ODP AND DATABASE LINKS ???

Question

Hi, some very weird stuff going on here:
When I bind data to my datagrid, if it comes through a database link in any way (either I code to access via a database link or I create a view with the link in it) I get only the first two chars of every field. Really weird, any ideas:
You can see four sql lines below- The only one that works is one that is a view on the local database(not the data i need), all the others only return first two chars of every item via the db link. In case two I created the view with the link in it.
Code in my DAL:
Public Function returnTissues(ByVal inFrom As String, ByVal inTo As String) As DataTable
Dim tissues As New DataTable
Dim command As New OracleCommand
Dim adapter As New OracleDataAdapter
Try
Dim sql As String = "select specimenid, status, sampletype, form, species from [email protected] where specimenid between '" & inFrom & "' and '" & inTo & "'"
'FAIL-Dim sql As String = "select specimenid, status, sampletype, form, species from specimen_view_sbat where specimenid = 'ONC000100'"
'PASS-Dim sql As String = "select * from request_view"
'FAIL-Dim sql As String = "select s_sampleid from [email protected] where s_sampleid = 'MGH000167'"
command.CommandText = sql
command.Connection = Me.globaldal.msdb
adapter.SelectCommand = command
adapter.Fill(tissues)
Return tissues
Catch ex As OracleException
Throw ex
Finally
End Try
End Function
Here is the page code:
Private Sub ButtonSearchByRange_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ButtonSearchByRange.Click
Dim fromvalue As String
Dim tovalue As String
fromvalue = TextboxFrom.Text
tovalue = TextBoxTo.Text
DataGridTissues.DataSource = tissuedal.returnTissues(fromvalue, tovalue)
DataGridTissues.DataBind()
End Sub
Also, I will materialize the view and try it, but it has got to be the ODP, the sql executes fine via slqplus, toad, etc, and It's not the grid, I bound the first column to a dropdown and got the same result.
My ENV:
Local DB 8.1.7.3 - I think
Remote DB 9 release 2
OPD: 9.2.0.4.01

Answer 1

Further testing has revealed:
The database link works fine when connected to another 8.1.7.4 instance as opposed to the 9.2.0.3.0 instance.
It makes no difference if the link is public or private.
Creating a materialized view with the database link in it to the 9.2.0.3.0 instance also works fine.
However none of the above is a solution.