Windows 2003 Server Network Utilization goes from 20% to the toilet.

[micahdaniel]

I'm trying to get automated backups setup on a small network but I'm having difficulty because file transfers are ridiculously slow. An example is a 1.5gb file taking 5 minutes to transfer between 2 servers. Both servers have gigabit cards (intel pro/1000 EB). One is win2k3 enterprise server (AD), the other is win2k3 sbs (domain controller).
I tested the 1.5gb file back and forth and both ways proceed at the same speed. It goes at about 20% network utilization to <1% after 5 seconds. But when I transfer between either of these and another pc on the network, I get much faster speed and consistent 8-9% utilization. Obviously something is wrong. What should I do here?

 

[joblack23]

Hi there,

Check the switches. If you have cisco make sure the ports are setup correctly. If you are forcing the switch port to lets' say 100megs and your server nic cards are set to auto, most likely there is your problem. Check cables is an obvious one and should not be ignored. Use an analyzer to make sure they are ok. I've had brand new cables fail after only few hours of use. Lastly I would use performance utilites from windows to see which service/services are resources hogs. Add process counters and see the utilitzation.