ping works..sometimes..need ideas

[CMASPE]

Ok all this problem has me whipped! Last friday I helped a client load a new mail server. A MAC was hosting their old mail and we moved the new mail server to an NT 4.0 iMAIL mail server (SP 6). Since they do not host their own DNS we decided to switch the IP's of the 2 servers. Well here is the problem. People are working intermittently. Sometimes they can get their mail..sometimes no. So to check connectivity I ping the server. 25%..0% or 100% response back within mintues of each other. So on the server I change the NIC card, cat 5 cable..position on the switch....same thing. It seems to work better when more users are off the network. I think it it a switch issue(Hp Procurve 4000M linked to Cisco 2900 Switch). The bosses over there don't see why it would be the switch if everything just started happening after the switch. The IT people there told me they have had on again off again connectivity issues before. So can I really say it is down to cabling or switch issues and rule out the server????

P.S. The server is a new PowerEdge dell..I have tried the internal Intel NIC and the 3 COM nic that came with it. Also I have checked and reconfigured the Duplexing and MP speed on the switch and the nIC card to all possible options..same result. I am stumped...any ideas???????

 

[jeter]

HHMm layer 1 or layer 2 issue! When the problem occures do you lose the link light from the router and or switch? Can you ping from the server to the other clients. What are your ip's, subnets, and routes if any on the server? Jeter@LasVegas.com
Fisher CCNA
Sprint-Data

 

[CMASPE]

No the link light is on the switch. I can even see the netowrk stats on the HP monitor of the procurve all appears to be working fine!! The network is on the 192.168.1.0 network. Outside connectivity to the server NEVER fails..i.e. web mail interface. very confusing.

 

[CMASPE]

ok update to this issue. Put a new HP Procurve switch today. Brought all the PC's and MACS on one at a time. same problem for a while till I changed NICS..once again. Today the network works better than yesterday but still weird outages. By the time the user calls and we walk down to the computer the "hiccup" has corrected itself. It seemed if I refreshed the IP on the PC from the DHCP server that it could connect to the mail server. I am running out of things it could be. I have sugg. to them to put everyone on a static IP and if that still doesn't work to change the IP of the server and make the MX record changes at their ISP's DNS. I guess last ditch effort would be to send the dell back and get another one. Any thoughts????????