|
that didn't work Roath.It's all over
|
|
|
|
|
Yes, I also get a detail explaination from Dave too. I'm sorry that I could not help you with this issue.
ramamaru wrote: that didn't work Roath
My name is kanel, please call me Kanel.
|
|
|
|
|
Hello everyone,
I work at a non-profit org. and we have a small office network with 1 server (Windows Server 2000) and about 20 computers (fast, slow, dell, hp but all running Windows OS - pro and couple of home editions).
Our Windows Server 2000 is on a Dell Dimension E510 with Pentium HT 2.8 GHz and 1GB of RAM. It runs as a Domain controller and running Active Directory on it. Our DHCP is our modem - just so that DHCP works even when our server is turned off.
We recently switched from use of workgroup to domain after we got the server and couple of problems seem to be rising, which I need some help on.
1. Accessing people's shared folders became slower - sometimes up to a minute. Sometimes it goes really smooth. I think getting a router might solve this problem but we never had this problem before we installed the server on one of our computers
2. In our TCP/IP config we have our modem as "Preferred DNS" and our ISP DNS as "Alternate DNS". I am not sure if this is the way it should be. Seems like our Server is running DNS too. I don't know if I can disable it - though non of our computers are configured to look for DNS in the server (our local E510).
3. When a domain user wants to log on to the their computer it asks if they want to lon on to the the local computer or the domain. I was just wondering what's the difference? Which one should I use? Right now everyone is loggin onto their own local accounts because that's where they have their files and everything because that's the only place that we could log on to before we got the server.
How should I go about to solve this problems. Any help, ideas, comments, questions is appreciated.
Thank you for your time,
Chandman
|
|
|
|
|
Chandman wrote: pro and couple of home editions
What do you mean by home edition? Is it windows xp home edition?
Chandman wrote: We recently switched from use of workgroup to domain after we got the server and couple of problems seem to be rising, which I need some help on.
If your networking has a windows xp home edition, you won't be able to join your computer to domain controller. Only windows xp professional edition that could join to domain controller.
Chandman wrote: 1. Accessing people's shared folders became slower - sometimes up to a minute. Sometimes it goes really smooth
In my opinion, this issue relate to name resolution process. Name resolution process is translation from a computer name to an IP address. Our computer name are contact to each other via ip address. There are many step of name resolution process work: DNS cache, host file, DNS, NetBIOS cache, WINS, NetBios broad cast, lmhost file. You said that accessing to the other resource on your network sometime slow and sometime fast. This relate to name resolution process which fall in NetBios broadcast section which your computer boradcast its signal to find a computer with a specific IP address to connect to. From here, i want to ask you a question, does your network have a DNS server? DNS server is the server that use to store a DNS name with IP address of each computer. If you do not have DNS server, then you should edit the host file on each computer to point to a specific name and IP address. The host file is locate in %systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hostfile this file is open with notepad. Try to read its explaination in the file and add the record in it. If you afraid that it might impact to system, you can copy its original file to another location. Manually do this to all computer or copy and paste it via a diskette to the other computer.
Chandman wrote: I think getting a router might solve this problem but we never had this problem before we installed the server on one of our computers
Why you use a router in your networking environment? Router is a device that connect from LAN to LAN which has a difference network ID or connect from LAN to WAN (usually internet). By default router device never allow broadcast signal access through it. If you have DHCP serve and DHCP client and have router in the middle, your DHCP client won't be able to obtain an ip address from the your DHCP server. Because DHCP client will broadcast its signal to find DHCP server when its need to obtain an IP address. To solve this problem, you should use DHCP relay agent device which put in the middle of router and your DHCP client. But in your case, you use a modem as a DHCP server, so i'm not sure too.
Chandman wrote: 2. In our TCP/IP config we have our modem as "Preferred DNS" and our ISP DNS as "Alternate DNS". I am not sure if this is the way it should be. Seems like our Server is running DNS too. I don't know if I can disable it - though non of our computers are configured to look for DNS in the server (our local E510).
I'm not sure about this stage. How about using your ISP DNS as a primary DNS? DNS just help you in name resolution process, if you have DNS it is easy for your client in the network to access the resource in a local network and access to internet.
Chandman wrote: 3. When a domain user wants to log on to the their computer it asks if they want to lon on to the the local computer or the domain. I was just wondering what's the difference?
