JJM

I have a network here with over 2 dozen computers, at least 3 of which are servers. 2 are running Windows Server 2003 and one is running Windows NT Server 4.0. One of the 2003s and the NT are in a Workgroup with the rest of the computers the other 2003 is in a Domain. All the computers have fixed IP's except for the laptops. One of the laptops, running Windows 2000, has recently been having problems with connecting to mapped drives. When the laptop is turned on the mapped drives connect but usually within a half an hour they get red Xs on them, and when they are opened the following error is given:

"An Error Occurred while reconnecting S: to \\server\folder. Microsoft Windows Network: The Local Device name is already in use. This connect has been restored."

When the NT server is mapped and this happens the laptop ceases to recognize any of the computers in the workgroup and the domain. If one waits long enough it will be restored.

That secondary problem doesn’t occur with the 2003’s and they return much faster.

Also, it will not enter the domain itself but the Server inside of it can be accessed by typing it into the address bar, but that may be unrelated.

We have seen a similar problem very temporarily on 2 other computers but that may not be related and those problems were very minor.

If the laptop is restarted with the drives mapped, the process is restarted again. If the mapped drives are disconnected and then the computer is restarted the connectivity that is lost when the mapped drives stops working will stay up. It is lost periodically but it will come back usually, if you attempt to access it in a different way, which may be because it takes a certain amount of time to try it another way and the connection resorted itself by then.

However the internet connection through the LAN is never lost.

I have recently come to the conclusion that it’s loosing connection to all of the other computers for very short periods of time and when this happens with the NT Sever is causing a lag. Does anyone have any idea as to why such a disconnection is happening or how to keep the lag from happening?

I have tried installing a different Network card, which gave me the same problem, running NET USE * /delete, which told me there was nothing there to delete, replacing the hosts file, mapping them under different letters, moving the laptop to a different location, setting a fixed IP address, changing the default time-out period, and creating a different user name, which also gave me the same result. Does anyone else have any ideas?

It is also possible that restoring the connecton takes at least some fiddling around with. But I don't know because the only way to check is to attempt to connect.

tlarkin

are these machines bound to an AD domain?

Doesn't sound like your switches or nics since the internet works, and it works fine right? I would see if you can ping the servers too with the work stations, that will tell us they are connecting

Also, when was the last time you ever rebooted the servers?

JJM

Thanks for the quick reply!

As to whether or not they are bound by an AD domain I have no idea the person who could tell you that has left the office and will not be back in until Monday. I know that when I we set them up we put them in a workgroup but they can all connect to the 3rd server, which says it is a Domain director when you click "Change…" under the "Computer Name" tab in the “System properties”. I assume that is an AD domain but I can't be sure.

As far as I know the internet is working just fine. When I first got to the computer it wanted me to set up an internet connection and gave that whenever you create a new user but if you get it not to do that anymore it connects just fine.

I tried pinging the servers and I got a reply when it was connecting as for when it wasn't I tried to ping the Domain server first and I got a reply for the first packet but the other 3 timed out. However when I went to do the other 2 severs I found the connection to be restored. I'll wait for it to loose connectivity try the other two then to tell you what happens.


As for rebooting I know the 2003 in the workgroup has been rebooted within the month and the other 2003 within the year, but as for the NT machine I have no idea.

tlarkin

reboot your switches, you can just power cycle them. You will bring the whole network down for a second (or every workstation on that switch) but it sounds to me like two possibilties. The fact that the ping timed out means there is something going on in the network. Latency, colisions, etc.

Also, it sounds like the machines are bound to a windows Active directory domain, so unbinding and rebinding the machine fixes the excessive authentication times, and would fix any kind of policy the machine pushes out for things like, permissions, mapped drives, etc.

You can just power cycle the switch to reboot it

JJM

Ok so I am always able to ping the two workgroup servers but the domain server I could ping completely once but the other times it either always timed out or timed out the last 3 times. I don't know why. Regardless, it seems that trying to ping computer will always fix the problem immediately.

JJM

Thank you I will have to try that Next Week. I'd like to check with someone before I try that.

Thanks very much I'll be sure to let you know if it works or not.

tlarkin

sounds like a problem with cisco switches, make sure portfast is enabled. That is of course if you are running cisco switches

what kind of cisco switches are you running?

JJM

We have one Cisco Catalyst 1900 and an SMC Tigerswitch 10/100 6750L2.

As to your domain question earlier what I've been told is that there are no computers that actually belong to the domain. That 2003 simply hosts a domain, which we connect to through the workgroup or because it is connected to the LAN. Does that make sense?

I'm going to try to reboot the switches when everyone leaves tonight.

JJM

Rebooting the switches did not help. any other ideas?

tlarkin

you have any kind of network analyzer?

when your machine logs in, does it log in to the domain or the machine locally? Where are all the home directories stored?

At this point I may have to be in front of your network to solve the problem, but we can keep trying.