Strange Network Problems

I recently downloaded Windows 2003 Server Standard from MSDN through my uni.
I have had a Linux server for a while at my house for basic file sharing and
for me to do my uni work on, but as I am more capable with a windows based
system so I upgraded it to Windows 2003.

After the install, even before I created a Domain, DNS, etc on it. The
network connection to the server was incredibly slow; files took incredibly
long to copy. I read up and found that upgrading to SP1 fixed a few network
issues, so I did, but it still hasn’t fixed the problem (but now the server
is a domain controller).

When looking at the network utilization when I copy files to the server
(when on the server itself), it initially goes up to 80% utilization, then
about 20secs into the copy the utilization drops down to 0-1%. However, when
copying files when I’m on my PC, it does the same drop in utilization after
around 20secs, but it drops to around 10-15% utilization.

Upon install of an FTP server, the problem still exists copying through FTP.
It only doesn’t exist if I copy files through DC++ (where network
utilization sits at around 60% constantly). But even still nearly all the
files get moved into the incomplete directory, as they seem to fail to
transfer.

I'm inclined to think it’s a TCP/IP registry setting I need to change, but
I’ve been to a few support articles, changing the Tcp acknowledgement time
etc. but none of those registry fixes have fixed the problem so far.

I would really like help on this!

I’m at work so I can’t play around with my server just yet but the rough
specs are:

P4 1.8Ghz
512MB of RAM
Sis 900 Ethernet Card

In news:14638016-F8FB-4B72-91E4-(E-Mail Removed),
timmeah4 <(E-Mail Removed)> stated, which I commented on
below:
> I recently downloaded Windows 2003 Server Standard from MSDN through
> my uni. I have had a Linux server for a while at my house for basic
> file sharing and for me to do my uni work on, but as I am more
> capable with a windows based system so I upgraded it to Windows 2003.
>
> After the install, even before I created a Domain, DNS, etc on it. The
> network connection to the server was incredibly slow; files took
> incredibly long to copy. I read up and found that upgrading to SP1
> fixed a few network issues, so I did, but it still hasn't fixed the
> problem (but now the server is a domain controller).
>
> When looking at the network utilization when I copy files to the
> server (when on the server itself), it initially goes up to 80%
> utilization, then about 20secs into the copy the utilization drops
> down to 0-1%. However, when copying files when I'm on my PC, it does
> the same drop in utilization after around 20secs, but it drops to
> around 10-15% utilization.
>
> Upon install of an FTP server, the problem still exists copying
> through FTP. It only doesn't exist if I copy files through DC++
> (where network utilization sits at around 60% constantly). But even
> still nearly all the files get moved into the incomplete directory,
> as they seem to fail to transfer.
>
> I'm inclined to think it's a TCP/IP registry setting I need to
> change, but I've been to a few support articles, changing the Tcp
> acknowledgement time etc. but none of those registry fixes have fixed
> the problem so far.
>
> I would really like help on this!
>
> I'm at work so I can't play around with my server just yet but the
> rough specs are:
>
> P4 1.8Ghz
> 512MB of RAM
> Sis 900 Ethernet Card

Try disabling SMB signing.
1. Open the Default Domain Controllers Policy or local sec pol.
2. Open the Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security
Settings\Local Policies\Security Options folder.
3. Locate the Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications
(always) policy setting, and then click Disabled or Do Not Configure.


If not, see if these help:
321169 - Slow SMB Performance When You Copy Files from Windows XP to a
Windows 2000 Domain Controller - [Due to slow SMB performance based on TCP
ACK]:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=321169

321098 - Slow Network Performance Occurs If You Copy Files to a Windows 2000
Domain Controller -[Due to SMB write Operations]:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=321098

321098 - Slow Network Performance Occurs If You Copy Files to a Windows 2000
Domain Controller:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...en-us%3B321098

321543 - Slow Network Performance After You Promote a Windows 2000-Based
Server to a Domain Controller:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=321543

--
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

Having difficulty reading or finding responses to your post?
Instead of the website you're using, I suggest to use OEx (Outlook Express
or any other newsreader), and configure a news account, pointing to
news.microsoft.com. This is a direct link to the Microsoft Public
Newsgroups. It is FREE and requires NO ISP's Usenet account. OEx allows you
to easily find, track threads, cross-post, sort by date, poster's name,
watched threads or subject.

