server 2003 "network load balancing" - should i use it ?

[troyquigley]

i only have 2 servers - both running server 2003
hp ml150g2 servers (2 gb of ram)

i am not running SQL or a web server at all.

about 30 office users and 30 laptop users (laptops vpn once and a while to send orders - but they do NOT actually work on the network via the vpn)

i am having some major problems with my one server (it is running dhcp, dns, mas200, etc)
some of the workstations get disconnected from the server at random times during the day. they can hit the icon in the right hand corner to reconnect, but obviously this should not be happening.

i have not made any changes to anything on the server lately - that would cause this change. so i am trying to figure out what is causing the server slowdown with network traffic.

i have the task manager running and it is not the cpu or ram or nic getting hit hard enought to be causing my problems so i have to look elsewhere.

my other server is running DNS, WINS - it runs great.

i have already installed the latest nic drivers to no avail.
i have rebooted both servers - to no avail.

so i went thru all the settings - and i found a couple of things that i was wondering might help.

network load balancing: is currently disabled.

and server optimization:
maximize data throughput for file sharing: is currently enabled

please help !

one last very odd thing. the server that is having the problems- seems to have problems surfing the internet. it takes FOREVER to load pages if it loads them at all. yet the other server with same network settings surfs fine.

 

[jlazzaro]

load balancing the nic's is pointless unless your connected to a switch that can bond/etherchannel the two connected ports. Sounds like you have a bigger problem with the server, or possibly the connection.

how is the server thats having problems connected vs the one that is working fine (network wise). what kind of ping responses are you getting?

 

[spidey07]

Start at layer1 and work your way up. This sounds like a physical layer problem.

Check the error counters on the network card and the switch port = they should all be zero.

Check to make sure that the switch port and server are set to autodetect speed and duplex.

Replace the cable with a known good store bought cable.

Maybe run something like ping plotter to see if you are losing connectivity to the server (which you shouldn't ever)

 

[troyquigley]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Start at layer1 and work your way up. This sounds like a physical layer problem.

Check the error counters on the network card and the switch port = they should all be zero.

Check to make sure that the switch port and server are set to autodetect speed and duplex.

Replace the cable with a known good store bought cable.

Maybe run something like ping plotter to see if you are losing connectivity to the server (which you shouldn't ever)

i have a cisco switch 3500 catalyst xl
both servers have ZERO erros in the ports

both servers are connected to the same switch. the 2 servers sit net to each other.

 

[spidey07]

have you verfied speed/duplex on both the server and switch port?

 

[troyquigley]

Originally posted by: spidey07
have you verfied speed/duplex on both the server and switch port?

yes i have.
the switch says zero errors and it is on FULL/100

 

[ktwebb]

Originally posted by: jlazzaro
load balancing the nic's is pointless unless your connected to a switch that can bond/etherchannel the two connected ports. Sounds like you have a bigger problem with the server, or possibly the connection.

how is the server thats having problems connected vs the one that is working fine (network wise). what kind of ping responses are you getting?

he was asking about a windows NLB "cluster" setup. But you are correct, this would not benefit or help the situation either.

OP, same answer I gave over at HardOCP but looks like spidey has you on the right path. Troubleshooting the issue is the answer here, not a workaround, which an NLB wouldn't be anyway.


I would be interested to see what is going on when you get disconnected. ipconfig /all and what results you get when you try to ping, IF you have a valid IP.