asked on

Possible W2K Server DNS or Networking Slowdown Issues

Not sure how to describe this so here are the symptoms:
- ping times are ok (less than 1ms)
- ftp works but only if we increase timeout
- logging on takes 2-3 minutes from XP PCs (not sure on other PCs)
- e-mail server (ClarkConnect) processor and memory not used (ie < 50%) but e-mail delivery is very slow.

Other info:
- DNS and DS is W2K box.
- Clients are statis (i.e. no DHCP)

Not sure where to start but I'm thinking DNS or some networking issue. Can someone offer guidance?

Lee W, MVP

Please post your DNS Settings on the Domain controller and from at least ONE problem workstation. Run IPCONFIG /ALL and copy and paste the results.

Kevin Hays

I would almost say it's your IP that is listed for your dns servers on your workstations. Do you have them pointing toward your DC/DNS server? If not then that's one of your problems. It doesn't need to point toward your ISP.

r_i_x

ASKER

SERVER IPCONFIG
Windows 2000 IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ServerName
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . : domainname.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domainname.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domainname.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : IBM Netfinity 10/100 Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-09-6B-B0-0B-7B
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.19
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.52
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.19
<<External IP Address>>
192.168.1.52
199.166.6.2
==========================================================
PC IPCONFIG
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.108
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.52

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Lee W, MVP

Need the IPCONFIG /ALL from the workstation - the one you posted does not include DNS settings.

REMOVE ALL non-Windows DNS Servers from the 2000 server (if this is your only server, then the only DNS IP that the server should know about is itself, 192.168.1.19).

DNS is vital in an AD environment and if you don't fully understand how it's used, you will have problems - sporadic and/or consistent. One of the problems with your current config is that if your server's DNS is not started at the time TCP/IP registers the AD related services, it will try to notify other DNS servers, only the other servers have no idea what's on your network and don't want to hear it. So now your clients start asking the server where the resources are, but the server doesn't know because it told some other DNS server that didn't even care, not itself.

r_i_x

ASKER

Here's the info.
One question as well though, what's the path for when my computer asks for ping www.google.com? I would believe that it would ask the DNS (1.19) and then it would hit the gateway (1.52) and the gateway has the settings from there to hit an external DNS so it would eventially resolve the IP?

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : COMPUTERNAME
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domainname.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domainname.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Cont
roller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1C-23-92-55-5E
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.108
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.52
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.19
199.166.6.2

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-60-0E-90-E7

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Lee W, MVP

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

SOLUTION

Kevin Hays

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

Kevin Hays

http://rcpmag.com/features/article.aspx?editorialsid=413

Another good site to check for dns errors.

r_i_x

ASKER

Seen a number of DNS issues that are likely related to the "other" ones. I'm going to remove all except the server 192.168.1.19

Here is another error from the netdiag -v command:
DC list test . . . . . . . . . . . : Failed
Failed to enumerate DCs by using the browser. [ERROR_NETNAME_DELETED]
List of DCs in Domain 'DOMAINNAME':
w2ksrv1.domainname.com

Kevin Hays

How's it coming along ?

r_i_x

ASKER

All the DNS errors are gone (seemingly) and haven't experienced any ftp issues recently. Still having e-mail slowdowns but not sure that this is related to this server. Thanks for your help.

Kevin Hays

That's good to hear. Yeah, I would imagine the email slowdowns is a totally different problem.

Anytime,

Cheers :)

Kevin