Help..Programs/directory browsing pausing on win XP

[ChrisBelzona]

Hi All,

Not so long ago we installed a h/w firewall on our network and assigned is 192.168.0.1 as its ip and set it to DHCP for client machines. Previously our novell server had this address and whilst installing the firewall we changed its ip to 192.168.0.174 We also have 2x 2003 servers on the network which also had their ips changed. Client machines were also changed from static ips to dynamic.

Since this change users have been complaining that their programs keep freezing for approx 10 seconds, now this happens at random times and seems to only affect programs/files that are stored on the Novell server which is running Netware 4.11.

I would appreciate it if anyone has any ideas of what could be the problem as i am out of ideas on this one.

Thanks

 

[JockMullin]

Hi

Novell 4 doesn't use TCP/IP for normal server functions (disk and printer services for workstations). It only needs an IP address if it is doing internet comms, such as acting as an internet gateway using Bordermanager.

I suspect if you have 2K3 servers you are not using the 4.11 server for internet.

The novell server uses IPX/NETX to communicate with the workstations. Likely something has changed in the implementation of the new firewall which is impeding IPX/NETX packets on the network.

10 second timeouts sounds like the client is having to re-establish connection with the server, possibly due to connection being lost if watchdog packets are dropped or if auto-negotiation has been set up on the connections. For best performance Novell clients should have their speed, duplex and frame type pre-set.

I would make sure the firewall is forwarding IPX/NETX on all segments.

Check the Novell server for connection timeouts or other comms errors.

Jock

 

[ChrisBelzona]

Thanks for the response Jock, you are right about the 2k3 server doing the internet comms the Netware server simply is a file store.

The firewall is the gateway to the network to which the server and its clients are both behind and on the same subnet therefore the firewall shouldnt be blocking ipx packets as they should be kept within the network - if i am right in my thinking that is. The firewall is an IP firewall so i dont think it can do any ipx forwarding.

Any ideas on how i check the novell server for connection timeouts or comms errors.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

 

[JockMullin]

I have only one Novell 4 site now, and I don't have access to it from here, so relying on old memory a bit:

Go to the server console or connect via remote console. If you see the "worm" running around the screen then hit space bar and you will be in the monitor screen, which shows the date and time and how long the server has been up and packets sent and received etc.

If you see another screen then ALT-ESC until you get the monitor screen. If you don't get the monitor after cycling thru all screens, go to the system console (prompt is usually server_name. Look at that screen to see if there are any errors listed there. Then type: load monitor. That will get you the monitor.

On the monitor screen you can tab to the menu where you can select to view connections, disk details, memory etc. Select the LAN and hit enter. You will be given a list of nics in the server. Select one and hit enter and you will get an extensive list of counters, some of which are errors. Scroll thru those looking for high error counts.

Jock