You have this option when you join your computer to a domain controller. Generally, for a stand a lone computer which is not connect to a network, when you log on to your computer your user name and password will authenticate with SAM database. If your type the correct user name and password, then you will grant to access the computer to gain the resource on that computer.
The difference between log on locally and log on to the network is the scope of accessing the resource on the local computer or on the network. If you are log on locally, you will be able to access the resource on your computer only because the user name and password is authenticat with a local SAM database. User document, profile, permission will apply on those specific computer. And network administrator will be difficult to manage resource and maintenance a network environment too. To log on to a domain, your user name and password will authenticate with SAM on the domain controller. User can access the resource on the server and network administrator also eash to manage a network from a central location. With client/server infrastructure, network administrator could be able to create a romaing profile, home folder, folder redirection, sharing resource... from the central with less administrative support.
Is this help you from your problem?
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you for your response Roath.
Roath Kanel wrote: Chandman wrote:
pro and couple of home editions
What do you mean by home edition? Is it windows xp home edition?
Yes we have Windows XP Professional and few Home editions aswell. But I found out that if I set the Workgroup same as our domain name, the computer becomes a part of the network.
Roath Kanel wrote: Chandman wrote:
1. Accessing people's shared folders became slower - sometimes up to a minute. Sometimes it goes really smooth
In my opinion, this issue relate to name resolution process... From here, i want to ask you a question, does your network have a DNS server? DNS server is the server that use to store a DNS name with IP address of each computer...
Yes. Our Windows Server 2000 runs a DNS server. How should I go about configuring it?
In our server - in the DNS console, I just noticed that we have our server ip address for the forward lookup zones. But we don't have anything in the reverse lookup zones. Is that an issue?
I am also thinking that I should set all computer's preffered DNS to our server - not our modem. But I have to have some way to forward that to our gateway if it's outgoing request outside of our LAN. So I'm not so sure on this eigther.
About router: I've seen many people having a [ WAN - modem - router - switch - computers] set up. Though, our current configuration is set up in a way that we don't have a router in between our switch and modem - therefore our modem is acting like a router, hosting DHCP, and acting as a DNS.
I feel like having it set up so that when the sub netmask is 255.255.255.0 forward it to our server (DNS) else forward it to our modem or directly to our ISP DNS server. But I'm not sure about how to do it and whether I should do it.
Other thing that might be useful to know is that in some room we have 2 person working in there and they share the connection via hub. It's kind of expensive for us to replace all those hubs with small switches just to test, because once again we're non-profit.
PS: Our internet works fine though - no one's complaining about the internet speed.
Thank you again for all your replies so far.
Chandman
-- modified at 14:14 Friday 9th June, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
Chandman wrote: Thank you for your response Roath.
My name is Kanel, Please call me Kanl.
Chandman wrote: Yes we have Windows XP Professional and few Home editions aswell. But I found out that if I set the Workgroup same as our domain name, the computer becomes a part of the network.
If you have windows xp home edition, you won't be able to join your computer to a domain controller. It doesn't mean you put the same name and you contact communicate with each other. Whether you put a difference name, you still communicate with them but you will see a workgroup and a domain in My network place in your computer. Difference between workgroup and client/server is the way that network administrator manage the network resource.
Chandman wrote: Yes. Our Windows Server 2000 runs a DNS server. How should I go about configuring it?
In our server - in the DNS console, I just noticed that we have our server ip address for the forward lookup zones. But we don't have anything in the reverse lookup zones. Is that an issue?
I am also thinking that I should set all computer's preffered DNS to our server - not our modem. But I have to have some way to forward that to our gateway if it's outgoing request outside of our LAN. So I'm not so sure on this eigther.
There are many step to promote your standa alone server to become a primary domain controller. You have to configure, static IP address, DNS, configure friendly name, install DNS component and create forward look zone and revers look up zone (there is more technical detail to create these zone), test DNS service whether your configure properly then finally promote your stand alone server by typing DCPROMO command from the run dialog box.
I recommend you to read this aritlce[^] to gain more knowledge about managing your network environment.
Chandman wrote: About router: I've seen many people having a [ WAN - modem - router - switch - computers] set up. Though, our current configuration is set up in a way that we don't have a router in between our switch and modem - therefore our modem is acting like a router, hosting DHCP, and acting as a DNS.
