[K12OSN] LTSP slows down on subnet

[Jason Waskiewicz]

I recently configured Red Hat Fedora 2 to work as an LTSP server over the
school network. This worked (slowly) over the weekend when most of the
computers in the building were not on the network. However, when Monday
came, I saw why everyone suggests getting a switch and creating a
subnetwork.

I tried out an old hub that has been in storage, but it was unacceptably
slow. I then drove to the city and bought a switch. I had no improvement
in speed.

The thin-clients (all in my classroom) withh run Etherboot. They will find
DHCP and identify all the IP addresses. However, when they start to boot
up Linux, they hang up. They identify the file. They should then display
about a screen's worth of periods. Instead, they start popping up periods
at an ever slower and slower rate. Last night I let it go for 3 hours and
had about 10 periods.

When I reconnect the clients and server to the school network, they all
speed up (although still unacceptably slow). This is true without changing
a single setting!

Can someone help me? I'm new to this and I can't find this particular error.

--Jason Waskiewicz
  jason.waskiewicz at sendit.nodak.edu