Sorry about the weird topic name but this is a weird problem.(Also sorry about the elaborate post but I need all toughts on it)

First of all I'd like to say that I've used TS for quite a few years and I love it to death, also I've never seen anything like this before.

I have a server running on Mandrake Linux 10.1, the computer is adequate for the task (XP2100, 512 MB ram) and the connection is 10Mbit (both ways) I share this connection with my gaming rig but it's through a switch so they have their own external IP's.

I host the TS2 server for my WoW guild primarily, it has been running for a good 4 months. I have had ~15 or more people in the same channel (max bw I've seen was about 50 KB/s) no problems at all. At the time of this problem there were only about 10 people on the server.


Ok, on to the actual problem.

Today I got 2 new guildmembers to install TS (They said they use ventrilo, I said that's fine but the guild uses TS :P ). So they connect and configure everything so we can hear them allright, note that these two people are sitting next to each other IRL (I think they share the same connection but haven't had a chance to check yet, also don't know if they share a router).
When I or one other (specific) person talk they hear us distorted, and they can only make out what we're saying when we speak very very slow and clear. They hear eachother just fine and everyone else hears both them and me and the other person just fine. So there is a problem between my and this other guys client and their clients, but nowhere else. I'll call them "the problemguys".

I drag some other people in to the same channel to get some references but the problem is still between our 4 specific clients. Everyone can hear the problemguys fine and they hear everyone else but us 2 fine.

I checked everyone's clientversions and operation systems everyone is using Win XP and 2.0.32.60 .

The problemguys are using two different soundcards, SB Live and onboard Soundmax.

This was tried on all affected clients:
- Restart client (the problemguy with the soundmax also tried a reboot)
- Switching between wave / directsound
- Force 8bit recording

This was tried on the server:
- Changing codec (tried almost all of them)
- Restart TS server
- Reboot server

This was tried on my computer:
- Switching recording sources. (Audigy 2 ZS and onboard Realtek AC97)

Stuff left to try:
- Change HW acc settings on affected clients
- Check if they share router and possibly try without it.


I'll add some nontechnical thoughts here. Like I said I had to nag them a bit to install TS, they had used vent and it always worked fine for them so I understand that one might suspect that this was just an act of obstinance towards me, but one of them was using speakers and mic so a few times I could hear my own distorted voice and it was for real.
I can try and get a recording of it tomorrow.

I welcome all suggestions on what to try.
Thank you for reading this far and again sorry about the long post.