I feel like having it set up so that when the sub netmask is 255.255.255.0 forward it to our server (DNS) else forward it to our modem or directly to our ISP DNS server. But I'm not sure about how to do it and whether I should do it.
According to an information that you give to me, i think you have an Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) by using dialup network because you use a modem device. When you are using ICS to share your internet, the share connection on the machine that share an internet will have a small built-in software call mini DHCP server and set its own ip address to 192.168.0.1 (i'm not sure about this number too) and the client need to change an ip address in the form of 192.168.0.x (where x is > 1 and <= 254).
Chandman wrote: Other thing that might be useful to know is that in some room we have 2 person working in there and they share the connection via hub. It's kind of expensive for us to replace all those hubs with small switches just to test, because once again we're non-profit.
PS: Our internet works fine though - no one's complaining about the internet speed.
Thank you again for all your replies so far.
Chandman
In my opinion, I suggest you to read a book or article that is relate to networking as much as possible. I found that you need to update your knowledge to keep your work more productive in your network environment. If possible you should take a training course to fullfill you knowledge. We are here in code project just help you in a specific problem or need only, could not guild you from the beginning until the end. Another ways practic a lot also help you improve your knowledge and experience too.
I wish you success with your work and if you have any problem don't forget to post the question in this forum. I or the other people will help you as much as possible.
Thank you and good luck  ![Rose | [Rose]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/rose.gif)
|
|
|
|
|
Roath Kanel wrote: There are many step to promote your standa alone server to become a primary domain controller. You have to configure, static IP address, DNS, configure friendly name, install DNS component and create forward look zone and revers look up zone (there is more technical detail to create these zone), test DNS service whether your configure properly then finally promote your stand alone server by typing DCPROMO command from the run dialog box.
our server is already DC. running DNS. has an static IP address. DHCP is working completely fine from our "DSL" Modem (supposedly our router). I am confident with the set up. I am just more concerned about the speed and I think there's just a little trick I have to do to get the accessing speed of shared files accross the network boosted up.
I'll read those articles. Thank you again for all your help.
Chandman
|
|
|
|
|
Chandman wrote: I am just more concerned about the speed and I think there's just a little trick I have to do to get the accessing speed of shared files accross the network boosted up.
Try to do your own benchmark about internet connection speed and contact to ISP about an internet connection speed.
|
|
|
|
|
Chandman wrote: I think there's just a little trick I have to do to get the accessing speed of shared files accross the network boosted up
Another solution that you should take a look at is configuring Host file[^] in your network.
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Chandman.
First: 1 Server and 20 computers seems absolutely reasonable. Especially with the server specs you posted.
On 1:
If you are in a single collision domain (network using hubs) you might be experiencing the effect of high load on such a kind of network.
If you have seperate collision domains (network using switches), try enabling auto-negotiation for link-speed and -mode (i.e. "MBit/s" and "Duplex-Type").
Also check that everyone is in the same network (IP-network, i.e. everyones addresses are between 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.254).
I do not think that splitting your network and putting a router in between is gonna help you very much.
On 2:
Btw, your modem seems to be a router. Otherwise, it would probably not have an IP address at all. If it also has a DHCP-server, see that only one is running (modem/router or server), two might cause some trouble.
If you want to use your server for DNS and DHCP, disable DHCP in the router and configure the server to look-up any unknown address via router / ISP-DNS. The clients should then be set to use the server for DNS.
On 3:
The domain. Otherwise, the user might have to authenticate with the domain each time he tries to access a certain service. Plus, the advantage of being in a domain is that - if you store profiles on the domain server - users can work on any computer they log in to. They still will get a profile and "My Documents" on the machine they are working with, but - of course - the "Documents"-folder will not "follow them" from one computer to the next. But, then, they probably are gonna be working on one machine most of the time, anyway.
Cheers,
Sebastian
--
Contra vim mortem non est medicamen in hortem.
|
|
|
|
|
Sebastian Schneider wrote: On 1:
If you are in a single collision domain (network using hubs) you might be experiencing the effect of high load on such a kind of network.
If you have seperate collision domains (network using switches), try enabling auto-negotiation for link-speed and -mode (i.e. "MBit/s" and "Duplex-Type").
Also check that everyone is in the same network (IP-network, i.e. everyones addresses are between 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.254).
I do not think that splitting your network and putting a router in between is gonna help you very much.
