HELP slow network, high pings, proliant 6500

[Jason Cook]

Hi and thanks for looking,
I have a serious problem. I have been fighting with this for days. i recently aquired a compaq proliant 6500. I am testing it out on my small home network which consists of one 2k3 server and one workstation. Network performance on my LAN has allways been fine.

I installed 2k3 server onto the proliant and joined it to the AD domain. As soon as i had it set up i noticed network performance was extremely slow. Even files smaller than 2MB will take 5 minutes if they even transfer before timing out. Internet access proved to be equally slow.

In order to remove my network from the troubleshooting process i removed the proliant from my doman and connected it directly to my ADSL modem. No hub, no switch, no router. Internet performance was still terrible. Around 30kbps when it should be closer to 1400kbps (what i get from any other machine on the LAN).

pings to other machines on my lan will time out, then ping high, then the occasional >1ms.
Pings to the net do the same thing. I am totally confused.


If anyone has ANY ideas at all please help me out here. I have tried 3 different lan cards and 3 different network cables. I am positive at least that it isn't a problem within my network because i get the same results with the proliant connected directly to the net via the ADSL modem.


Thanks for any help

J.

Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790]
(C) Copyright 1985-2003 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\julien.WIKKEDPC>ping 192.168.0.13

Pinging 192.168.0.13 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.0.13: bytes=32 time=1953ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.13: bytes=32 time=2000ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.13: bytes=32 time=998ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.13: bytes=32 time=1997ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.13:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 998ms, Maximum = 2000ms, Average = 1737ms

C:\Documents and Settings\julien.WIKKEDPC>ping 192.168.0.13

Pinging 192.168.0.13 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.0.13: bytes=32 time=341ms TTL=128
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 192.168.0.13: bytes=32 time=2884ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.13:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 2, Lost = 2 (50% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 341ms, Maximum = 2884ms, Average = 1612ms

C:\Documents and Settings\julien.WIKKEDPC>

that is a ping from my workstation to the prolaint. pinging from the proliant to any other machine on my lan, or to the net, gives very similar results.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

If we bypass any other networking device and try to connect the workstation and server only then try to ping the server. then what is the out come.

Regards,
Prashant S.

[Jason Cook]

You mean by use of a crossover cable? If so i can grab a crossover cable from work today and will try it when i get back home tonight.

Thanks,

Jason.

[Jason Cook]

here is the ping result from my workstation connected directly to the proliant via crossover cable.

Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790]
(C) Copyright 1985-2003 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\julien.WIKKEDPC>ping 127.0.0.1

Pinging 127.0.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 127.0.0.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\Documents and Settings\julien.WIKKEDPC>ping 192.168.0.3

Pinging 192.168.0.3 with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.3:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Documents and Settings\julien.WIKKEDPC>ping 192.168.0.3

Pinging 192.168.0.3 with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 192.168.0.3: bytes=32 time=2013ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.3: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.3:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 2, Lost = 2 (50% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 2013ms, Average = 1006ms

I ran ping twice, that is pretty much how it goes no matter how many times i try to ping. Results from the proliant are identicle. The loopback pings out fine and the other machine pings back just as eratically. I am going to try yet another network card (not that i really think it's going to help).

Thanks again,

Jason.

[Jason Cook]

I used smartstart 5.5 (now 2k3 support i hear) set the system partition and booted from the 2K3 disk to install server 2k3. Could this cause a problem? I did install the 2003 support pack for 6500 server. Would a newer version of smartstart help? I don't really see how. Then again this whole problem has me completely stumped. :|


Please help,

Jason.

[Jason Cook]

no change with 4th nic card. tried reinstall of OS, no change. Per advise of HP uninstalled tcp/ip then reinstalled latest HP driver for NC3131 nic. No change.

If anyone has ANY ideas at all please give me a shout.


Jason.

[Roger Faucher]

Jason:

Before doing the install, did you install the latest BIOS and firmware(s) from here:

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/locate/69_1105.html

You say you installed the Proliant Support Pack; was it version 7.00A? If not, get it at the same link.

My only other suggestion would be to try a conventional W2K3 install (without SmartStart) and then install PSP 7.00A and see if that makes a difference.

Hope something here helps.

Make a great day!

Roger

[Jason Cook]

I did make sure the firmware was latest version. The PSP i installed was 7.00a. I will try to install without smartstart. If that doesn't worked i planned on trying a win2k install. I will not be able to have the server do what i need running win2k, but at least that will tell me if it's a problem with OS compatability. I thought that if i get everything working in 2k and then upgrade to 2k3 perhaps.....


Thanks,

Jason.

[Jason Cook]

Best i can tell, there is no way to configure an array on the raid controller without the smartstart disk. Am i mistaken ?


Jason.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi Jason,

Since problem we are getting is intermediate. We need to proceed with step by step

What is the length of the connection cable ?
Have we tried to change the cable ?
Is the Nic's firmware/Driver updated ?
What is the status of ping from server itself when we are failed to ping from workstation?
At the same moment if you try to run the HP Daignostic tools does it report any error information ?
Have we tried with any other nic instalaltion on the same server ?

Regards,
Prashant S.