Network Trouble [1.0.1 - 1.0.2, Ubuntu 9.04]

[robhol]

We're installing an MTA server on an Ubuntu 9.04 box. Everything runs, but when players join, change nicks, etc., everything lags massively and we get **Network trouble** in nice, large red letters over the whole screen. The server doesn't crash, but it uses several seconds to recover.

What can cause this?

The server is apparently capable of running other servers. The problem both occurred with the server version as 1.0.1 and after the 1.0.2 upgrade.

I'd like some tips as to what can cause this and even better, how it can be fixed? Thanks in advance.

Edit:

uname -a output:

Linux r27218.ovh.net 2.6.29.3-rt12-xxxx-rt12-ipv6-32 #2 SMP PREEMPT RT Fri May 29 15:41:32 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

Edit 2: the lag seems to be more related to spawning than joining. Also, the player falls down at spawn, as though he's been "dropped" from a height. The player is spawned around 1u above ground level, which is far from high enough to cause the player to fall down when he hits the ground.

[robhol]

Some more info:

I've disabled the only thing that can possibly require enough "thinking" to lock up the server for several seconds. The only thing that's left is perfectly normal database interaction (sqlite) which means that somewhere, there's one bitch of a problem.

I, and many others, are eager to get this server running as quickly as possible, so answers would be appreciated.