Slow network connections

For the past week or two the network traffic on a ftp-server for which
I am responsible became very slow.  

The following information says something about the system:

> uname -a
Linux archive 2.4.20-ac2 #2 SMP Thu Dec 19 11:46:10 SAST 2002 i686
unknown

> lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
tlan                   30176   1
eepro100               22828   2
mii                     3900   0 [eepro100]
md                     50272   0 (unused)

> sudo mii-diag eth0
Basic registers of MII PHY #1:  1000 782d 02a8 0154 0101 45e1 0001
0000.
 The autonegotiated capability is 0100.
The autonegotiated media type is 100baseTx-FD.
 Basic mode control register 0x1000: Auto-negotiation enabled.
 You have link beat, and everything is working OK.
 Your link partner advertised 45e1: Flow-control 100baseTx-FD
 100baseTx 10baseT-FD 10baseT, w/ 802.3X flow control.
   End of basic transceiver information.

When looking at ifconfig the figure under "frames" in the RX line
looks unusually high and I suspect that might lead me to find the
problem - if I only understand what it is trying to tell me.

The ifconfig manpage does not explain it.

eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:02:B3:60:A1:0B
          inet addr:146.232.128.14  Bcast:146.232.129.255  Mask:255.255.254.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:340938376 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:3105493
          TX packets:380599377 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:22 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
          RX bytes:1801586825 (1718.1 Mb)  TX bytes:4157946569 (3965.3 Mb)
          Interrupt:11 Base address:0x9000


On another hard working healthy system the count is 0:

> sudo ifconfig eth0
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:02:A5:28:A0:37
          inet addr:146.232.128.10  Bcast:146.232.129.255  Mask:255.255.254.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:363612544 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:453070356 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:39 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
          RX bytes:2692415581 (2567.6 Mb)  TX bytes:2956601469 (2819.6 Mb)
          Interrupt:15 Base address:0x4000

Where can I find documentation on that the "frame: " count?

Any hints on where to look for the problem will be welcome.

Regards.
Johann
-- 
Johann Spies          Telefoon: 021-808 4036
Informasietegnologie, Universiteit van Stellenbosch

     "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The 
      spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."      
                           Mark 14:38 
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