[Samba] Samba too slow with many little file

[Gio]

I use samba v.2.2.3a-12 available in debian 3.0 to share file for some 
win98 client.
The kernel version is the 2.4.19 installed by me (not debian inst. method)

I had make no change to the default smb.conf only the few to start the 
service by using swat

A Win program can load a "cam project" much faster when files are share 
by Win98.
The samba performance is about five time less than Win98 sharing method 
but only
when the "cam program" need to load many litte file in the same time.

I think that this problem is due many file (like 30.000) with few kbyte 
of data in the same folder or
a netbios relvol timeout but i don't know setting to resolv this problem.

To copy a single 18Mbyte file the transfert rate is very good but when i 
try to copy all
30.000 file (approx 18Mbyte of data) the system take about 10 minute.

- The cpu is a P III 800 with 128Mbyte RAM, 20Gbyte Disk EIDE and 
RTL8139 NIC
- All nic works with 100Mbit half duplex speed.
- All ip address of client are into hosts file and no nameserver exist 
(the ip alias name differ from client name)
- The file resolv.conf il empy
- There are no other server service
- all the file are forced to the same user an same group
- every workstation can browse all directory without problem

tanks in advance.

Gio