It's easy:
How to Configure OEx for Internet News
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=171164

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Assimilation Imminent. Resistance is Futile
Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

"Very funny Scotty. Now, beam down my clothes."

The only thing in life is change. Anything more is a blackhole consuming
unnecessary energy.

I had already done:

321169
321098
321098

And

321543 doesnt concern me I'm pretty sure.

The problem still seems to exist, please help!

In news:2FBB9C4F-E582-409A-B912-(E-Mail Removed),
timmeah4 <(E-Mail Removed)> stated, which I commented on
below:
> I had already done:
>
> 321169
> 321098
> 321098
>
> And
>
> 321543 doesnt concern me I'm pretty sure.
>
> The problem still seems to exist, please help!

Hmm, sorry about double posting 321098.

Ok, this sounds really simple, but I really must ask. Have you checked the
wires and jacks? You would be surprised how wiring can be a major headache
that would pop up all of a sudden, even when it has been working 'up to now'
or even coincide with a milestone, such as upgrading a server. IT could have
been jarred, or who knows. Maybe even a driver, but I highly doubt that.

Ace

"Ace Fekay [MVP]" wrote:

> In news:2FBB9C4F-E582-409A-B912-(E-Mail Removed),
> timmeah4 <(E-Mail Removed)> stated, which I commented on
> below:
> > I had already done:
> >
> > 321169
> > 321098
> > 321098
> >
> > And
> >
> > 321543 doesnt concern me I'm pretty sure.
> >
> > The problem still seems to exist, please help!
>
> Hmm, sorry about double posting 321098.
>
> Ok, this sounds really simple, but I really must ask. Have you checked the
> wires and jacks? You would be surprised how wiring can be a major headache
> that would pop up all of a sudden, even when it has been working 'up to now'
> or even coincide with a milestone, such as upgrading a server. IT could have
> been jarred, or who knows. Maybe even a driver, but I highly doubt that.
>
> Ace
>
>

I have replaced the network cable twice, and I have even checked the server
with a crossover cable connected to my laptop, same problem occurs. I talked
to an MSCE and he recommended i change the MTU, which I have done (to 1400),
yet I still get the problems, he also told me to check the event log (duh! i
should have in the first place).

I came accross this error "The DNS server was unable to complete directory
service enumeration of zone mydomain.local. This DNS server is configured to
use information obtained from Active Directory for this zone and is unable to
load the zone without it. etc etc"

Are the 2 problems related?

I'm currently in the process of trying to find an updated driver for my NIC.

Remember all file transfers seem to die half way through, even on FTP, and
Direct Connect seems to only receive part files. Network utilisation goes
up, stays up... for a bit, then comes crashing to a halt.

In newsA977769-DE9B-475A-B912-(E-Mail Removed),
timmeah4 <(E-Mail Removed)> stated, which I commented on
below:
> I have replaced the network cable twice, and I have even checked the
> server with a crossover cable connected to my laptop, same problem
> occurs. I talked to an MSCE and he recommended i change the MTU,
> which I have done (to 1400), yet I still get the problems, he also
> told me to check the event log (duh! i should have in the first
> place).
>
> I came accross this error "The DNS server was unable to complete
> directory service enumeration of zone mydomain.local. This DNS server
> is configured to use information obtained from Active Directory for
> this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. etc etc"
>
> Are the 2 problems related?
>
> I'm currently in the process of trying to find an updated driver for
> my NIC.
>
> Remember all file transfers seem to die half way through, even on
> FTP, and Direct Connect seems to only receive part files. Network
> utilisation goes up, stays up... for a bit, then comes crashing to a
> halt.

