UNC requests slow

[drdak67]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has any insight into this:
I'm dealing with client-server application on a mixt environment network (MS/Novell). The issue I'm having, is that the UNC path requests are being fulfilled much slower than the mapping requests. Because the application is supposed to use UNC paths in some of it's INI files, this is a problem.
To illustrate, when I do a "dir" on a network drive letter from a dos prompt, the request is fulfilled almost instantly. But if I "dir" the same network ressource using it's UNC path, it takes a good 10 seconds to fulfill the request.
I was thinking this could be an example of having Multiple Network Providers installed (Q150807)issue. The only problem with that theory, is that these are Win98 workstations with Client32 installed. So, if it is the same problem, how can I configure Win98 to resolve UNC with the MS client first? And if it isn't, what could possibly cause this latency? I also thought of third party software (norton, for example, has a few apps that will interfere with UNC calls) but I have ID'd nothing in that catagory so far.
Hope someone has some ideas

 

[butchrecon]

Is ther a DNS server installed? If not you can edit the hosts file (NOT hosts.sam) and add the IP address and associated PC name in there. This may solve the issue. What it sounds like it is doing is trying to resolve the host name to an IP address. It may be sending out a broadcast to see if there is a reply from a particualr machine. Try the hosts file and see if it helps. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[drdak67]

A very good suggestion (that I should have thought of)!
I'll give it a try.

 

[butchrecon]

Hope it helps. Let us know if it does not. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[drdak67]

Well, I don't know if dns is the specific problem, but the issue sure is name resolution. I've opted for using UNC paths with the IP address instead of the computer name, and that takes care of the problem.
Neither a hosts, nor a lmhosts file seems to make a difference (8 to 10 seconds to resolve).
I'm thinking, since this network has Novell, as well as aol dial-up adapters out the ying-yang, that it's a matter of which provider is used to resolve the request first. And since 98 is a shitty networks client and priorities can't be set...
Thanx for the suggestion tho

 

[SSWNET]

We seem to have the same issue. I have been desperately trying to resolve for about a month now...

We are currently preparing our network to upgrade from Netware 4.11 to 6 in
November. We have approximately 400 Win95/98 workstations which are
currently running various versions of Novell Client (from 2.02 thru 3.31).
As we began upgrading clients on Win98 and Win95 stations to 3.32 SP1, we
realized that we had a problem. Visible on 70% of our users desktop is an
icon called "Shortcut to XXX". This shortcut itself resides on a Netware
4.11 volume. When double clicking on this shortcut, there is a 1 to 2
minute delay before the program opens. In testing, we discovered that this
is true for all shortcuts residing on the network, even shortcuts pointing
to Word or Excel documents.

This only happens if we move to novell client 3.32...

Did you ever resolve? If so, how?

Thanks in advance for any information you may have.

 

[SSWNET]

Our terrific software support person has unraveled the mystery of the stalling network shortcuts. Apparently, if you open My Computer icon, click on View, and look at as Web Page. This should NOT be checked. You will then have to go to Folder Options , click on View, choose Like Current Folder.

This would explain why we had issues with the network Shortcut on some workstations but not others. Everybody sets their views up differently.

Since this only happens with the most recent versions of the W95/98 Netware client, it remains an issue for Novell. Now we at least have a workaround.