Domain Controller not reading mapped drive!

[gloriousglenn]

Good morning all!

 

I hope you're all having a better morning than me anyway!!

 

I have a Dell Power Edge 2850 acting as a Domain Controller, and a Dell Power Edge 2850 with a Dell Power Vault 220S acting as a file server.

 

There is a drive ( N: ) from the file server that is in My Network Places on the to the DC and shows up as Data on Dms-file01. However, all of a sudden, without anything being done, the DC seems to be acting strange! I logged on as normal and it just froze. I left it for about 10 minutes just in case it was being stubborn, but it still just hung there. So I rebooted the DC. On reboot there didn’t seem to be any connection between the domain controller and the file server. If I click on My Network Places and click on the 'Data on Dms-file01' folder I get the following error message:

 

"\\Data on Dms-file01 is not accessable. You might not have permission to use the network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.

 

No network provider accepted the given netwrk path"

 

I definately have permission...I'm logged in as the administrator (and I've tried a back up logon too!)!

 

If I click on Add Network Place and try and use the wizard it freezes once I click ‘Next’ and it shows as ‘Not Responding’ in Task Manager and all I can do is ‘End Task’.

 

I can access the N: from the file server directly, so I know that data is preserved and safe! But the domain controller can't see it for some reason and consequently means that all of the client machines can't view it either.

 

ANY help would be greatly appreciated as I am getting whinged at (to put it very politely!) about this! Please bear in mind that I am by no means a network guru, and unfortunately I am a one man team. I know some basics and my instinct is telling me to rebuild the domain controller just to try and get the network back online so that people can access the data. However, I run the risk of screwing it up completely that way and was hoping that you guys on EduGeek can save me (yet again!).

 

Thanks for looking

Glenn

 

P.S. The Dell Gold Support ran out in January and my 'small' company (the RAF!!) told me I had to run it ‘at risk’. Well there’s a big risk that we have to cease training now, and that is a heck of a risk!!

Edited July 17, 2009 by gloriousglenn

[Spitfire]

To me it sounds like your file server has lost it's network connection at some stage and the DC is freezing trying to look for it, before you attempt any "rebuilds" I would reboot the file server.

[gloriousglenn]

I tried that.

 

I even shut them both down overnight and rebooted this morning. No joy

 

It shouldn't make any difference which one is booted up first, should it?

[Spitfire]

DC first to get the network up and running and provide things like dhcp etc

[kmount]

Can you ping one from the other?

 

Can you check that both of them are showing as connected in Control Panel \ Network Connections?

 

Check their IP's are set correctly ^

 

I wouldn't rebuild anything yet.

[gloriousglenn]

I get "Destination host unreachable" going from either one to the other.

 

Network Connection folder on the DC is empty! If I click on 'Create a new connection' the wizard dialogue box appears but the 'egg timer' just hangs there.

[kmount]

I assume on the fileserver the network connection is populated and in theory from a client you can ping this?

 

Ok, so the DC's lost it's network cards, check Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager - Are they in there?

[gloriousglenn]

The client machine let me log onto the network (which is one thing I suppose!) but when I tried pinging from the client to both the FS and the DC they both came back "Request timed out".

 

Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > Network adaptors > Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection & Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection #2

 

Both are showing as "This device is working properly" (I also checked the FS and that's the same too).

 

Edited July 17, 2009 by gloriousglenn

[kmount]

If the client can't ping the Fileserver either yet the file server has network connections listed and working, is the switch between the DC and FS powered up/working?

[gloriousglenn]

The switches are all on and all green lights flickering away. I have also checked the Cat5 cables coming out of the back of the DC & FS and the grren light is on and the orange light blinking.

[kmount]

OK, on both of them, click start, run, type cmd and press enter.

 

In there, type ipconfig /all and see if it all looks OK.

[gloriousglenn]

I got to admit, I wouldn't see a problem here if it jumped out in red letters and screamed in my face whilst pulling at my ears!!

 

I get the following responses:

 

Domain Controller

 

Windows IP Configuration

 

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DMS-DC01

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Rafms-Net.com

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : Rafms-Net.com

 

Ethernet adapter Pipex:

 

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection #2

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-72-63-2D-88

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.80.74

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

 

Ethernet adapter DMSNet:

 

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-72-63-2D-87

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.3

192.168.10.4

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.RAFMS-NET>

 

 

 

File Server

 

Windows IP Configuration

 

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DMS-FILE01

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Rafms-Net.com

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : Rafms-Net.com

 

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

 

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection #2

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-43-D7-DF-5B

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.177.95

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

 

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

 

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/1000 MT Network Connection

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-43-D7-DF-5A

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.4

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.4

192.168.10.3

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.RAFMS-NET>

[kmount]

The lack of a default gateway concerns me a little (do these boxes have internet access?), but I wouldn't have expected it to cause this.

