CompuServe Messages

This problem occurs randomly or at least I can find no pattern. When I hit escape, my system is either rendering or waiting for the next frame. I usually try to stop it when it is waiting for the next frame. My output is a series of individuals frames. This might help, my Lantastic is set up so that each machine is a server. I set it up this way so that I can share files from other machines. Could this be the problem? I haven't noticed any consistency when it reports failed or completed. Maybe there is a setting that I am missing in my default settings? I should mention that the failed or completed status does not only occur with one machine. It seems to me that my network is too slow to communicate the status of other machines. I am using 10 Meg ethernet cards and all the machines are '486's. The machine that has the 3ds_net directory is the server where the files are stored and at the same time helps render the frames. Should I consider using a server machine that does not render? Maybe the rendering is slowing the machine too much to keep track of the other machines?