SuSe and External hard disk => bad support !

Hi,

I am fed up with these bad transfert rates I have with Suse Linux (9.x).
I SIMPLY install suse like a newbie (clik, ok, clik, ok, clik, ok, etc.).
Despite of doing proceeding this way, suse linux doesn't work with my hard disks : 2 external ones (80go and 120go) entirely in EXT3 (only one partition each one).
I work on a laptop medion, a "recent" one still in fashion : PIV 2.4+ATI 32Mo dedicated + 512Mo ram ddr. Linux support well this laptop except with my external storages.
How to solve this problem ?
My transfert rate is at 1 Bytes/s, quite ridiculous, (my internet connection is faster, download to the hard disk slow down my connection, amazing !).
Speeds are the same, as well on my 120Go (usb2.0) as my 80go (firewire). I believe that both are on automount mode. I ran fsck one both : have a look at this ridiculous report :
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linux:/home/kroax/master1/image/tps/bdii # fsck.ext3 /dev/sda1
e2fsck 1.35 (28-Feb-2004)
120GO (/dev/sda1): recovering journal
120GO (/dev/sda1) has been mounted 2297 times without being checked, check forced.
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
120GO (/dev/sda1): 951/15007744 files (18.0% non-contiguous), 11340554/30013428 blocks
linux:/home/kroax/master1/image/tps/bdii #
----------------------

2297 times ; it's stupid ! I mounted certainly less than 100 times and even less I think !
18% non-contiguous : What's amazing for ext3 file system, ridiculous again.
Why so poor performance ? I have done nothing, tune nothing, and it doesn't work. So I need to modify and find concerned option/files...in another to lose time. I have other things to do during my professionnal work.
Help me, because it makes several month I run with this computer and normal rates missed me.
Thanks.

Just installed suse 9.3

First expression:

while I was transfering some files from my external IOMEGA 60GB USB2.0 HDD it was reading and writing MUCH faster than compared with 9.2. I am impressed!

now it is also automatically mounted with its real label and not as /media/usb:0330dfkvgsvs

the same is with my memory stick Kingtson USB 2.0

I am really happy...