The host is running Windows XP Prof SP3 and the client is running Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 x64.  

So ... I connect to the remote machine with a 15mbps of ADSL. Which ... I guess, got enough downstream. (~1.3 MB/s). The host machine got a 35mbps of upload. Which is again, fast enough to pump the data with max speed.  

All I get is like ~320-400 kbps transfer speed. That is really slow. Is there a way to speed it up?


Question: Will enclosing my porch keep my house warmer?
Answer: Unlikely. If your house is too cold in the winter, ans especially if it's very windy, you need to start by sealing off places where cold air is coming in. That will often help a ton. The next time it's very windy, just go around the house feeling for drafts and air currents. 

After doing that, you can then start to improve your house's insulation. The attic floor is often low-hanging fruit since you can blow a bunch of cellulose onto the floor very inexpensively. If you have hollow walls, those can be blown full of cellulose as well (in the wall, it needs to be dense-packed) through holes cut in the top of the wall. Basement walls can also be a big win, but to do that properly, you need to add rigid foam insulation boards and make it airtight so moist air can't blow through the insulation boards touch the wall. After that, new windows or low-e storm windows can help.