>All these ideas helped me move to a couple of other tests, and I have found that if the timer loop actually opens the database table, checks, and then closes the table ...voila! Now, a submitted request is responded to in the same second!!
>
>That seems odd, eh?! Does this provide any ideas as to what I might still be doing wrong? Opening and closing the table every 200 m/secs seems fairly bizarre and strenuous...

Hmmm ... I assumed you were opening the table on the Server in a loop all along, and having problems.

HOW WERE you trying to process the request before you put it inside the loop ?

>However, it IS working at the moment...
>
>Any other thoughts?

Create a VFP Remote Automation Server on the server and let the Clients feed it with XML.