Windows 2003 Server Network Connection Resets?

[JazzBass]

Hi all!

We've recently been having problems with our newer Dell Power Edge 2800 server with Win 2003 server installed.

We'll be working on a file on a shared directory or using SQLPlus on Oracle from client machines and all of a sudden, the connection dies. After a several minutes or so, it comes back and everything is ok for a period of time, then the same thing happens. During this time we can't access the server at all through the command prompt or Windows, but we can ping it just fine.

This started happening all of a sudden one day. My co-worker seems to think that maybe a recent Windows Update may have messed something up.

This is what I have done so far:

I've reinstalled the drivers on the Intel PRO/1000 MT network cards (I don't know if we have two separate or two ports on the motherboard)

Changed out network cables

Tried a different port on hub (server connected directly to hub)

Ran diagnostics on the cards and everything check out fine.

Rebooted server several times

Checked network traffic (Windows Net Monitor tool), but nothing seems amiss

Event Viewer shows nothing related to this problem

Is it time to call Dell? Has anyone else been having problems like this that have started recently (several weeks).

Thanks very much!
JB

[Ankerson]

I would try a new Cat 5 cable cable first.

[beast16t]

I had similar problem where my network drives wouldn't connect again after I hadn't used files on it for a number of hours. Only on one server though. It was a Dell PowerEdge something or other with Server 2003 too. I could access the share via the network places and ping by machine name but it would take several goes and a minute later the drive reconnected.

I looked in the logs and saw other problems which took me a while to wort out, M$ knowledge base suggested a solution related to SBS 2003 so I tried that and it worked. It did involve editing the registry though.
After I fixed the errors in the log my mapped drives have been fine (touch wood!).

All servers get monthly updates and patches so that's what I put it down to.

Sum-up: fix as many other probs in logs and it'll probably have a knock-on effect

[JazzBass]

Ankerson,

Thanks very much. I have tried a different cable and no change. I'll try changing out a known good table (used a new one for test) and give that shot first.

Beast,

Thanks very much. Nice to know it's not just me. Can you give me any other clues as to how you found that knowledge base article? I would be willing to give it a shot. I'll search on my own and see if I find anything, but if you could throw a clue or two my way, I'd be appreciative.

Thanks very much the two of you!
JB

[Ankerson]

Ankerson,

Thanks very much. I have tried a different cable and no change. I'll try changing out a known good table (used a new one for test) and give that shot first.

I thought I would mention that as some times it is that simple and overlooked.

[Ankerson]

I would check and see if there are any Disk Quota's set that could be disconnecting you.

[beast16t]

I was getting error codes 1030 and 1058 every few minutes in the application log which is something to do with the group policy object not being accessable.
I just clicked the KB link in the error description box, where it says "for more information see help and support...".

It gives several alternative causes and even more solutions and I can't remember which one I used now. I'm sure it was a fix for SBS 2003 though (even though I don't use that).

Is strange because our primary and secondary domain server are identical hardware and both kept up to date with Win 2003 Server. Only the primary gave problems.
I'll let you know if I remember any more info

[JazzBass]

I thought I would mention that as some times it is that simple and overlooked.

That's cool. I did mention it in my inital post, but I'm not the very best in explaining myself either, so I apologize for that. Easily overlooked.

I will also check the disk quota as well. But would that make me lose my connection to Oracle?

Take care,
JB

[Ankerson]

It could yes, also try the other things posted as well.

[JazzBass]

I was getting error codes 1030 and 1058 every few minutes in the application log which is something to do with the group policy object not being accessable.
I just clicked the KB link in the error description box, where it says "for more information see help and support...".

It gives several alternative causes and even more solutions and I can't remember which one I used now. I'm sure it was a fix for SBS 2003 though (even though I don't use that).

Is strange because our primary and secondary domain server are identical hardware and both kept up to date with Win 2003 Server. Only the primary gave problems.
I'll let you know if I remember any more info

Thanks Beast. I'm on the trail now and I'll see what I can come up with. What I'm thinking of trying (suggested by coworker as well) is rolling back that last update we received from Microsoft and seeing if there is any difference.

JB

[beast16t]

I couldn't really roll it back because I lived with the problem for over a month before deciding it wasn't going to sort itself out
By that time I had several updates that had had gone on over the top.

[JazzBass]

Thanks guys.

Well, I think we got it figured out.

The company who takes care of our phones has a computer for our voicemail on the network. (We didn't know it was on the network, and it wasn't prior to March, around the time this stuff started happening)

This voice mail computer was assigned the IP address we assigned to our server. The problems started around the time they last came in.

I was getting ready to power down the system, when I noticed a message saying there was an IP conflict with another system. After some investigating, the phone computer was the one. So I changed the IP addresses of the NICs and it looks like we are good.

I remember seeing that message sometime, but I don’t remember when it was. (Have 80% of the time remote connected to it) Since then, we have never received it or saw anything in the Event log.

So, like I said it looks like we are good now. Stupid problems.

Thanks again!
JB

[beast16t]

I hope you're going to invoice the phone system vendors for time spent?