So this is one of the weirder problems I've encountered in my tenure as a systems/network administrator, and I have yet to solve it. I have a Windows Server 2003 server that is occasionally "falling off the network". That is, the network monitoring system reports that it's not responding to pings, it will lose connections to network-attached storage (which kills our backups), and no workstations can connect to it. A minute or two later, it'll be back. During this time, a netdiag run on the server shows no problems. Sometimes the server will be online and the majority of workstations can connect to it, but not all. I'm sitting at one such workstation right now; it can't ping the server or access shares on the server yet the workstation next to it can. There's no difference in the workstations; they've both been imaged recently. I've tried as many standard troubleshooting steps as I could think of and researched some more, but haven't had any luck so far. Research is difficult because it's hard to describe the problem and/or it seems like not many people have encountered such a problem. Does anyone on the forums know what I'm talking about? I'm thinking performance logging could help me here, but I don't know what counters I should log. Thanks! :) Server information: OS Name: Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Server 2003, Standard Edition Version: 5.2.3790 Service Pack 2 Build 3790 System Manufacturer: Compaq System Model: ProLiant ML350 G3 Processor: x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2392 Mhz Processor: x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2392 Mhz Total Physical Memory: 1,279.49 MB Available Physical Memory: 99.56 MB Total Virtual Memory: 2.97 GB Available Virtual Memory: 1.50 GB Page File Space: 1.86 GB Page File: E:\pagefile.sys

When this happens, the server cannot be contacted using its NetBIOS name, FQDN, or IP address. The server is not multihomed.

I think that this is due to connectivity problems. Start by updating the server NIC driver. Also, check that there is no problem with your network equipements. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

The NIC driver is up-to-date. Product Type HP NC7760 Gigabit Server Adapter Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\b57xp32.sys (14.2.0.5 (cbuild.05202010-2212,b57nd5x-main-lhdepot1106.CL-113440), 219.54 KB (224,808 bytes), 12/23/2010 11:35 AM) We are experiencing no problems with any other server on the same switch.

Hi, Please run ipconfig /all on the problematic server, a proper-working server, and a client workstation which can connect the problematic server, another client workstation which cannot connect the problematic server. Upload the results. Besides, please go to Event Viewer to check whether there are errors. If Windows Firewall is on, please turn it off. If there is any third party antivirus application running on the problematic server, please also turn it off to check the result. You can refer to the link below to troubleshoot the connection issue as well: Troubleshooting network and dial-up connections http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc780590(WS.10).aspx#BKMK_6 Regards, Cecilia Zhou -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Thanks, I've got the following: The problematic server: Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : buoy Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domain.local Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain.local Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HP NC7760 Gigabit Server Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-CD-AE-93-64 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.110 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.199 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.1 10.200.200.108 A proper-working server: Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : mainsail Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domain.local Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain.local Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HP NC373i Multifunction Gigabit Server Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-24-81-AA-73-18 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.118 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.199 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.1 10.200.200.108 A client workstation which can connect to the problematic server: Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xw4200xp06 Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domain.local Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain.local Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-21-CA-85-09 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.201.19 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.199 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.109 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.1 10.200.200.108 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, June 07, 2011 11:20:57 AM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, June 12, 2011 11:20:57 AM The problem wherein a client workstation cannot connect to the problematic server occurs intermittently. I'm going to set up a script on our network monitor so it pulls an ipconfig /all when it detects the server has "gone down". Windows Firewall is not on. I actually cannot turn off the antivirus running on the server as it's the manager server for all our antivirus installations. I'll look into what I can do to minimize the client function while keeping the management function. I get all warning and error Event Log entries e-mailed to me every day, and unfortunately there's nothing relevant. I've also seen the Technet link, but thanks for posting it. :)

Hello, do you use a different scope 10.200.201.19 for the clients?Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Yes; that is intentional. Also, I happened to be lucky enough today to be working on two image machines and noticed one could access the server and one could not. Here are the results of time /t && ping 10.200.200.110 && ipconfig /all. Working: 12:44 PM Pinging 10.200.200.110 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 10.200.200.110: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=128 Reply from 10.200.200.110: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 10.200.200.110: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128 Reply from 10.200.200.110: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128 Ping statistics for 10.200.200.110: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 6ms, Average = 2ms Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DX2400XP00 Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-0B-A9-6C-05 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.201.0.76 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.199 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.109 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.1 10.200.200.108 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, June 09, 2011 12:41:43 PM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, June 14, 2011 12:41:43 PM Not working: 12:44 PM Pinging 10.200.200.110 with 32 bytes of data: Request timed out. Request timed out. Request timed out. Request timed out. Ping statistics for 10.200.200.110: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss), Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DX2400XP99 Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-0B-A9-6A-82 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.201.0.103 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.199 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.109 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.200.200.1 10.200.200.108 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, June 09, 2011 12:42:45 PM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, June 14, 2011 12:42:45 PM

Hello, for starting "image machines " does this mean you work with clones/images? Are they prepared with sysprep, as this is a MUST? What i am confused about is that your ipconfig outputs show 10.200.200.110 and 10.200.200.118 as DC/DNS server but the workstations use 10.200.200.108 and 10.200.200.1 as DNS server on the NIC. Please elaborate this setup in detail. How many machines do you have in the domain? You use a subnet that is /8 and allows a broadcast domain up to 16777214 hosts, do you need this?Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

1.) Yes, we use Symantec Ghost to image our workstations. Sysprep actually is not a must; many of its known issues (KB928386) are unacceptable in our environment and we don't have time to work around them. We've been doing fine without Sysprep for almost a decade. 2.) I can't see any one of the ipconfig outputs that indicates that either 10.200.200.110 or 10.200.200.118 are DC/DNS servers. 3.) I can't see how this is relevant. Could it cause this problem?