Slow IP addresses from server

[marsdenprimary]

Our server seems to be dishing out IP addresses REALLY slowly and consequently our computers are throwing back 'limited or no connectivity'. Is there any way I can sort this out?

It's causing a few problems and has only just begun recently...

[chazzy2501]

Have you replaced, or changed the config of your switches lately? this happened to me last holidays as by default the ports were set to not allow STP fast start. So the PCs wouldn't get an ip during boot but 3 minutes later would be ok.

If not I'd check disk activity, RAM, CPU cycles etc on your DHCP server... just incase is your DHCP server in the same IP range as it's distributing?.. it has to be. Also check that you haven't reached saturation, if you have reduce your lease time, if you haven't they maybe try increasing it to reduce load.

[marsdenprimary]

Now we do have a Brother network printer... think it could be that?? It seemed to start since installing it. There are a MILLION network settings on it though. Is there anything on this that you think could affect it?

NETBIOS/IP is enabled. Is this necessary? Could this be the issue?

The following other things are enabled too:

SNMP, TFTP, IPP Port 631, Telnet, LPD

My knowledge of network protocols doesn't stretch to these yet...

[chazzy2501]

Nope, highly unlikley that it's your printer regardless of it's settings... Unless you've manually given the printer the same IP address as the DHCP server.

[marsdenprimary]

I've been looking at the network activity on our server and there seems to a regular peak between 25% and 50% every 5 or so seconds. Also- on our switches ALL the lights occasionally blink together at once. Is this normal?

[chazzy2501]

network activity seems high on that server, are you running a backup?, check the event logs for errors.

as for the lights that's ok, as long as they don't all blink at the same time all the time.

[marsdenprimary]

I've just found that a computer wasn't getting an IP address when all the other machines in the ICT suite were logged on. When I logged them off...it had one assigned. Any ideas?