I have two computers, one with Xubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, the other with Windows XP. I am trying to get them "see" each other in the local network in order to give Windows access to music files on Xubuntu hard drive.

Both computers are connected to a Telewell ADSL modem via Ethernet cable and can access the internet. Windows XP has an F-Secure firewall.

I have installed Samba on Xubuntu and set a folder called /home/username/Music to be shared through Windows networks SMB. When I connect my Linux computer to the internet and type ifconfig in terminal, this is what I see:

Code:
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:10:a7:1c:bb:19  
          inet6 addr: fe80::210:a7ff:fe1c:bb19/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:99558 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:124893 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:20 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:29250566 (27.8 MB)  TX bytes:122136546 (116.4 MB)
          Interrupt:11 Base address:0xec00 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:534 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:534 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:32696 (31.9 KB)  TX bytes:32696 (31.9 KB)

ppp0      Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol  
          inet addr:85.217.22.18  P-t-P:212.50.222.24  Mask:255.255.255.255
          UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST  MTU:1492  Metric:1
          RX packets:66288 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:76039 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:3 
          RX bytes:17933784 (17.1 MB)  TX bytes:60747869 (57.9 MB)
When I type the IP address visible in the section "ppp0" (inet addr; it changes every time I connect) to the address bar in Windows XP I can see /home/username/Music being shared via the network. So far things look good.

The issue here is that transferring files from the share to Windows hard drive is inhumanely slow. 80 MB takes 50 minutes. Also, both computers must be connected to the internet to "talk". Disconnecting either of the two will also cancel file transfer.

So obviously something's not right. I have found many threads related to this topic on the web, but so far none of them has solved my problem. Please help.


And Merry Christmas, people.