Altering the MTU is the LAST thing you want to do. Anything lower than the
default 1500 will cause LDAP to stop communicating. LDAP uses a PDU of 300k.
If the MTU is lowered, the PDU drops to 64k and squelshes LDAP
communication. We usually see this with the H.323 support on a multi-homed
NAT machine where we need to disable H.323 support to bump the PDU back up.
I've also seen this in VPN routers with lowered MTUs that stops LDAP all
together.

Put it back to 1500 please...

As for the unable to load zone part, that is a big issue and can be caused
by the MTU changes. If it was happening before that, then that's another
issue and the MTU changes complicates things. It's saying you have an AD
INtegrated zone, which means the zone is physically stored in the AD
database in either one of the application containers or in the DomainNC
container, and it is trying to query AD for the zone info. If AD is having
problems, then the zone won't be available.

If you attempted to change the replication scope of the zone on one DC to
say the middle button (All Domain Controllers in the DOmain ->
DomainDnsZones app container) and on another DC set it to the bottom button
(Win2000 compatible -> DomainNC container), then we've just created a
conflict. Not good. There are steps to fix that.

What errors are in the Event viewer?

I would suggest to change the zone to a Primary zone on one of the DCs and
point both DCs to that one server in DNS.

Hopefully you do not have an ISP's DNS in IP properties. That can cause
numerous issues. Only use the DC for DNS that hosts the zone for AD. AD
functions query DNS for AD service locations. THe ISP's doesn't have that
info about your internal private domain.

Ace

> Altering the MTU is the LAST thing you want to do. Anything lower than the
> default 1500 will cause LDAP to stop communicating. LDAP uses a PDU of 300k.
> If the MTU is lowered, the PDU drops to 64k and squelshes LDAP
> communication. We usually see this with the H.323 support on a multi-homed
> NAT machine where we need to disable H.323 support to bump the PDU back up.
> I've also seen this in VPN routers with lowered MTUs that stops LDAP all
> together.
>
> Put it back to 1500 please...
>
> As for the unable to load zone part, that is a big issue and can be caused
> by the MTU changes. If it was happening before that, then that's another
> issue and the MTU changes complicates things. It's saying you have an AD
> INtegrated zone, which means the zone is physically stored in the AD
> database in either one of the application containers or in the DomainNC
> container, and it is trying to query AD for the zone info. If AD is having
> problems, then the zone won't be available.
>
> If you attempted to change the replication scope of the zone on one DC to
> say the middle button (All Domain Controllers in the DOmain ->
> DomainDnsZones app container) and on another DC set it to the bottom button
> (Win2000 compatible -> DomainNC container), then we've just created a
> conflict. Not good. There are steps to fix that.
>
> What errors are in the Event viewer?
>
> I would suggest to change the zone to a Primary zone on one of the DCs and
> point both DCs to that one server in DNS.
>
> Hopefully you do not have an ISP's DNS in IP properties. That can cause
> numerous issues. Only use the DC for DNS that hosts the zone for AD. AD
> functions query DNS for AD service locations. THe ISP's doesn't have that
> info about your internal private domain.
>
> Ace
>

While I only understood half of that, yes changing the MTU resolved that
error.

I do not have my ISP DNS in the IP configuration. My network has the
following: my server, 4 other XP machines, and HP JetAdmin (thats bloody old)
all connected to a 16 port 10/100 switch daisy chained to a D-Link Router for
the Internet (The D-Link Router currently has its DNS server turned on).
Only 2 of the computers in the house are on the domain. Not that I think my
network has anything to do with it as the file transfers are still
horrifically slow just with a crossover connection.

I changed my MTU size on my own computer (not my server) to 1400 because of
the inability to browse any MS pages or log into MSN, could this be causing a
problem? (I don't think it is as other computers in the house do not have
edited MTU's and still experience the problem)

I have received no errors on my server since the reboot after I changed the
MTU back to 1500.

Last night it took about 2hrs to copy 10Gigs of files to the server! I'm
inclined to drop this issue soon as through all this, I have nearly gotten
all my files back onto my server.

