Server cannot see network

[GStenning]

Please help,
We run a w2k network comprising of w2k dc's and member servers as well as w2k workstations.
Everythign has been fine until today when one dc cannot browse the network and workstations cannot see it in network neighbourhood. Also the log in script cannot map drives to it. We can the ping the server and the server can ping out.
We can also net view.
The RPC service is started.
What can be causing this? This is worrying as this server has the user files on!

Many Thanks

 

[markdmac]

Check the TCP/IP settings and make sure that Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP is turned on. Also make sure the netLogon service is running.

Try this:

Instead of connecting to a share as \\servername\sharename

try connecting as \\IPAddress\sharename

If that works you know it is a NetBIOS issue.

If you netBIOS is set correctly, then do the following from a command prompt:

ipconfig /flushdns <enter>
ipconfig /registerdns <enter>

 

[GlenJohnson]

Test your nic and make sure it's not going bad. See if you have bad packets coming in or going out. I had a brand new server and after a week, users couldn't log on at times. Sometimes they could, sometimes not. Kept getting worse. Turned out the brand new server had a nic going bad. Replaced it, no more problems. Good luck.

Glen A. Johnson
&quot;Give the laziest man the hardest job and he'll find the easiest way to do it.&quot;

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884

 

[GStenning]

Thanks for this. It all appears to be ok now.
The problem appeared to be down to the teaming on the nics.
We dissolved the team and recreated it. Now we just have a Switch problem!!!

Thanks for the replies.

 

[compuveg]

Some NICs don't auto-detect/negotiate the line speed & duplex properly. Try setting them instead of using the auto-detect feature. I've had NICs that appeared bad, but started working fine when this was done. (Compaq Proliant with Intel NIC on 3Com switch)

I just add this because you called it a switch problem. It be just a slight incompatibility between the NIC/driver and the switch.

 

[2cornot2c]

Are you still having a switch proplem? if so maybe this senero can provide some insight for you.

We were experiencing the some problem that you are having now with one of our W2K Servers. The connection to the server would suddenly drop and the only way to get it back up on the network was to switch the port that it was connected to on the switch. After troubleshooting we found two problems. One, the update nic driver that was released by our hardware vendor was part of the problem. The other is that we were using an intelegent switch and depending on what device is connected to the ports on the switch, the ports will have to be configured accordinly to match the device.

I don't know what type of switch you have, but if you are still having problems with your switch, please give details.

 

[GStenning]

We are still experiencing problems with the switch to the extent where eveyone has been moved of it. When you patch directly to it the activity lights appear on both laptop and switch but no connection when pinging etc???
The switch is a Cisco Catalyst 3500 XL with 2 Gbit modules.
Cisco have identified an issues with this model but unsure if this the problem.

 

[compuveg]

So you did, or didn't try setting the line speed and duplex to a fixed value?