one machine not pinging

[bsetterb]

This is my first post here, so please excuse any faux pas I may commit.
I have a home network which I have recently reconfigured. The old configuration had a Linux server performing DNS, DHCP, NAT, WWW, FTP, POP3, SMTP, and IPChains along with 4 Windows clients(2@9X and 2@XP). The new configuration has a SonicWall SOHO3 for NAT and the firewall, a Win2K Server for Active Dir, DNS, DHCP, WINS, SMTP, POP3, WWW, and FTP, and the same 4 clients(now all running XP).
My problem is that, on one of the clients, I can ping the server, but the server can not ping the client. All other machines function properly except this one machine(a Dell GX240). I have switched cables, network cards, hub ports, and medication with out results. From the client, I can logon to the network(a domain), see other machines on the net, connect to their shared folders, copy files, etc. No other machine can see any shares setup on this one client.
At this point ANY help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[imatthec]

If the client ia an XP machine make sure that the firewall is off.

 

[bsetterb]

Firewalls are off on this and all other clients. I am wondering if it may be related to the way I set up the domain on the w2k server. However, I have no idea why that would cause ping to fail.

 

[nobleman]

Are you pinging the netbios name or the ip address ? You should be able to ping the ip address no matter what. Let me know. If you cannot ping the computers name. It is definetly a dns or wins issue.

 

[bsetterb]

Thanks for the come back. I get "request timed out" when I ping the client from the server (either name or IP). The ping of the server from the client succeeds with either IP or name.


Here is additional config info...

Client from hell
Win XP Pro
bmst-15.xxx.com (FQDN)
DHCP assigned 192.168.23.10

SonicWall SOHO3 gateway/firewall
192.168.23.1
NAT enabled with pass through for frontdoor.xxx.com
DNS, WWW, FTP, PING, etc passed through from WAN to frontdoor

Win2K Server
frontdoor.xxx.com
192.168.23.2(pass through from Sonicwall)
DNS, DHCP, WWW, FTP, SMTP, POP3

Other clients
bmst-trav
bmst-sam
bmst-1000
bmst-laptop

I'll send a diagram of the topology next...

 

[nobleman]

Have you checked the logs of your firewall to see if there are any denials of the ICMP protocol (Ping) ? Are all the computers on the same hub/switch ? And your sure that you do not have ANY firewall software installed on this workstation ?

 

[bsetterb]

No ICMP denials at the SonicWall. Only external UDP and TCP connection attempts dropped(as expected). No firewall configured on the client(I promise ;-). There are three hubs in the topology, but this client and the server are on the same hub(which I have isolated for testing).

 

[nobleman]

If you go into the tools section of your firewall.. can you ping the workstation from the firewall ? Just taking it a step at a time here CCIE,MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA

 

[bsetterb]

The SonicWall is unable to ping the client. Also, it can not resolve the name. The following occurrs:
Ping IP(192.168.23.10): is not responding
Ping bmst-15: Unable to resolve
Ping bmst-15.xxx.com: is not respoding
The SonicWall can resolve the fixed IP for the server and ping the server by name. It can not ping it's own WAN address(static IP assigned by my ISP).
The SonicWall can ping the IP and FQDN of other machines on the private net(e.g. 192.168.23.12 or bmst-trav.xxx.com) but a ping of the NB name (e.g. bmst-trav) does not resolve.


topology is:

--->DLS modem--->SonicWall---->hub1
uplink | uplink
------------------------------
| |
V V
hub2 hub3
| |
------------- ---------------
V V V V
frontdoor bmst-15 bmst-trav bmst-sam

SonicWall allows access to 192.168.23.2(frontdoor) via WAN
for DNS, WWW, etc.

BTW - thanks for your help...

