New switch - 98 no longer connects

[MkII]

Nathan has a problem. As you may know, he's just bought a HP Procurve 2650 switch. The server is connected directly into the switch gigabit port, and a couple of switches down the line, in a room of mixed 98 XP machines, the 98 machines won't connect to the network.

 

Help please!

[ConTheITGuy]

Sounds like a nice feature

[E1uSiV3]

lol sounds like spanning tree protocol to me possibly

[Geoff]

Yep. STP, VLAN or possibly traffic shaping configuration is screwed up.

[tarquel]

what a day! :(

 

Its a HP ProCurve 2626 (not 2650) but whats 24 ports between friends eh? lol]

 

Also, its all the win 98 pc's in the entire school that suddenly cant log on anymore - the DC [was] attached to this new switch so it doesnt appear to be limited to any particular room or anything.

 

@andy: not a nice feature - not when u have no choice and management do feel the need to buy xp licenses for them lol

 

@E1uSiV3:

I found something in the web interface of the switch regarding it [was set to off so I turned it on but no change]

 

@Geoff:

 

I've tried all sorts

 

- VLAN - dont use them

- traffic shaping config [whats that?? lol]

 

The HP ProCurve support line was puzzled - they said that if the switch is on the factory settings, then its pretty much like a unmanaged switch. It shouldnt stop 98 logging on to the network in any case.

 

He said he'd get back to me in the morning [which was nice] but didnt seem to think it would be the switch.

 

I think he's right as I've taken off all the connections on that switch now and the same thing is happening still

 

The other changes that have taken place are some firewall [router/vpn unit] rule changes - but I've reversed the changes now to my knowledge.

 

Also, yesterday afternoon, I attached a exchange 2003 server to the domain and I'm wondering whether this could be the cause [its looking like a definate] but I'm clueless as to why that would stop the 98 machines from logging onto the DC :S

 

I know that during the exchange install, it changes the schema of the AD but could this have done it and does anyone know anything on this and what to look for?

 

I soooo hate my job at the moment lol

 

Regards

Nath

[Ric_]

Are all the 98 machines of the same make or similar hardware? Sometimes dodgy NIC chipsets can do this.

 

In my last job we had 3COM switches which would decide to stop talking to the Realtech chipsets on the 60 Gigabyte boards that we had. This happened intermitantly and randomly and I had to power cycle the switches.

 

Try sticking a different NIC into one or updating the drivers.

 

Hey, if it is the NICs, explain that it's going to cost £20 per machine to remedy the problem and you may get the extra money for your XP Pro upgrade licenses.

[tarquel]

good thought but alas no...

 

all different hardware really - about 30 of one type of machine, another 8 or so of another type, about 3 of another type and then various others.

 

Same with the switches really - theres alsorts all over the place. Like in my cat5 cabling network post, I'll try and russle up a map shortly

 

So tired.....

 

Cheers

Nath

[E1uSiV3]

When you say they cant log on, have you checked if they have physical connections (ie are the status lights flashing on the switch and the card), and if DHCP is picking up? Try assigning a static ip address to one of the clients if you have a physical connection. If that does not work, try changing the port negotiation to a fixed setting like 100mbit full duplex then do the same on the client. If all of that fails then im stumped right now, but ill have a think about it...

[Westbrooke]

Before you added the Win2003 server, what were the DC(s) running?

The Windows 95/98 networking client won't authenticate against a 2003 server...

[Ric_]

Before you added the Win2003 server, what were the DC(s) running?

The Windows 95/98 networking client won't authenticate against a 2003 server...

It will if you install the MS gubbin that allows this - can't remember what it is right now but I did this at a primary school.

[kingswood]

Same here Ric- we still have those relics (98 machines) on our network and though they can be painful they do indeed authenticate against a 2003 server...

 

Paul

[Ric_]

@kingswood: Can you remember the name of that gubbin?

[MkII]

DSClient

[kingswood]

Dsclient.

 

That's the gubbin!

 

Some info here:

 

http://www.petri.co.il/dsclient_for_win98_nt.htm

 

:-)

 

Paul

[Geoff]

its on the w2k server CD.

[tarquel]

actually - u need the latest DSClient [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;288358 - tho there is another KB article that says you need to call MS for the latest DSClient] in order for it work properly westbroke.

 

They do indeed work fine.

 

...or at least, they did, until I added this exchange 2003 server. I believe it was working fine until i installed exchange 2003 on the member server. It may have even been fine until i installed the SP1 for Exchange 2003 - cant say for sure.

 

I've posted here - http://forums.msexchange.org/Exchange_2003_SP1_added_to_2003_domain_and_98_cannot_log_on/m_1800387173/tm.htm - and here - http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=57634

 

I think it may be that exchange adjusted the schema [as it does lol] and the settings that you need to change for 9x to work properly documented in:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=555038

 

...which may have been reset.

 

I'm gonna try this first thing and if not, then its upgrading to XP time for those 98 machines that are left (happily but annoying timing with the pending parents evening looming on tues night).

 

Lets hope.

Nath

[tarquel]

Just to update this...

 

All i had to do was put the WINS address into the DC's TCP/IP settings [same address / server]

 

No idea why it disappeared - or any reason why it worked fine without it previously - but there we go

 

Cheers

N.