 

When you're pinging one from the other, does it correctly resolve the IP address 192.168.10.3 and 4?

 

Might be worth giving the switch a reboot for good measure to see if that does cure it but I'd be wondering why the DC has no network connections listed in control panel but seems ok in the ipconfig output.

 

Checked both firewalls are off etc?

[sjl]

Kmount is right you have no default gateway – assuming your DC is your DNS server and all your clients are setup to reference your DC for DNS requests then recursion is probably not working. This would probably go unnoticed if you are using a proxy server for your internet – and like he said would not cause this problem but its something to look at in the future.

 

I would go into device manager and remove the network cards and then scan for new hardware, let them reinstall – see if you get them back in the network connections control panel after that

 

Remember your TCP / IP setting though as you will have to enter these again. You have the setting on this page anyhow to referback to.

Edited July 17, 2009 by sjl

[danrhodes]

Simple solution to this problem is to restart your "Server" service.

 

To do this run this in a batch script!

 

@echo off

net stop lanmanserver

net start lanmanserver

exit

 

But after reading the other posts im not quite sure about that! Given you have done a reboot etc.

[sjl]

I would try reinstalling the cards and getting them to show back in control panel - it is obviously a problem. It might not be causing this problem but it will need sorting anyway and its a good place to start.

 

Device Manager -> Right Click on your network cards and uninstall -> once they have uninstalled on your server name at the top of device manager right click and select "scan for new hardware".

 

This will find your cards and reinstall the drivers. Once it has done this see if they appear in the control panel list. If not get the latest drivers and install them see if they appear then.

[gloriousglenn]

Right..Onto that now! It takes sooooo long to reboot!!!

[gloriousglenn]

Ok...Is this getting from bad to worse now?!!

 

Open Device Manager and I now have the " '?' Other devices " with two " '?' Ethernet Controller ". This didn't surprise me.

 

But, if I click on "Scan for new hardware" it doesn't seem to find anything!

 

I download the latest driver for the "Intel® PRO/1000 MT" but when I run the .exe file I get the following error message:

 

The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur when you are running Windows in Safe Mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed"

 

 

 

<< Reaches for bottle in bottom drawer :drunken_smilie:

Edited July 17, 2009 by gloriousglenn

[ricki]

HI

 

I had a problem with an intel 1000 a while back on a stone server and for some reason it would not work at all. I tried all sorts but no it would not go. Then I decided to start guessing and turned the fixed ip into a dchp address and it still did not work so I rebooted and still nothing, so I changed it to a static ip and rebooted. This still did not work so I tried a different network point and still nothing so I rebooted the switch and still nothing.

 

I eventually got fed up and turned the server off and went for a brew to think. When I came back I started the server and it just worked. I have no idea why but its worked for months now with no problem but I have no idea what caused it.

 

Richard

[kmount]

Is the server in safe mode?

[robk]

I am aware of a problem with intels Pro 1000 Drivers that cause them to not come back up after reboot. Disabling and reenabling the adapter is supposed to cure it.

 

I think the latest drivers are revision 14, and these don`t have the bug.

 

Robk

[gloriousglenn]

Is the server in safe mode?

 

I am not aware I am, but how can I check?

 

robk..>That's what i'm trying to do now...Fingers crossed!!

[gloriousglenn]

ricki...I turned it off before I left yesterday hoping that the gremlins would crawl out overnight...Fat Chance!!

[Michael]

Network Connection folder on the DC is empty! If I click on 'Create a new connection' the wizard dialogue box appears but the 'egg timer' just hangs there.

 

I haven't read every post as it's getting quite long now, but the fact you stated no network connections are appearing in 'Network Connections' you have a faulty network card on your hands. I had the exact same problem recently on an XP laptop.

 

I'd recommend you disable the existing (presumably onboard) network adapters in Device Manager and install a PCI adapter, allocate it the same static IP as you had setup before, then reboot. Hopefully all should be well. Please let us know how you get on.

[budgester]

THis is the order I troubleshoot IP with.

 

Get a pad of paper and sketch a grid, create a checklist, or something to record results.

Make notes of every change you make on the equipment. e.g.

Server 1 - re-installed driver

Server 2 - changed ip from 1.1.1.1 to 1.1.1.2

 

This will allow you to check later on if the changes you have made are making things better or worse.

 

So onto the testing, and treat this as a drill.

 

1. Ping 127.0.0.1

 

This will make sure that TCP/IP is set up on your machine and is working correctly.

 

2. Ping ip.of.this.machine.

 

If the PC has an allocated IP address ping it, this will tell you if the card has IP configured correctly and the network card is working.

 

3. Ping the device at the other end of the cable.

 

Are you connected to a switch with an IP address ? If so ping it.

If you have access to that device then Ping the computer

This will make sure that there are no routing problems.

 

4. Then ping another PC/Server on the network. Try multiple devices, e.g. DNS, Gateway, Printer.