Intermitent Network Dropouts Pls Help

[Guest_imported]

Hi,

I am administering an NT4 based network with 5 clients all running windows Me.

The network is running tcpip and all the machines, network cards and switches and cat5 cabeling is new.

The common application across the network is an Access databse that has been split into a front and back end.
The database intermitently reports an error 19 (network error)..

The database doesn't have to be in use but open to get this error. If i then ping from that machine it gets a reply..

I tried a ping the other day and noticed that at first the response was ok then 1 timed out then was picked up again.

it was like a loss in conection for a second or two..
I have tried replacing the switch and it still does it.. All the cards are set to work at full duplex and there are no other protocols in use..

Does windows nt intermitently drop connections to itself ? or does anyone have any idea how i can try to pinpoint the problem...

many thanks..

Matt

 

[GiaBetiu]

From the first look, it seems that it is a name resolution problem. Ip and/or NetBIOS.
Are you using DNS? Is it working properly? Are you using WINS? Is it configured properly? How are the clients configured?
I know, a lot of questions, but actually, are just some hints where to check. Gia Betiu
m.betiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi

Many thanks for your reply....

The system isn't running dns and I havn't enabled wins..
The clients are configured with only tcpip on 169.254.0.1 escalating and a subnet of 255.255.255.0.....

They are logging on the windows nt domain via client for microsoft networks with file and printer shareing enabled.
All workstations also have 512mb of ram installed.. (well they do now as i upgraded them from 256mb..

The server and the network are connected to the internet via a leased line so we use the dns of the line provider...
SQL is running on the server and thats about it apart from data files and the Access database wich uses ODBC..The server uses an intel network card rather than smc like all the others..

Thats all i can tell you really.. there isn't much to it.. which is why its so strange.. At first i thought it might be a resource issue on the workstation itself but now im not so sure...

It may be a dodgy network card but i doubt that to unless its the one in the server..

what do ya think..

cheers for help

matt

 

[GiaBetiu]

Strange configuration you have. Do you mean that all your network is visible to the internet (those addreses are public??)?
I recomand you to use a NAT or a proxy if you want internet into your network.
And the best way is to make your own structural name scheme into your network. Have a DNS server, and I recomand you a WINS server (since you have WinNT systems). For Microsoft NetBIOS is vital (at least in those versions). So, you have to find a way to solve such a situation. How? Install a WINS server!
And, by the way, ping has nothing to do with NetBIOS. Try a "net view \\servername" for example. This will use NetBIOS. Gia Betiu
m.betiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5

 

[GlenJohnson]

With such a small network, try just using your hosts and lmhosts files. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the 169.254.x.x is a default IP address microsoft gives you if you don't have your tcp/ip set up. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
gjohn76351@msn.com
"Knowledge increases in proportion to its use, that is,
the more we teach the more we learn."
Helena Petrova Blavatsky (1831 - 1891), Russian author and translator.

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi guys

Thnx for your help so far..

As you can see from the ip address range i mentioned above those ip addresses are private addresses not public.. The network is connected to the leased line through a firewall/routing system which bridges between the public ip address of the router and the internal network. So no the internal network isn't visable to the outside world..

I have now setup a wins server and will see if it helps..

And thnx for the advice on the hosts and lmhosts i will look at that too..

yes you are correct that the IP range i am using would normally be the one assingned by windows..but I can assure you that I have manually assigned each IP and subnet to each machine on the network. These addresses are not being assigned automaticlly by windows...

Will this make any difference..?

Cheers

Matt