We have a modem first - Main switch - hubs - computers
We use hubs because we have 2 person in a office and only one ethernet plug into the wall.
The Modem is our router, DHCP, DNS as well. Probably not a good solution, right?
Q: How do I connect to our switch? I don't think there's a IP for it. When you say enable auto-negotioation, do you mean there's something that you switch manually on the switch?
Sebastian Schneider wrote: On 2:
Btw, your modem seems to be a router. Otherwise, it would probably not have an IP address at all. If it also has a DHCP-server, see that only one is running (modem/router or server), two might cause some trouble.
If you want to use your server for DNS and DHCP, disable DHCP in the router and configure the server to look-up any unknown address via router / ISP-DNS. The clients should then be set to use the server for DNS.
Yes, our Modem is our only DHCP, because I uninstalled the DHCP service from the server.
I tried to use our server as DHCP but I thought the internet would not work when the server is shut down. Server is on all the time but I just didn't want the other computers to be dependent on it.
Q: What do you think about this situation?
PS: Our internet works fine though - no one's complaining about the internet speed.
Thanks Sebastian,
Chandman
-- modified at 14:13 Friday 9th June, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
Chandman wrote: We have a modem first - Main switch - hubs - computers
We use hubs because we have 2 person in a office and only one ethernet plug into the wall.
The Modem is our router, DHCP, DNS as well. Probably not a good solution, right?
It can't say it is good or not because it is limite to your organization resource that invest for an IT equipment.
Chandman wrote: Q: How do I connect to our switch? I don't think there's a IP for it. When you say enable auto-negotioation, do you mean there's something that you switch manually on the switch?
Connect your modem to your computer. You computer need to have a network card and connect the network from this network card to a switch. And connect the other computer to this switch too.
Chandman wrote: I tried to use our server as DHCP but I thought the internet would not work when the server is shut down. Server is on all the time but I just didn't want the other computers to be dependent on it.
Q: What do you think about this situation?
Try to read about Description of internet connection sharing[^] and Internet connection sharing in windows xp[^]. Or check this result[^] to find addition resource about internet connection sharing information.
|
|
|
|
|
Well, your DSL(?) modem is a router, DHCP, DNS. That is not too bad.
The network layout seems to be ok: Switch, then hubs, with the switch going to the router. That is, for a 20 PC network, totally acceptable.
Like Kanel, I know that NPO (non-profit organizations) usually have to turn every cent twice before spending it. Basically, your system seems to be OK. I really suspect that there is some misconfiguration. The XP-Home PCs can be difficult to connect to a domain.
I suggest (if that is not already the case) that the server be connected to the switch directly. All other computers should be set (Network Settings) to use 10 Mbit/Full Duplex. This part of the configuration is not standardized, but you find these setting, if you open the status-dialog of the LAN-Connection (double-click it), then click the "Properties" or "Advanced" Button in the lower left, then the "Advanced"-Button right next to the Network Interface Name (should be a disabled text-edit).
There will be a listbox with several settings. Usually, one or two of them change the link-speed and duplex mode. The server should be set to 100 MBit/s Full Duplex.
Well, thats all I can say on the layout. And, frankly, there SHOULD not be any problems with so few clients. I've been using networks since I had to drill holes in cables (not that I knew anything about the concept back then), and I've never heard of shares taking so long to open, except for misconfiguration-issues.
But then, your guys MIGHT constantly be sending something over the network (like transmitting files, streaming music from the web, stuff like that).
That can kill any partially switched network, since the other computers on the same hub will generate a lot of collisions. If you can spend a few bucks, try to replace the hubs with 5-to-8-port switches. You still should first try to have the computers auto-configured by the DHCP. If its a modern router, it should transmit DNS and Gateway-Information during the auto configuration.
The switch and modem probably wont care. The best thing probably would be to check, if someone uses streaming services or file-sharing software. If someone does, try to prevent those from doing that for a day or so, and monitor the performance. To change your IT-policy is up to you, if you believe that is necessary. This, however, is a guess.
My employer, for example, forbids any use of streaming services, instant messangers and non-business VoIP. The network is fully switched (with about 10 hubs in the company for extension purposes) and is routed on building-level. With a maximum of 2500 people using the network simultaneously, slow connections are a rare occasion.
