Hi!

I'll admit I don't know much about these things, but I've been scouring the web for the past 24 hours (with a 5 hour break for sleep) and I'm stumped. Here's the thing.

We have two pieces of software, both installed on client computers (XP SP3), both connecting to SQL Express 2005 installed on a 2008 R2 server. When the programs are run locally on the server they're loading fast enough. When they are run on the clients they're also loading fast when the server IP address is used - but sluggish if the path is UNC. Accessing folders and files on the server from the clients however - either via UNC or IP - is fast.

I've come across this before, looking into MySQL to use it for a BE for an Access app. Just as with SQL Express, UNC was slow to connect while using IP in the connect string brought the speed back up to what you'd expect. Then I attributed it to a crap ODBC MySQL driver and left it at that, but now I realize that it is something else.

Turning off firewalls and antivirus on all machines makes no difference whatsoever.

There is no way I'm the first one to experience this, so either it's something pathetically simple that I'm overlooking or I'm googling the wrong way!

Please help. Thanks!

Try domain controller in google search. Might be a point in the right direction, or not. I vaguely remember someone along this line before, and I seem to recall it had to do with how the domain admin set up the logical names in the controller. But don't quote me on a solution until you've found it. Cannot resolve UNC name of child domain controller from win2k servers | 1 of 19

That was quick - Thanks!

Since we're not using AD (so, no Domain), introducing one might very well solve the issue.

But, the question remains; why would IP be fast and UNC slow, and why a difference only in the ODBC connection and not when connecting and browsing with Windows Explorer?

Question: What odbc connection type are you using (i.e. file system, native, connectionless, etc.)?

Good question! Since the two programs are purchased software I don't know how they make their connection.

What I can say is that, when I fiddled around with MySQL BE and the Access FE, I tested File DSN, System DSN, and connectionless. All with the same result.

There are several possible situations which can cause this behaviour, and maybe looking at the MDAC versions might be one area to consider. Another area: Slow UNC Connections with Multiple Network Providers Installed

There are a few tools available to help determine root cause: DNSLint is a Microsoft Windows utility that helps you to diagnose common DNS name resolution issues Description of the DNSLint utility

Are you sure that your DNS settings are ok? I've seen this where the DNS server settings for a small network were pointing at the ISP's DNS servers, which meant anything internally was pumped out onto the Internet before failing and coming back inside to do the lookup.

If the Internet DNS servers have a higher priority then your internal ones might cause this slowness.

This all looks like a difference between Named Pipes (local vs. network) and TCP/IP. Read this short explanation: Named Pipes vs. TCP/IP Sockets