Windows 2000 w/s very slow browsing to W2K server
Well it was all working until the weekend.
Two identical twin pentium 3 W2k servers. 1Gb ram each, four 73Gb disks each. C-drive is mirrored, E drive is a four-disk stripe set. One runs Exchange Server, the other runs SQL server. Both are GCs. Both are Wins servers. Both run DNS. etc...
Last week one of the drives in the ES box fails. At the weekend we took it down and replaced the disk, re-created the mirror of the C drive and re-established the stripe set.
(During the week we moved the Exchange Store and Logs to an external Firewire drive, we moved it back after confirming E-drive was stable again on its RAID.)
All is smooth and happy this week - except for TWO workstations. These function perfectly so long as they talk to the ES box - but if they try to browse folders on the SQL box (the general data storage is split between the two) then seem to hang. In fact, we've established, they have not hung they just take about FIVE MINUTES to browse into any given folder instead of the normal fraction of a second.
We're at a loss. We've established that it's teh two stations which are involved, it doesn't matter who is logged into them (inc Administrator), can't browse that server - the normal users of those stations can work at any other station quite happily.
We've run every a/v and spyware check there is. Actually tehse machines are very clean, the users never tinker and play and hardly ever use the web. They are clean.
We've removed one of the machines from the domain, deleted it's WINS and AD records, and re-added it from scratch. No help.
I'm short on new ideas now.
I just bet someone's spotted it. But I'm buggered if I can...
Two identical twin pentium 3 W2k servers. 1Gb ram each, four 73Gb disks each. C-drive is mirrored, E drive is a four-disk stripe set. One runs Exchange Server, the other runs SQL server. Both are GCs. Both are Wins servers. Both run DNS. etc...
Last week one of the drives in the ES box fails. At the weekend we took it down and replaced the disk, re-created the mirror of the C drive and re-established the stripe set.
(During the week we moved the Exchange Store and Logs to an external Firewire drive, we moved it back after confirming E-drive was stable again on its RAID.)
All is smooth and happy this week - except for TWO workstations. These function perfectly so long as they talk to the ES box - but if they try to browse folders on the SQL box (the general data storage is split between the two) then seem to hang. In fact, we've established, they have not hung they just take about FIVE MINUTES to browse into any given folder instead of the normal fraction of a second.
We're at a loss. We've established that it's teh two stations which are involved, it doesn't matter who is logged into them (inc Administrator), can't browse that server - the normal users of those stations can work at any other station quite happily.
We've run every a/v and spyware check there is. Actually tehse machines are very clean, the users never tinker and play and hardly ever use the web. They are clean.
We've removed one of the machines from the domain, deleted it's WINS and AD records, and re-added it from scratch. No help.
I'm short on new ideas now.
I just bet someone's spotted it. But I'm buggered if I can...
SOLUTION
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Well I would say this has nothing to do with the server. Basicly 90% of your other clients are ok, so this has nothing to do with the server.
Try deleting your WINS Cache .. nbtstat -R - notice the "R" and not "r".
Check for any inconsistent routes in your clients route table by using route command in command prompt window...
"route print" - if you find anything weird, delete the route, and let it recreate itself on next reboot. I wouldn't really think it has to do with routes or DNS though, cuase you can succesfully connect. It just takes longer. Sounds like a NETBIOS problem to me ...
Try deleting your WINS Cache .. nbtstat -R - notice the "R" and not "r".
Check for any inconsistent routes in your clients route table by using route command in command prompt window...
"route print" - if you find anything weird, delete the route, and let it recreate itself on next reboot. I wouldn't really think it has to do with routes or DNS though, cuase you can succesfully connect. It just takes longer. Sounds like a NETBIOS problem to me ...
by the way to delete route ... type in "route ?" and look at given examples on how to delete the route ... or visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/ServerHelp/dfc5383f-5ec0-4a0f-96da-acee2da3ac2f.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/ServerHelp/dfc5383f-5ec0-4a0f-96da-acee2da3ac2f.mspx
Its a secure channel issue. Delete computer account for these machines and rejoin to domain. Thing should work fine.
ASKER
THanks for the input so far but:-
Longbow - checked the DNS first! :-) And the clients are not multi-homed, single NIC, single protocol loaded.
