Can linux solve this windows problem?

I've received an email from a small business that just re-did their network
(and is still re-doing it). Based on advice from office worker, they installed
XP home on all the client machines, and XP Pro on what is to be a file server
(with the argument that they aren't setting up a domain and didn't need Pro on
the clients).

Now they keep getting error messages to the effect "too many network
connections". Can someone tell me if this is an issue with the XP pro server
(in which case their choice moves to either buying more/other MS product or
trying a linux solution) or if it lies in their choice of XP home (in which
case, they just got bad advice and will need to shell out more cash).

They say that if they reboot the fileserver and the network switch once a day,
they don't get the error.

If a linux can address this problem, I'd like to list it as one of the possible
solutions.

Thanks,
        Les...
Received on Wed Sep 24 10:01:02 2003