Thanks for sticking with my Ace!

*with me ace

I went out and bought another NIC today... same problems occur on it too.
This must be a documented error somewhere in MS, where the utilisation goes
up to 80-100% and then comes crashing down to 0% and then about 30secs later
it goes back up to 80-100%, it constantly does this. (When you are on the
server and copy from a PC to the server)

On the other hand, when I copy from my PC to the server on my pc, the
utilisation on the server goes up to 100% (for around 20-30secs) then drops
to around 5-20% from then on.

I have reduced TcpDelAckTicks to 1 on the new NIC... still no difference.

In news:0B2AE3D4-3FDE-41E5-B883-(E-Mail Removed),
timmeah4 <(E-Mail Removed)> stated, which I commented on
below:
> *with me ace
>
> I went out and bought another NIC today... same problems occur on it
> too. This must be a documented error somewhere in MS, where the
> utilisation goes up to 80-100% and then comes crashing down to 0% and
> then about 30secs later it goes back up to 80-100%, it constantly
> does this. (When you are on the server and copy from a PC to the
> server)
>
> On the other hand, when I copy from my PC to the server on my pc, the
> utilisation on the server goes up to 100% (for around 20-30secs) then
> drops to around 5-20% from then on.
>
> I have reduced TcpDelAckTicks to 1 on the new NIC... still no
> difference.

You mentioned DNS is running on the router. You mean the DNS proxy service?
What machine is the DHCP server? Is it the router or your Windows machine?

Look in Task Manager, Performance tab, PF Usage window. How much RAM is
being used? Compare that to the Physical Memory (K), Total.

Under the Processes Tab, organize it by Mem Usage, Highest to lowest. What's
on top eating the most RAM?

Also organize it by CPU USage. Then look at CPU Time. If that one's not
there, goto View, Select columns and add it.

What else is installed on this machine?

Fluke Networks has an app that will check what apps are hogging resources,
among numerous other performance issues.

Change the port on the switch the server's in?

Got an extra switch to try?

FYI: I was at an office last night to give them a Ghost image. The server I
needed to transfer it to is sitting on an isolated network with Linksys
4-port router with a switch. I plugged in and I transferred 7.5 gig Ghost
image from my laptop to the server. It took 100 minutes, to be almost exact.
Believe me, I was hungry and kept staring at the clock. At home, when I
transfer it between systems, it only takes a fraction of that time. I have
an Intel Express 460T Standalone 24 port switch at home.

Ace

This problem just got stranger... although I beleive it may be easier for you
to diagnose now.

I reformatted it, and left it a blank install, and i copied a file (while on
the server) from a networked computer to the server's desktop (this is
usually how I checked the speed) it was a flawless transfer... didnt drop out
as previosly mentioned.. I thought the problem was fixed... I was wrong.
When copying a file (while on a PC on the network) to the server, the problem
showed itself again. So I did all the hotfixes previously mentioned...
nothing.

This problem I now believe is a hard drive issue. The PC has 3 hard drives,
the operating system resides on a master hard drive, with a slave CD Rom
Drive; and the other 2 hard drive's are just dumps for stuff, one's a master
ones a slave. When copying files accross the network to the C: drive (the OS
drive) the files copy quickly (from both the client and the server) but when
copying to either one of the other 2 drives the problem pops up. Previously
I turned off indexing, and with the last install I tried the 822219... and
they did not work either.

When copying files from the OS drive to any of the other drives, though I
cant be to sure but it seems that the problem occurs there too, as the time
remaining fluctuates incredibly (just like the network copies did). What's
stranger is that the previous install had the network slow down on any drive
I copied too.... now it's just my other 2 hard drives.

I can confirm that copying across the network to the 2 non-os hard drives
gives the fault. It also seems that copying from the os hard drive to the
others gives the fault also (although I cannot confirm this). So it seems not
to be the network after all!

Thanks again for all the help thus far! If you can give me help on this it
would be appreciated!