Apologies for cross-posting to three groups but I have several questions to
ask and not much time.

I often use a laptop standalone, but on occasion I need to connect it to the
other PC via a Cat5e crossover connection.
The laptop is running WxpPro and the PC Win98.
If the PC is booted up AFTER connecting the two together, then I do not
have any problems, but if the PC is already booted up and I then connect the
cable- it can take up to five minutes before I can detect it in "Search for
computers" from either PC.
I sometimes use the laptop when visiting other customers with network
problems so that I can analyse which computer is having the networking
problem - hence only fixing the dodgy one, so it's an irritating issue when
I have to wait so long before it starts to search.

I performed a Norton Ghost on the laptop immediately on purchase and I have
recently rebuilt the laptop from the ghost due to various performance
issues.
I am running Symantec Firewall ONLY WHEN CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET, and it
is disabled by default so I do not think that is causing any problems, and
in any case I have configured it to recognise and accept the IP address of
the other PC.

When I search for other computers it sometimes does not appear to be
looking - instead it blinks as if to say "don't bother me now..." and I have
to press the search button several times before it goes "... oh go on
then... if I must!" and actually initiates a search. Surely If I tell it to
search it should do as it's told instead of being stubborn - who was it said
that the computer had no soul! - mine does!

I do not have any spyware thingies on the computers and I have checked this
recently.
What on earth can I do to get the computer to search and identify computers
on the network faster?

Thank you in advance for feedback - newsgroup only please.

Terry