[nerdygrrl79]

Hi All,

I have this Compaq running Win2K in my network. It seems to be disconnecting from the network about every 5 minutes or so and then reconnecting at the same rate. It has an integrated NIC and when I looked at it, it also had a 3com NIC in as well (it was connected via the 3com). I tried switching NICs, moving the 3com to different PCI slots, and trying the integrated NIC (which actually does work). It doesn't matter where I plug in (in the computer or the building), I can't seem to get the machine to stay on the network. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[scutch2222]

check with your net work administrator to see if he/she is the problem...alot of times that coudl be the reason for the disconection ...the user is not always the problem.

 

[Rockn]

Disable the on-board NIC in the BIOS if it's not being used. Have you tried a known good NIC? Have you tried different patch cables?

 

[nerdygrrl79]

I have tried disabling the NIC on the BIOS, then I reenabled it when the other NICS I had didn't work. I attempted using NICS that I knew worked well, I had the machine in a server room with different patch cables and switches, and it still wouldn't cooperate.

 

[Rockn]

Are you trying to connect to 10/100 or just 100BT switches? Look in the BIOS on the PC you are trying to connect and make sure PCI bus mastering is enabled.

 

[nerdygrrl79]

I'm trying to connect to a 3com Superstack 10-Base T/100 switch. I checked the BIOS and the PCI bus mastering was enabled.

 

[Rockn]

OK, is it a full blown disconnect from the network or is it just to mapped drives and other resources? Do the server logs give you any indication of the disconnect? Can you ping the workstation in question from any other location on the network and from itself? Are IP addresses assigned by DHCP? Client licenses?

 

[nerdygrrl79]

when it disconnects, the mapped drives are inaccessible, it can't find the exchange server, and of course there's no internet. I haven't checked the server logs, though I will when I return in the morning to check and see if there's anything on there. I can ping the machine from other machines in the building, but I can't VNC into it. Either it comes up with "machine is unavailable" or a socket error. When I'm on the machine I can ping it's IP and I can ping other workstations. Half the time I can ping the DNS server with no problems, but it always times out at the gateway when it's "disconnected." Most IP addresses are assigned by DHCP in the building with a few exceptions. This is one of the exceptions. The static IP hasn't been grabbed by another machine and it doesn't have another address. I double checked on the DNS server.