPC with Asrock a75m & a8-3850 using onboard wired ethernet connection & crossfire with asus 6670 video card. 8gb ram, always on, running windows 7 professional, and a 64gb crucial ssd.

2. Main rig:
gigabyte ga-890fxa-ud5 motherboard
1090T @4.3 with H100 cooler
16gb ram (1366mhz)
75gb WD Raptor
Killer NIC 2100 wired networking card (other 2 onboard cards disabled in bios)
running windows 7 ultimate & SLI (with hack) 250GTS MSI cards.

3. Laptop:
Dell studio laptop 1747

Networking hardware:

DGL-4500 router.
Motorola SB-6120 cable modem
Cat 6 cables going from modem to router, router to main rig, and router to 10/100/1000 switch that splits into HTPC and Xbox 360 with cat 6 cables as well.
Laptop uses Wireless G. Router broadcasts mix of A/B/G no N.

I've tried using Homegroup and i'm able to setup and share files. I've used just the "sharing" feature of files/folders and i can share files. But i don't get ANY good speeds out of it.

My end goal. I want to make my HTPC the center of my household, with 9TB of storage when i'm done, and i want to be able to access files (.iso's/mpg's/jpeg's/mp3's/etc) from that computer on a TV directly, and wired through my network on my main rig so i don't have to worry about space problems on my main rig with all those hard drives. i also want to be able to access them from my laptop.

right now the access times are HUGE! i'm not sure how to measure the transfer speeds, but a 500mb file took 7 minutes to open into windows media player classic, and then skipped every 2 seconds to buffer.

Is my end goal achievable? This is my first time trying to network my goodies, so i'm not positive if i can do it or not, but i think i can, and would accept any help what so ever to get it done. Hardware of Software recommendations are accepted as well if you think i need upgrades.

Please Help!

 

[newtekie1]

Just do a file transfer in explorer from one computer to the other and see what speed you get. I would suggest avoiding homegroup and using a proper network setup instead.

 

[xargon15]

I've tried "leaving" the homegroup and opening files from the network as well. They're still pretty darn slow. even after the file loads it isn't "fully loaded" and lags (such as a movie with skips in the play ALWAYS.

But what would you consider a "proper network setup"? Am i missing something here?

Also i was thinking after i posted this, i know that my HDD is going bad, slowly but surely. It doesn't have any corrupting of data problems, but it's over 5yrs old now, and has seen many different install/re-installs of windows. Could this be my problem?

 

[robal]

I would suggest avoiding homegroup and using a proper network setup instead.

Don't worry about homegroup. It's just an additional layer (of 'convienience') above 'old' classic Windows Shares mechanism.
If your transfers are terrible with this setup, they will most probably be as terrible with any other approach.

At first, focus on wired ethernet. Copying a file between HTPC and PC will show you transfer rate. Also... If you go to "task manager", you'll see network speed (network tab).
Focus on wired ethernet for now... what speeds are you getting ?

Cheers,

 

[xargon15]

Done! I decided to disassemble the homegroup afterall, went in and manually shared all folders with "everyone" and connected back through my main computer and i was able to do copies of 150mbs, and was able to stream a .iso file (game) from my HTPC onto my Dameon tools lite on my main computer, and play the game without a hitch or lag.

Love it! Thanks guys!