Hmm....

Remove the Wins IP/Server info on all machines - unless you are running a Wins server (on NT/2k Server) you do not need this name resolution service.

Also, on the gateway, unless the alegrosurf requires you to set this, or it does it automatically, you should not need this on these machines (unless your isp requires you to do so, though most don't any more).

Remove the ipx/spx service - this is where the connectivity is coming from possibly, however should not be needed.

The possibility of the slowness comes from the Wins server info coupled with the ipx/spx. Your machines are trying to "find" each other using wins (windows internet? naming service) which does not exists, then it uses the microsoft client and is deciding on tcp/ip or ipx/spx.

system configs should have the following networking components:

client for microsoft networks
file & printer sharing (if you use this)
tcp/ip

tcp/ip config:

win2k:
IP: 192.168.0.1
Sub: 255.255.255.0
wins: none
dns: none (unless required by alegrosurf or isp)
gateway: none (unless required by alegrosurf or isp)

winXPhome:
IP: 192.168.0.2
Sub: 255.255.255.0
wins: none
dns: none (same)
gateway: none (same)

win98:
IP: 192.168.0.3
Sub: 255.255.255.0
wins: none
dns: none (same)
gateway: none (same)

all machines named different, all part of the same workgroup name (workgoup, or homenet etc)

win2k/xp home will need accounts for each of the other computers (win2k needs: xp/98, xp needs: 2k/98)
to allow connections to the shared resources. This account should be for what ever username/pw you use from the client machine( winxp logon is xpuser, win2k needs a winxpuser account) unless you connect as an admin or enable guest access, neither of which is recommended.

win98: try the setup as above, then see if it sees itself, also try to run at a command prompt window:
c:\> ping 127.0.0.1

This verfies the tcp/ip on the Win98 machine. If you get echo replys good, if not, remove and reinstall the networking components on the win98 machine.

The hub should not need an IP address, and the printer should follow suit with a 192.168.0.4 or similar address.

Hopefully you get this figured out!

If all else fails, what I do after this much frustration is remove all the networking components from all the machines and start over from scratch. Get the win2k going first, connected to the ineternet, then the xp then the 98 machines. Build each one identical on the networking components.