How can I improve the performance of Apple Remote Desktop?

Other than to use a faster network, or sort out any latency issues that may be present in your existing network, there's not much you can do. VNC, which is the control software used in ARD, isn't a very speedy system. About the only thing you can try inside of ARD itself that I know of is to lower the colors displayed (upper-right of the window when you're controlling the other system), and of course look at the other processes in your admin system to see if anything might be hogging the processor at the same time.

Regards.

Like Dave said, you can lower the colors. You can also set a lower screen resolution on the client your connecting to.

There are things that can slow down ARD. For instance: copying files over the network, Watching youtube, listening to streaming music, Downloading files, video chat, audio chat. Or an active time machine backup running to a time capsul.

If you have the option of using your wired network over wireless. And your wired network is faster; then you could try using the wired network.

If your computer and or the client computer is on wireless, you could try moving the computers closer to the wireless access points. Do the computers have 1 bar , 2 bars, 3 bars or 4 bars in airport menu?

Are you using ARD at home on a small network? OR are you on a larger buisness network?

If your on a small home network. You could look at your router to find out if it's 802.11 a, b, g, or n.