Server has an IP Conflict with Itself

[jjtbt]

I have a Netware 5.1 server who's primary function is to run Groupwise. About once a week I all of a sudden get very slow performance on the network and an error message on the server that says "This server and the system having an address of ...have a conflict for ip address...". Turns out that it's having a conflict with an ip address that is its own! After I reboot the server all seems ok for 1-2 weeks.

The only thing I can find in the Novell TIDs is that it might be the switch that it's plugged into, so I changed the setting on the switch port and the NIC in the server to be both half-duplex and a speed of 100 as it suggested, but I'm still having the problem. I have another Netware 5.1 server on this same switch that isn't running Groupwise and that isn't having this problem. Any suggestions?

 

[DrGreen26]

I know this will sound stupid, but out of curiousity, when the server reports the IP conflict, have you shut the server down and try pinging the IP address just to see if something on the network is answering to the same IP address? I know this sounds bad, but when it comes to networks and users, I never put it by someone to setup their own IP address. Novell servers are pretty good about mentioning when something isn't right, especially on the network itself. May be worth poking into a bit just to see if anything out of the ordinary is happening?

Also, another thing you may want to do is put a sniffer on the network to see what may be happening on that subnet. This could be something as easy as a DHCP hiccup too. The console log may provide some imput as well? Also, have you tried setting up a different IP address to see if the problem follows??? The later may be a bit painful if you have NAT tables to update if internet mail goes across it.

HTH

Mark C. Greenwood, CNE
m_jgreenwood@yahoo.com

CNE 4.11 and CNE 5 certified. BS Degree in MIS. Working in the industry for 8 years.

I work with NT servers, NDS for NT as well.

 

[jjtbt]

I haven't tried pinging the the ip address when the server is down because the error message is reporting that the system having an address of 00B0D0F38337 is having a conflict with the ip address...and that's the node address of the nic in the server. But I will try that if it happens again in case the error message is giving false information.

We aren't using DHCP at the moment since we are such a small network, so we can rule that out. All ip's are assigned manually.

If it happens again, I may consider setting up a different IP address...this may be close to a last resort because of all the changes I'd have to make.

I'm reviewing the console & sys$log.err currently to see if there are any clues there.

Thanks for all the ideas!

 

[TheLad]

Check out the following TID. Points to network configuration on network card and switch:

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10022481.htm

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"It's true, its damn true!"
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[jjtbt]

I have reviewed that TID 10022481 and have manually changed both the port on the switch that the server is plugged into as well as the NIC to half-duplex and a speed of 100.

One line in that TID states "In one case MLT setting on the switch was misconfigured"...does anybody know what the MLT stands for so I can check this?

I just restarted the switch today, because I found in some different forums that this may clear out the ARP cache should there be a bad entry. Time will tell if this helps I guess.
Thanks!