LinuxQuestions.org - HDD setting with hdparm

I was looking at a post I made over a year ago when my HDD was acting up. After an upgrade to a newer kernel hdparm gave:

/dev/hda:
multcount = 0 (off)
IO_support = 1 (32-bit)
unmaskirq = 1 (on)
using_dma = 1 (on)
keepsettings = 0 (off)
readonly = 0 (off)
readahead = 256 (on)
geometry = 65535/16/63, sectors = 234375000, start = 0

Since then the kernel has been update serveral times so today I ran it again. Weird though, I seem to have a less performing drive (same one thought)

debian:/home/powadha# hdparm -t /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
Timing buffered disk reads: 78 MB in 3.05 seconds = 25.59 MB/sec
debian:/home/powadha# hdparm /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
multcount = 0 (off)
IO_support = 0 (default 16-bit)
unmaskirq = 0 (off)
using_dma = 1 (on)
keepsettings = 0 (off)
readonly = 0 (off)
readahead = 256 (on)
geometry = 65535/16/63, sectors = 234375120, start = 0
debian:/home/powadha#

this could be an explanation for the fact that my LAN is really terrible at file transfers (about 7 mb/s max). Any clues on how to get my disk back to speed?

Before I forget: are the settings that used to be 1 and now 0 really of big effect on the speed and behaviour of the disk?

Regards