Network / Exchange issues from "end of the line" system

[smurfomatic]

We have an issue with one room which is at the extreme end of our network. To give you an idea of the topology:

 

Computer in office, with wireless point.

WAP is connected to wireless link across car park.

Other end of wireless link into switch.

Switch connected to main site via laser link.

Laser link into main network.

 

Told you it was complicated...

 

"Server2" is closer, and "Server1" (the mail server) is a few more hops away, at the other end of the school.

 

The system will browse the internet fine - there is a Smoothwall proxy in the same room as Server2. This traffic then travels down the same cables to where Server1 is, to get to the router. Can't ping either server, but can ping the Smoothwall and other equipment in the same room as Server1.

 

However, this laptop won't connect to either Server2 or Server1 for shared drives, email access etc. Same problem occurs when I use my laptop in the room, the other laptop works fine in other areas so it must be server or network related.

 

If I plug straight in to the cable that runs into the WAP, I can access Server2 but not Server1.

 

All this seems to point to there being some setting about the number of network "hops" from one end of the school to the other. Any ideas what setting this might be?

 

Tried running "pathping" from the servers to this computer. From both Server1 and Server2, I can get to the "near" end of the wireless link but not the far end. This would seem to indicate a fault with the wireless link, but if so then how can I be getting internet traffic? Confused...

[SkreeM1980]

That really is a long way down the line.

 

What happens if you pathping to the smoothwall?

[smurfomatic]

SkreeM - it all seems to be working now...having reset the wireless link by unplugging it, I logged in to each unit and restarted them from there. Suddenly it connects properly!