Is this a switch problem ?

[JimtheJock]

3com 3300 Superstack 2 (3c16980) with fibre module linking to 3com baseline 10/100 superstack 3 (3c16465c).
There have always been 5 PCs connected to superstack 2. Recently, 3 of these PCs changed. Old Digital 3000s running Win95 replaced with Dell Optiplex GX270 with Intel Pro 1000 MT NiCs running WinXP Pro. Until these PCs were changed there were no network problems. The NICs were set for auto negotiate but have been changed to 100 full, 100 half and 10.
Message appears in Outlook 2003 - Connection to the Exchange Server has been lost. Outlook will restore the connection when possible. (Exchange 2000 is used, on server connected to Superstack 3).
The message only appears in the application log of one of the Dell PCs - it can be any one of the three Dells.
This results in a client/server accounting application hanging on all 5 PCs connected to the Superstack 2.
No PCs connected to the Superstack 3 are affected at all.
Everyone points to the Superstack 2 as being the problem except for one MS "expert" who reckons that the problem lies within the XP Pro configuration.
Has anyone experienced this or similar problem. I want to replace several more PCs but don't want to run risk of hanging the accounting application on the main network segment.

 

[ADB100]

Check the following:

1. Speed Duplex settings on the switch and the Client NICs. Once the client is connected you can see from the 3300 management what Speed/Duplex has been negotiated. The Intel NICs should have Intel ProSet that will show what has been negotiated.
2. Drivers for the Intel NICs. Check on Intel's website whether there are any known problems with the drivers you have installed, install the Latest drivers.
3. Check on Dell's website whether there are any known problems with the specific machines you have and/or drivers for any embedded

I went to look at a start-up problem a while ago and the Dell engineers on-site were blaming the switches due to a connectivity problem when starting up these new P4 Dell PC's running XP Pro. I had one look at Dell's website and there was the exact problem they were experiencing detailed on the NIC drivers webpage. Downloaded new driver, all was well.

Andy

 

[SheffieldDave]

I had a massive ammount of problems with Dell PC's in the past.
Especially with the gigabit NIC's.
What's the configuration configuration of your switch-ports?
Is the port speed fixed or do you have it auto-negotiated?

When I fix the port-speed on the switch to 100Mbps full duplex, the network performance of the Dell PC is very very bad.
But when I choose auto-negotiated I have no problems.
The strange thing is that the switch also chooses 100Mbps full duplex in the auto-negotioation Mode.
So there is no different configuration between auto-negotiated and fixed portspeed.
But it only works in auto-negotiated mode.