>When it hangs at this point (or slightly before), I let the computer
>sit for up to a 1/2 hour before losing patience and restarting.
>
>Is there something I'm missing?
>

this problem seems likely to one i had a few weeks ago, and here was Bill
Studenmund's (wrstuden@loki.stanford.edu) solution:

  Are you on a LocalTalk net? This sounds like what the current serial
  driver will do when LocalTalk is around. Shielding doesn't work just
  yet.

good luck,

  - a