UICE - this one is new to me, I'll try it. We *did* remove all the WINS info for one of the stations from the server when we removed it from the domain and re-added it but we didn't clear any cache that may be on the workstation. I'll check but I doubt there's more than one route as it's a simple lan - one local network range (with both servers on it), one default gateway.
SystmProg - we tried that, dropped one of the stations from the 'net, removed it from the AD, then re-added it. No change.
Longbow - checked the DNS first! :-) And the clients are not multi-homed, single NIC, single protocol loaded.
UICE - this one is new to me, I'll try it. We *did* remove all the WINS info for one of the stations from the server when we removed it from the domain and re-added it but we didn't clear any cache that may be on the workstation. I'll check but I doubt there's more than one route as it's a simple lan - one local network range (with both servers on it), one default gateway.
SystmProg - we tried that, dropped one of the stations from the 'net, removed it from the AD, then re-added it. No change.
Do these two clients take a long time to log on to network?
Any PC or domain controller having two NICs?
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Is the Default Gateway set correctly..???
Try Ipconfig /all and compare with proper working one.
Try Ipconfig /all and compare with proper working one.
ASKER
Clearing the NBT cache nor the DNS one has helped.
Resolving is NOT te problem - PING either server frmo the command box no problem, more-over if you go to the mapped drives in the command box and CD, DIR, etc., it all works just find. Windows Explorer however still takes for-ever.
it's not a routing/gateway problem.
Resolving is NOT te problem - PING either server frmo the command box no problem, more-over if you go to the mapped drives in the command box and CD, DIR, etc., it all works just find. Windows Explorer however still takes for-ever.
it's not a routing/gateway problem.
You can reinstall the last Service Pack and check some other settings :
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;829700
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;829700
ASKER
I put SP4 on one of the offending w/stations yesterday -it had only had SP2 on before. No change.
Thanks for the other links but neither relates. First says "overall network slowness" - rest of network is fine. Second is specifically where an XP client is slow and a W2k was not. This is a W2k client.
Cheers.
Thanks for the other links but neither relates. First says "overall network slowness" - rest of network is fine. Second is specifically where an XP client is slow and a W2k was not. This is a W2k client.
Cheers.
Have you tried to back the user profile and create a new one ?
ASKER
Not user-based - same users on any other PC logs in and runs fine. Any user on these two PCs, no joy.
read "backup the user profile"
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ASKER
No other protocols on either offending station.
Try re-installing tcp/ip
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
Are the parameters OK for these registry keys ?
Compare with other computers.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
Are the parameters OK for these registry keys ?
Compare with other computers.
ASKER
Actially 1stITman was on the right track.
These two machines had "NetBEUI" protocol loaded on the card as well as TCP/IP. See me I've been in this lark so long I'm used to seeing it there and only jsut realised it wasn't needed.
Disable NetBEUI and both machines work perfectly. *WHY* they suddenly stopped working is still a mystery,as they've been fine for the last two years with those settings, I suspect a WINS config problem on one or both servers since the weekend. However, the last of the W9x machines left this network about a year ago so NetBEUI is no longer required on anything, turning it off solves the problem as far as I'm concerned.
Thanks everyone who chipped in!
These two machines had "NetBEUI" protocol loaded on the card as well as TCP/IP. See me I've been in this lark so long I'm used to seeing it there and only jsut realised it wasn't needed.
Disable NetBEUI and both machines work perfectly. *WHY* they suddenly stopped working is still a mystery,as they've been fine for the last two years with those settings, I suspect a WINS config problem on one or both servers since the weekend. However, the last of the W9x machines left this network about a year ago so NetBEUI is no longer required on anything, turning it off solves the problem as far as I'm concerned.
Thanks everyone who chipped in!
Well ... should of thought about that since the PC where actually able to connect to the server ...
Good thing you got it fixed.
Cheers!
Good thing you got it fixed.
Cheers!
Do you need another Network Admin???
LOL ;)
Thanks
LOL ;)
Thanks
ASKER
Sure do. Do you work for hamburgers?
No i work for Big meals on wheels ;)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;288801
Any info in the workstation Event Viewer ?