Okay, so I have this really strange and really irritating network speed issue. First, I'll lay out the hardware and OS'es being used:
1 3Com Superstack II 10/100 Managed switch (16 ports)
1 Netgear MR814 Wireless router (4 port)
1 Linksys 5 port 10/100 Workgroup Switch
The physical connection layout is a little strange at present, but it's only because I'ev tried every other combination I can think of to solve this. Here's how it's set:
The 3Com switch is set up into 2 VLAN's. VLAN 1 is ports 1-10. On this switch, port 4, 8, and 9 are bad (it was surplus). Port 1 is uplinked to the Linksys 5 port switch, which itself connects to 3 PC's and the JetDirect. Port 2 on the 3Com is connected to the uplink port of the Netgear Router. Port 3, 5, 6, and 10 are connected to various laptop's and PC's.
VLAN 2 on the 3Com: Port 16 is connected to the cable modem. Port 15, 14, and 13 are connected to 2 servers and my main rig to provide them with routable IP's.
On the Netgear Router: Port 1 and 2 are connected to the two servers, which are running Windows 2003 Standard Server. Port three goes to my main rig. 4 is the uplink to the 3Com switch, port 2.
On the OS side, there are 7 PC's, all running Windows XP Pro SP1. They are all joined to the Windows 2003 Active Directory domain Babylon.
The servers are as follows:
Dell PowerEdge 1500, running dual P3 500's and 512MB of registered SDRAM.
AMD AthlonXP 1800+ (not OC'ed) Homebuilt, running on an ASUS A7V8X with one 512 MB stick of PC2700.
Both running Windows 2003 Standard Server running Active Directory in Native mode. All PC's are joined to the domain, and I am only using one default domain policy.
Server 1 is running Exchange Server 2003.
Both servers are running Kerio Winroute Firewall.
Now that we've got the background, here's the problem.
Network speed is abysmal. It's worse between certain machines, though. I can't burn a CD from the network. To copy a 100MB file can take up to 5 minutes. It is worse, for example, between Server 2 and my main rig. Disabling the NIC's in both machines for a moment, then re-enabling the NIC's will result in almost normal performance. For about 5-10 minutes. Then it's back to the same story.
The other PC's don't have nearly as slow a connection to the servers as my main rig, though.
Here's what I have tried:
Slimming down to just 2 servers and one PC. Tried testing with the 3Com switch, no VLAN's. Tried testing on the Linksys switch. Tried testing on the Netgear router. Same problem. Changed all the NIC's out for new ones. Same problem. Changed all the Cat5 cables. Same problem. Clean reinstalled my main rig and the servers. Same problem.
Now, I am a creature of habit. When I reinstalled the servers, I set them up roughly the same as they were initially, so it's possible it could be something *I* am doing, but I can't for the life of me figure out what.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1 3Com Superstack II 10/100 Managed switch (16 ports)
1 Netgear MR814 Wireless router (4 port)
1 Linksys 5 port 10/100 Workgroup Switch
The physical connection layout is a little strange at present, but it's only because I'ev tried every other combination I can think of to solve this. Here's how it's set:
The 3Com switch is set up into 2 VLAN's. VLAN 1 is ports 1-10. On this switch, port 4, 8, and 9 are bad (it was surplus). Port 1 is uplinked to the Linksys 5 port switch, which itself connects to 3 PC's and the JetDirect. Port 2 on the 3Com is connected to the uplink port of the Netgear Router. Port 3, 5, 6, and 10 are connected to various laptop's and PC's.
VLAN 2 on the 3Com: Port 16 is connected to the cable modem. Port 15, 14, and 13 are connected to 2 servers and my main rig to provide them with routable IP's.
On the Netgear Router: Port 1 and 2 are connected to the two servers, which are running Windows 2003 Standard Server. Port three goes to my main rig. 4 is the uplink to the 3Com switch, port 2.
On the OS side, there are 7 PC's, all running Windows XP Pro SP1. They are all joined to the Windows 2003 Active Directory domain Babylon.
The servers are as follows:
Dell PowerEdge 1500, running dual P3 500's and 512MB of registered SDRAM.
AMD AthlonXP 1800+ (not OC'ed) Homebuilt, running on an ASUS A7V8X with one 512 MB stick of PC2700.
Both running Windows 2003 Standard Server running Active Directory in Native mode. All PC's are joined to the domain, and I am only using one default domain policy.
Server 1 is running Exchange Server 2003.
Both servers are running Kerio Winroute Firewall.
Now that we've got the background, here's the problem.
Network speed is abysmal. It's worse between certain machines, though. I can't burn a CD from the network. To copy a 100MB file can take up to 5 minutes. It is worse, for example, between Server 2 and my main rig. Disabling the NIC's in both machines for a moment, then re-enabling the NIC's will result in almost normal performance. For about 5-10 minutes. Then it's back to the same story.
The other PC's don't have nearly as slow a connection to the servers as my main rig, though.
Here's what I have tried:
Slimming down to just 2 servers and one PC. Tried testing with the 3Com switch, no VLAN's. Tried testing on the Linksys switch. Tried testing on the Netgear router. Same problem. Changed all the NIC's out for new ones. Same problem. Changed all the Cat5 cables. Same problem. Clean reinstalled my main rig and the servers. Same problem.
Now, I am a creature of habit. When I reinstalled the servers, I set them up roughly the same as they were initially, so it's possible it could be something *I* am doing, but I can't for the life of me figure out what.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
