Looking for your thoughts.

[Vince]

Hello:

I am running a small office with 3 peer to peer networked computers. With my
current system everything works just fine. All machines are HP. They all
have XP.

I use a reservations program where each computer has the program installed
but shares the data base on only one machine.

Here is the problem. I decided to replace my 533 machine with a newer faster
machine. When I put this unit in to the mix the program decides it can not
read the data base. This does not happen at all times but is frequently
intermintent. The new machine is a Compaq (HP) It is the fastest machine in
the mix. I thought there may be other problems such as the network
switch,cables, etc.however if I remove the Compaq and return to the older HP
all of my problems go away. The machine was only 19 days old when I tried to
return it to the store. They refused I won't say who they are but thier name
has two words both the same first letter.

Anyway I sent the machine back to Compaq and they claimed it was the hard
drive but I never had any problems running any local programs on the
machine. When the machine came back, same thing. I finally got a service guy
to agree that it may be the mainboard with its built-in lan card.

What I am wondering is when this machine comes back if my problems return
again when I put it in the mix can anyone else think of anything else that
may be the problem?

What most of the errors always say is that the disk or resource you are
trying to access is not available.

The only errors I get on any machine besides the compaq is spoolsv.exe. That
I am fairly sure is just a printer problem that should not effect anything
especially since my problems only exist on the new machine.

Thanks for any ideas anyone has.

 

[PA Bear]

So am I. Lemme know if you find them.

 

[Steve Nielsen]

The tech is probably on the right track but the NIC is not necessarily
bad, it probably just isn't linking up right witht the other machines.
There is something you can do...

Check your NIC speed and duplex settings on all machines and make sure
they match. Usually setting all to Auto works but not always and also
depends on the switch or hub you are using.

Try these:

If using a 100base ("fast ethernet") switch set all to 100base full
duplex (if all machines have 100base NICs, if not then set to 10base
full duplex)

If using a 100base hub set all to 100base half duplex (hubs don't do
full duplex)

If using a 10base switch set all to 10base full.

If using a 10base hub set all to 10base half duplex.

One of these combinations should get it going, just make sure they are
all set the same.

Steve