Cheers,
Sebastian
--
Contra vim mortem non est medicamen in hortem.
|
|
|
|
|
Hi, does anyone know any resource that could teach me on how to use TELNET in the command to remotely access to the other machine in the network.
|
|
|
|
|
???
from a command line type:
telnet destination.ip.address.here
If the destination is running a telnet server you should get a reply and connect.
My Blog[^]
FFRF[^]
|
|
|
|
|
Ray Cassick wrote: from a command line type:
telnet destination.ip.address.here
Thank you very much for your help. I know the syntax to connect to the other machine using telnet. But I need an example of managing the remote machine. Example: if you already connect to the remote machine, how could you change an IP address or change the computer name of the remote machine?
|
|
|
|
|
Telnet in and of itself is only a connection tool. It is not an administrative interface at all, and was never meant to be.
You can for example telnet to port 110 on a mail server and if SMTP is installed manually type commands to read, compose and send emails. That doe snot make telnet an email client, merely a connection tool.
To do do what you need requires command line tools. The OS has many already available, the server resources kits (usually a separate download) and some newer tools that are coming out (like the new monad shell[^]) allow you to perform many maintenance functions via a command line interface like you are asking about.
Personally before command line tools (unless you need to do scripting of process) I would consider just using remote desktop to manage a server. For day to day work most of the times a GUI client application will offer you a richer user experience than a command line tool will.
I use telnet to do things like manage routers, switches, PBX systems and some VoIP equipment that I deal with every day but only when the tasks are very low level or that is the only interface offered.
My Blog[^]
FFRF[^]
|
|
|
|
|
Ray Cassick wrote: Telnet in and of itself is only a connection tool. It is not an administrative interface at all, and was never meant to be.
You can for example telnet to port 110 on a mail server and if SMTP is installed manually type commands to read, compose and send emails. That doe snot make telnet an email client, merely a connection tool.
Thank you very much for your detail explianation. I will take a look later on your provide hyperlink. On the other hand, do you have any documentation about using telnet?
|
|
|
|
|
Roath Kanel wrote: ...have any documentation about using telnet?
You have it right on your own machine... From a command window type the following:
telnet /?
It gives you a page of help on the telnet application.
Here is an exmaple of using telnet to test and email server[^].
Here is a summary of telnet commands[^].
Here is a link that leads to all kinds of stuff showing you how to use telnet for windows[^].
Google is your friend in the IT industry. Learn it, live it, Love it.
My Blog[^]
FFRF[^]
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you very much for your help. I will look at it and if I have any problem i will let you know.
Best regard,
|
|
|
|
|
Hi, in the documentation, the command nbtstat is used to troubleshooting NETBIOS name resolution process problem. The document also provide some example of using this command too. When I type this command: nbtstat -c it was display the result as below:
Local Area Connection:<br />
Node IpAddress: [192.168.0.88] Scope Id: []<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
NetBIOS Remote Cache Name Table<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Name Type Host Address Life [sec]<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
RACHA <1C> GROUP 192.168.0.2 152<br />
<br />
<br />
Bluetooth:<br />
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
No names in cache
From here, i don't understand about the result. Based on the above information, how could network administrator solve the problem of name resolution?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you very much for your help. I will take a look at this link and if I have any problem I will let you know.
Best regard,
|
|
|
|
|
Guyz out there, I think I did something silly wrong thing. I was playing around with the list that comes up if you open Windows Explorer --> Tools --> Folder Options... --> File Types. This list is a list of which executables to associate with which file extensions, so that when we double click a file, the OS knows which EXE to call. By the way, I have XP Professional SP2.
I deleted a few extensions from that list. One of the things I deleted was XML, and it was associated with Altova XML Spy. I always hated that when I double click an XML file, Altova would open up, blatantly advertising what its paid version offers before I can see my XML file. I had in the past tried to re-associate the XML extension with IE, but somehow Altova always regains it back. So among others, I went ahead and deleted the XML extension too. I have also deleted tons of other extensions.
Result: After that if I open an XML file with IE, IE does not "parse" it. It shows just as Notepad would 
Can you please help me to regain my IE-XML tie up back?
Thanks a lot for your time and patience!
Koushik Biswas
|
|
|
|
|
If you have backup your system state, then you could restore it to the previous state and solve your problem. In my opinion, you should try to use System File Check[^] feature which is available by default in windows to scan and check if any file type is missing or error.
|
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
