X-Envelope-to: NOVELL@SUVM.BITNET
X-VMS-To: IN%"NOVELL@SUVM.BITNET"
X-VMS-Cc: JRD
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.novell
Date:         Wed, 2 Sep 1992 17:56:50 -0600
Reply-To:     Novell LAN Interest Group <NOVELL@SUVM.BITNET>
From:         Joe Doupnik <JRD@USU.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Novell Urgent Problem

>I am having a recurring problem on my network.  We are running
>Novell 386 ver 3.11 on an IBM PS/2 80 386 file server.  We have
>about 40 work stations attached through ethernet wires over a
>physical area of approximately 1/4 square mile.  We have 286's,
>386's and 486's with either DOS 3.3 or 5.0.  The non-Micro Channel
>PC's have EtherCard PLUS Elite16 Combo network cards(using BNC).
>Most of the PC's have QEMM, WordPerfect 5.1, Lotus 1-2-3 ver 2.2,
>McAfee Virus Protection ver 4.5v85, and other lesser know
>applications.  On the file server we run C-Bord's Menu Management
>program (A Food Service Inventory/Menu software system) and Tracy
>Time System's Autotime(A Time and Attendance Program).
>
>For several months users would get the Novell message:
>      Network Error on Server NOTRE_DAME_FOOD_SERVICE_1: Connection
>no longer valid. Abort? Retry?
>  Some users get it as many as six times a day!
>  At first it was just one user so we switched out their network
>cable.  Then other users started to get the same message.  By now
>we probably have 20 aborts a day over 10 users.
>Users get this message both when they are logged in and before they
>log in.  The only factor I can see that remains constant is that
>the users have not used their computer in some time.
        <other gory details too painful to repeat>
------------
        There are lots of possibilities:
-       crummy wiring in the system (not always easy to find either),
        including beyond-spec distances, stubs on BNC Tee connectors,
        a missing terminator, and many other rule breakers.
-       misconnected repeaters whereby some box puts SQE (aka Heartbeat)
        back on the common wire.
-       a failing network board on the same wire as the server (crumbling
        silicon can do some wierd things). Misconfigured workstations can
        put boards into odd states, such as when shared memory is not protected
        from memory managers.
-       failing network board in the server. Check the server stats screen.
-       the common software (menu, probably screen saver, and too many TSRs)
        are eating your machines such that they cannot service all packets.
        Dropped packets include watchdog timer pkts from the server.
        Strip down the machines affected the worst and try again.
-       Too much traffic on the wires and the PCs get stepped upon. Put a
        monitor on the worst cables and pay attention to what you see. A
        free software monitor is Netwatch (for Packet Drivers), anonymous
        ftp to my VMS VAX netlab.usu.edu, cd [.netwatch], read the read.me
        file for navigation instructions. Most PC Ethernet boards can be
        overwhelmed by too many too large back to back packets from some
        workstations.
-       well out of date shells and LOGIN.EXE programs, including possible
        resultant extra trips through other NW servers to contact the target.

        That's enough for openers. Find an afflicted machine, strip it down
        to bare metal, triple check for address and IRQ conflicts with
        something which will give feedback (MFT from QEMM/386 for example),
        wiggle the wiring plant, clean board contacts, and similar hocus
        pocus. From your description the whole system needs a thorough
        going over, but start on one machine first. Don't forget to threaten
        the file server with very stern words; observed to solve many problems!

        Good luck,
        Joe D.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU