shared folders and folder re-direction issues

Hi all,

We have setup My Documents Folder Re-Direction using GPO in our 2003 domain
environment with offline files capability. Our file server also runs 2003
STD Edition and is on the same LAN as all the workstations. The workstations
are all XP
Pro SP2. Very frequently many times a day the workstations will report that
the file server is offline. This will cause it to totally disconnect from
the file server and any other shares that we have mapped to the file server
will be lost as well. We wait about anywhere from 15-30 mins and the little
computer icon in the tray for offline files will start blinking and we
synchronize and voila everything is back online again. Why is this
happening? Our file server never goes down. It is up...

TIA!

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
(E-Mail Removed)am <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> Hi all,
>
> We have setup My Documents Folder Re-Direction using GPO in our 2003
> domain environment with offline files capability. Our file server
> also runs 2003 STD Edition and is on the same LAN as all the
> workstations. The workstations are all XP
> Pro SP2. Very frequently many times a day the workstations will
> report that the file server is offline. This will cause it to totally
> disconnect from the file server and any other shares that we have
> mapped to the file server will be lost as well. We wait about
> anywhere from 15-30 mins and the little computer icon in the tray for
> offline files will start blinking and we synchronize and voila
> everything is back online again. Why is this happening? Our file
> server never goes down. It is up...
> TIA!

When this happens, can they even ping the server? Do you have your DNS setup
properly - all clients specifying *only* the internal DNS server's IP, and
no public DNS server IPs, in their ipconfig?

Also, do you actually *need* offline files enabled for your LAN-connected
clients? I have never had good luck with offline files (I've seen too much
lost data to ever want to touch them again) but I don't see the point in
using it on anything but a laptop or remote user's computer. Note that
folder redirection != offline files - you can certainly use one without the
other.

That said, I suggest you check your event logs....and you might also post in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web for some help.

DNS works fine and yes when that happens they can ping the server. But I
guess you are right. I dont need offline files on my LAN environment. I will
simply enable it for laptops... Can I safely remove the Offline Files GPO
Setting and then create a new one for laptops?

TIA!

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
<(E-Mail Removed) ahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In news:(E-Mail Removed),
> (E-Mail Removed)am <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> We have setup My Documents Folder Re-Direction using GPO in our 2003
>> domain environment with offline files capability. Our file server
>> also runs 2003 STD Edition and is on the same LAN as all the
>> workstations. The workstations are all XP
>> Pro SP2. Very frequently many times a day the workstations will
>> report that the file server is offline. This will cause it to totally
>> disconnect from the file server and any other shares that we have
>> mapped to the file server will be lost as well. We wait about
>> anywhere from 15-30 mins and the little computer icon in the tray for
>> offline files will start blinking and we synchronize and voila
>> everything is back online again. Why is this happening? Our file
>> server never goes down. It is up...
>> TIA!
>
> When this happens, can they even ping the server? Do you have your DNS
> setup properly - all clients specifying *only* the internal DNS server's
> IP, and no public DNS server IPs, in their ipconfig?
>
> Also, do you actually *need* offline files enabled for your LAN-connected
> clients? I have never had good luck with offline files (I've seen too much
> lost data to ever want to touch them again) but I don't see the point in
> using it on anything but a laptop or remote user's computer. Note that
> folder redirection != offline files - you can certainly use one without
> the other.
>
> That said, I suggest you check your event logs....and you might also post
> in microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web for some help.
>
>
>

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
(E-Mail Removed)am <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> DNS works fine and yes when that happens they can ping the server.
> But I guess you are right. I dont need offline files on my LAN
> environment. I will simply enable it for laptops... Can I safely
> remove the Offline Files GPO Setting and then create a new one for
> laptops?

Yes, but I'd put them in a separate OU.
>
> TIA!
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> <(E-Mail Removed) ahoo.com> wrote in
> message news:%23$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In news:(E-Mail Removed),
>> (E-Mail Removed)am <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> We have setup My Documents Folder Re-Direction using GPO in our 2003
>>> domain environment with offline files capability. Our file server
>>> also runs 2003 STD Edition and is on the same LAN as all the
>>> workstations. The workstations are all XP
>>> Pro SP2. Very frequently many times a day the workstations will
>>> report that the file server is offline. This will cause it to
>>> totally disconnect from the file server and any other shares that
>>> we have mapped to the file server will be lost as well. We wait
>>> about anywhere from 15-30 mins and the little computer icon in the
>>> tray for offline files will start blinking and we synchronize and
>>> voila everything is back online again. Why is this happening? Our
>>> file server never goes down. It is up...
>>> TIA!
>>
>> When this happens, can they even ping the server? Do you have your
>> DNS setup properly - all clients specifying *only* the internal DNS
>> server's IP, and no public DNS server IPs, in their ipconfig?
>>
>> Also, do you actually *need* offline files enabled for your
>> LAN-connected clients? I have never had good luck with offline files
>> (I've seen too much lost data to ever want to touch them again) but
>> I don't see the point in using it on anything but a laptop or remote
>> user's computer. Note that folder redirection != offline files - you
>> can certainly use one without the other.
>>
>> That said, I suggest you check your event logs....and you might also
>> post in microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web for some help.