Question

DHCP = Slowed network performance?

Asked by: italo5696

I recently had an issue where certain computers on a segment of a LAN were experiencing very poor network speeds in transferring documents, even within the segment of the LAN. Once I assigned these computers static ip addresses, the issue went away and the machines experienced normal speeds. However, not all of the computers receiving DHCP addresses experienced this issue, even identical computers. What was the cause of this issue? I would like to stick with the DHCP for easier network maintenance, however the poor performance is unacceptable.

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Asked On
2009-08-06 at 08:31:23ID24631823
Topics

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

,

Miscellaneous Networking

,

Network Design & Methodology

,

Operating System Specific Networking

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
11

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Answers

 

by: bsohn417Posted on 2009-08-06 at 09:31:07ID: 25035330

What is providing DHCP, Switch or DHCP Server?

 

by: italo5696Posted on 2009-08-06 at 12:36:12ID: 25037269

server

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2009-09-04 at 15:46:52ID: 25263978

DHCP cannot possibly have any effect on speed - after all all it is doing is issuing the IP Address to the computer and once you have that lease issued it shouldn't make any difference until it needs to exchange a couple of packets to renew the lease.

What do you mean by slow btw, is it taking a long time to resolve names, are ping times slow, perceived speed - i.e. copying a 1Mb file takes long etc?

What could be the issue is the options supplied from the DHCP server, e.g. DNS, WINS etc. servers which you may have different for the other clients etc.

I suggest you compare ipconfig /all and possibly ROUTE PRINT output from a "slow" computer against a fast one and DHCP set one etc.

More likely is the switch / network card having a config. mis-match with things like duplex or flow control settings etc?

Steve

 

by: italo5696Posted on 2009-09-10 at 13:14:49ID: 25303817

Turns out the DHCP was set-up with the wrong subnet mask! Not sure why this took a few years to cause issues, but it did and it did.

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2009-09-10 at 13:48:34ID: 25304153

Subnet mask being wrong can't cause a speed issue.  It is either possible for host A to talk to host B or not and subnet mask can break it or make it but nothing else.

If you are now working having made changes great.  In what way was it wrong BTW?
Steve

 

by: italo5696Posted on 2009-09-16 at 04:46:29ID: 25344419

Steve,
The issues started with trying to copy or even access networked drives on servers. To copy a file would take  really long time, obviously longer than it should. Then even just opening a folder on a networked drive, windows explorer would stop responding. Then printer jobs started timing out.

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2009-09-16 at 04:50:06ID: 25344450

What has that got to do with subnet mask being wrong in the DHCP options though?!  Anyway if it is working now fine, lets just leave it there!

 

by: italo5696Posted on 2009-09-16 at 04:57:22ID: 25344526

I know, I 'm glad I got a fix, but really want to know what the issue is/was! Unfortunately, the backlog of issues does not allow me time to figure out why unless it happens again!

thanks,
Adam

 

by: GnsPosted on 2009-09-17 at 16:44:23ID: 25362149

A subnet mask setting that would let some of the network bits "float over" to the host part could perhaps have fingered some stack the wrong way... enticing a broadcast storm, in a manner. That would indeed affect performance negatively. But far more likely is the fact that you restarted your malfunctioning interfaces (since you reconfigured them) cured a switch/client misnegotiation. We simply cannot begin to even guess in the right direction, since the error isn't present now.
So you'll have to live with it, and keep an eye on it not happening again;-).
When/if it does happen, if you have a switch with management options, do take a look at the interface/port error counts. Could beinvaluable "tools" in diagnosing this:-).

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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