>(3) Don't store the data you access a lot ( dbf's and the like) on a network drive - aka as shared folders - very slow
>(4) Instead use VMware hard discs ( config)

For some files (my 200000 photos, that is) I do use a shared drive (linux host system, ntfs partition - i.e. my old Q: drive which survived everything - and it's too big to move anywhere). It is a tad slow, but for one file at a time, or maybe a dozen, that's good enough. I consider that network traffic, and it does go at the speed of the network, not on the same machine (even though physically it is).

Using Oracle's VirtualBox, free version for Linux (not that I saw any paid version being mentioned).