 

[nobleman]

Little confused here with your diagram. You hava 1 wan and 1 lan port on the sonicwall. the only thing that should be connected to the wan port is the cable modem or whatever technology you have. Then you should have a switch/hub connected to the lan port on the firewall. The other hubs are daisy chained to the 1 on the sonic port. Is this what you have ? CCIE,MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA

 

[nobleman]

Also I would be much quicker if you had instant messanger so we could do this live . Let me know if you do and we could get this resolved. IF we get it resolved we will put the solution up on the page here for everyone to see. CCIE,MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA

 

[bsetterb]

Yes, sorry. A better picture would be:

(ISP)WAN LAN(192.168.23.nnn)
<-->DLS modem<--->SonicWall<---->hub1
| |
---------------- ----------
| |
V V
hub2 hub3
| | | |
---- ---- -------- --
V V V V
frontdoor bmst-15 bmst-trav bmst-sam

 

[nobleman]

I need the info on the workstation when you do an ipconfig /all. Also on the sonicwall, I need you to go into the tools section and goto dns and let me know what the ip address of the primary dns is. Do a dns lookup on the workstation in question as well as one that works properly. Also, go into the dhcp section and release the ip of the faulty machine and ipconfig /renew on the workstation in question. I just want to verify that you do not have DHCP running on the main server ? Let me know. CCIE,MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA

Noble Computing, Inc.
Consulting
215-512-8200
kshaffer@noblecomputing.com

 

[bsetterb]

1. Client ipconfig:

C:\Documents and Settings\bob>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : bmst-15
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : xxx.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : xxx.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : xxx.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet
Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-06-5B-78-31-31
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.23.10
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.23.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.23.2
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.23.2
209.87.64.70
209.87.79.232
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.23.2
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, December 01, 2002 7:07:25 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, December 09, 2002 7:07:25 AM


2. SonicWall DNS info
DNS Server 1: 192.168.23.2
DNS Server 2: 209.87.64.70
DNS Server 3: 209.87.79.232


3. NSLookup
C:\Documents and Settings\bob>nslookup
Default Server: frontdoor.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.2

> bmst-trav
Server: frontdoor.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.2

Name: bmst-trav.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.12

> frontdoor
Server: frontdoor.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.2

Name: frontdoor.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.2

> bmst-15
Server: frontdoor.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.2

Name: bmst-15.xxx.com
Address: 192.168.23.10


4. DHCP is running on the server, not the SonicWall.
Performed release and renew to no affect.

 

[bsetterb]

BTW - here is an interesting event log from frontdoor:

The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer BMST-15 that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on transport NetBT_Tcpip_{567A1F52-DD32-4868-B. The master browser is stopping or an election is being forced.

I am also seeing this since moving bmst-trav to the other side of hub3. I now have to log in as administrator to connect to the network from bmst-trav:

The session setup from the computer BMST-TRAV failed because there is no trust account in the security database for this computer. The name of the account referenced in the security database is BMST-TRAV$.

 

[nobleman]

That looks fine which is not good. Do this .. enter all static settings on the workstation.

ip
subnet
gateway
dns --> only put in you local dns server not your isp's
wins --> to your wins server (doh)

Let me know what happens. CCIE,MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA

Noble Computing, Inc.
Consulting
215-512-8200
kshaffer@noblecomputing.com

 

[bsetterb]

NobleMan,
Thanks for your help. I think what I'll do is start with the WAN disconnected and ensure that the LAN works like I expect it to work. I plan to set all machines with static IP addresses in the same range as the DHCP server will lease. I guess I may have to reinstall XP on this one machine if the problem persists. Oh well - here goes :-0

 

[nobleman]

Good Luck ! Let me know if and how you get it resolved. I have problems in the past with sonicwall and running dhcp on a server. You may want to setup using the dhcp on the sonic wall (atleast temporarily) to see if there is a dhcp issue. CCIE,MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA

Noble Computing, Inc.
Consulting
215-512-8200
kshaffer@noblecomputing.com

 

[bsetterb]

NobleMan,
It turned out to be a problem with .NET(I think). In my line of work I have to use this particular machine to test software I develop. At one point I had installed a beta version the .NET MSDev IDE. I had removed it but it seems that it did something to the machine that caused pings not to work properly. I wiped the system partition clean, reinstalled XP, and now it's working correctly. Now maybe I should not blame the .NET code and keep in mind that other software components were instlled on this machine, but my hunch is that it was the .NET code. I may never know the truth. At least the machine is now working the way I would expect ;-)