XP Workstations disconnect from network repeatedly.

[Phil79]

Hi,

We have a network on one subnet with 2 Windows 2000 servers and 50 ish workstations (approx 10 WinXP / 40 Win2000). Last year we had a problem with the XP workstations disconnecting from the network, where the affected workstations suddenly brought up the offline files dialogue and would no longer open files from the network. This was usually triggered by opening a file from the offline files cache. Having purged the offline files cache and then rebuilt it, the problem still occurred.

Following an article from Technet, I then discovered that disabling SMB signing in the registry on the servers and the workstation resolved this problem. This worked fine for about the last six months and then has suddenly started to happen again. All of the affected workstations are XP and all of them have SMB signing disabled.

Does anyone have any suggestions about the best way for me to proceed with this problem?

I have also tried:

Reinstalling an XP workstation - Problem still occurs.
Disabling offline files - Problem doesn't occur
Checking event viewers on Server + WS - No errors reported.

Any ideas?

 

[screach]

Ok maybe I am stupid....I admit it from time to time as a Unix, Lynix guy and old NT guy 2k and now 2k3 can throw me at times.

The purpose for us using the router for DHCP and our ISP's for DNS (router just passes the right DNS server down line) is to avoid network outage due to Windows 2k servers going down due to a plethora of reasons. It is also necessary because our PDC is hardware outdated and was having trouble handling the load.

What I dont understand and hope you can help me to understand is why does it matter that the router handles DHCP rather than W2k3? Also what difference does it make where it gets its DNS records?

Numbers are numbers are they not? Also, another reason we moved from the server to router was our intention to move to Static IP's over dynamic.

I am honestly trying to learn and not be a smart arse....

thanks in advance.

Screach.....the sound of your world coming to an end at the sight of the dreaded BSOD!

 

[bcastner]

screach,

I hope you did not read my above comments to suggest you were stupid. That was neither my intention, or quite frankly a comment that I would have even implied.

Beginning with Win2k Server, Active Directory, MS made it absolutely clear that earlier name resolutions methods: Netbios, Netbui, LMHOSTS, WINS, Netbios over TCP/IP were for compatability reasons, not for current or future Domain plans.

Active Directory, for example, supports only DNS. XP as client aggresively tries to resolve through DNS any naming issue (which I hope I repeated ad infinitum in my faq779-4017 )

Numbers are numbers are they not?

Not when they are IPs.

Rather than an either/or choice between dynamic and static IPs, you want both.

And Win2k and Windows2003 offer through their native DHCP and DNS server features the ability to do both, including "reserving" IPs based on an individual workstation or server MAC address.

You have all the pieces you need to do this "right", in a structure that will last for several years. Quote: "2 servers 1-W2k3 Ent, 2-W2k Standard)". Make the Win2003 server the Domain Controller, install AD, and set this up correctly. None of your workstations are less than Win2k.

Do it.

Best,
Bill

 

[screach]

Bill,

No in no way did I think you where saying I was stupid. Your help is greatly appreciated, I just feel dumb on this issue is all.

Ok, so after more research and digesting what you have said I agree. Now my problem is the following.

I want my W2k3 machine to be my PDC and I would ideally like to remove the 2k machine all together (eventually) and in the meantime just use it as a file server. My question is this.

1. How can I demote and remove the replication of DNS, WINS and AD from my 2k machine without killing everything.

2. How can I promote my 2k3 machine to PDC?

3. I assume (based on old NT experiance) that I can only have one DHCP server per network subnet which means that in order to switch users I would need to turn off DHCP on the router. If this is the case in order to avoid interuption for my users can I assign manual IP addresses to them and set DNS to my w2k3 machine? (In other words will 2k3 server automatically recognize the Static IP's or do I need to set up a DHCP Range and leave out those addresses from the range?)

I appreciate any and all help.


Screach.....the sound of your world coming to an end at the sight of the dreaded BSOD!

 

[rpanzella]

I work for a small engineering firm where I happen to get to wear the Network Administrator hat (even though I'm really not one). Being that I'm not trained in this capacity, everything I have learned has been "sink-or-swim" style. Generally, with the help of the internet, I can solve most problems but this one is a killer. I am having the same problems as described right down to the disconnection around 8 times per day. The twist with my network is that the disconnect only happens on three of the five XP clients and it usually happens when these clients are using either MS Word or MS Excel while manipulating a file on a SNAP Server. Thanks for the good ideas and I'll be sure to contribute when I can.

 

[Phil79]

Actually, we have a SNAPserver on out network as well, although none of the XP users access any files from it. Have you tried the SMB signing solution from Microsoft? It worked initially for me.