So I tried the Named Pipes & TCP/IP thing in the Client Network Utility. Things improved slightly, but...
Check Stores simply does not work. The request is *never* answered and the HQ Client is stuck for a *very* long time. Any Check Stores request (from Store Ops or from POS) basically kills all Store-to-HQ communications for 30 minutes or so.
A/R requests (POS terminal queries HQ for A/R info when making an account payment) seem to work fine--much better than before the Named Pipes 'fix'.
Worksheets are still taking a lot longer to process, especially WS401.
Any ideas for resolving this issue? For me, Check Stores is the most important feature of an HQ environment--and it is not working at all.
Tom