Slow connectivity to new server
I just installed a new Windows 2008 R2 Standard Server and reinstalled XP on two workstations. It has all new Ethernet cabling and a Cisco Gigabit Switch in-between them. Yesterday I noticed that when the accounting workstation tried to access quickbooks it was lagging a lot. Then just accessing files on the server from shared drives also takes a lot longer than it should. So I did a test and unplugged all the ethernet cables into the switch except the accounting workstation and the server to remove any possibilities of other issues. I was pinging the server from the workstation and still had "Request timed out" on the workstation as it pinged the server. I plugged everything back in the switch and now I've tested pinging one workstation to another workstation and they ping without any issues at all no slow down. I've even tried pinging with my laptop that isn't part of the domain and is wireless and it is also having issues pinging the server.
I'm now thinking it has something to do with something on the server but need another pair of thoughts on the subject.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I'm now thinking it has something to do with something on the server but need another pair of thoughts on the subject.
Thanks in advance for any help.
ASKER
the server is brand new and not really much on it. The CPU and memory are fine barely has a heartbeat.
We were having a (somewhat) similar issue. As it turned out, our antivirus was scanning network drives whenever a shared file was open. Uninstalling antivirus gave us a huge boost and now we are configuring the antivirus piece-by-piece to get security and speed.
I'm not sure if that explains the ping issue though...bad cable run or bad nic perhaps (?)
I'm not sure if that explains the ping issue though...bad cable run or bad nic perhaps (?)
It is not clear to me from your post if pinging the server always has Request Timed Out or just some of the time. If it always times out but you are able to access files on it over the net (even some of the time), that implies to me that the server is set to not reply to ping requests.
If the ping requests sometimes go through, I'd be looking at issues with the network card on the server. Can you try substituting a different one?
Ignoring the ping issue for a moment, how do you have DNS set up on the server and on the workstations?
If the ping requests sometimes go through, I'd be looking at issues with the network card on the server. Can you try substituting a different one?
Ignoring the ping issue for a moment, how do you have DNS set up on the server and on the workstations?
ASKER
The pinging is off and on, probably more on that off but definitely getting the "Request Timed out" every 15 pings or so. Then sometimes just a few go thru and then another request timed out, but the workstations definitely are having issues with files over to the server, slow opening up files and saving them back to the server. which should be pretty quick.
As for the DNS question, I think I set it up correctly, but I can't say positive. This is the only server that this small business is going to have. It is also the DC. I ran dcpromo.exe and it then installed DNS.
The workstation TCP/IP Properties are as follows...
Static Ip Addresses are set with 192.168.1.1 as the gateway,
the DNS server ip address is the server we are having connectivity issues with
Under WINS
WINS is NOT set with any WINS addresses, nor is it installed on the server.
Enable LMHOSTS lookup is checked and Enalbe NetBIOS over TCP/IP is on.
I have NOT set anything in the LMHOST files or Hosts file on the workstation, didn't think I needed to.
basically the servers TCP/IP Properties are set with the DNS server pointed to itself, and the same situation applies to the WINS tab.
I really didn't do anything special in the DNS Manager except point the Forwarders to the google DNS servers.
As for the DNS question, I think I set it up correctly, but I can't say positive. This is the only server that this small business is going to have. It is also the DC. I ran dcpromo.exe and it then installed DNS.
The workstation TCP/IP Properties are as follows...
Static Ip Addresses are set with 192.168.1.1 as the gateway,
the DNS server ip address is the server we are having connectivity issues with
Under WINS
WINS is NOT set with any WINS addresses, nor is it installed on the server.
Enable LMHOSTS lookup is checked and Enalbe NetBIOS over TCP/IP is on.
I have NOT set anything in the LMHOST files or Hosts file on the workstation, didn't think I needed to.
basically the servers TCP/IP Properties are set with the DNS server pointed to itself, and the same situation applies to the WINS tab.
I really didn't do anything special in the DNS Manager except point the Forwarders to the google DNS servers.
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ASKER
I think I need to have more in my abilities. It was the brand new 8 port Switch that was the issue, I swapped it out with the old 10/100 switch and haven't missed a ping yet.
ASKER
I think I need to have more in my abilities. It was the brand new 8 port Switch that was the issue, I swapped it out with the old 10/100 switch and haven't missed a ping yet.
Though you may be correct that it is just a bad switch, keep in mind my comments about locking in the link speed and duplex. Occasionally a network card and switch won't get along well and will autonegotiate a 1G full-duplex connection, then change to a different one when that doesn't work well.
ASKER
I appreciate the help.
It could be something is really eating cpu/memory on the server.