My Network Is Not Playing Nice

I hope that everyone had and enjoyable Christmas and is looking forward to a Prosperous New Year....Thank you for your assistance in advance.

In a downsizing measure for my business, I have become the "Network Administrator", a job promotion that I am not equiped to serve in, but that comes when you work for yourself.

When I moved my server to my home it no longer wanted to play nice. I can only get one of my five computers to connect to it...and on this one computer there is a disconnect between it and the server as logging on takes approximately 15 minutes...long waits during the "applying computer settings" and "applying personal settings".

I worked through the Malware side of MG and they gave me a clean bill of health and suggested I come to this side of MG to determing the problem. When I Google the problem, there are a multitude of responses, answers and fixes. Some I have tried and some are above my skill set.

Here is what I would like to accomplish (with your help, naturally):

• Fix extended log in time to network
• Get the other computers connected to the network (server)
• Get my harem of printers (3) and fax networked with the computers

I appreciate you assistance...I am not too sure what other information you may need...

• Server is running MS Server 2003
• 3 computers are running XP/SP2
• 1 laptop is running Vista Home

I anxiously await your response.

 

Are all PCs getting IPs on the same network? and domain?

 

Thank you for the reply. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Did I mention that I was not qualified to assume this job responsibility?...

Getting IPs on the same network... Yikes...I'm not too sure how to answer. I assume they were at my office. I didn't make any changes other than disconnecting at the office and reconnecting at my home. My wireless network works well with all of the computers. I know that there is some IP involved with that setup..

Domain...now that is like an answer on Jeopardy that I do not have a question for...????

Did I mention that I was not qualified to assume this job responsibility?...

Seriously, you are helping a novice here. I am willing to learn and capable of accomplishing any given instruction, but would not be offended if you wanted to walk away now.
I would gladly outsource these services locally as I have done in the past, but the economy and my budget will not allow at the moment.

 

foogoo...

I received an email reply from you through MG, but can not find a forum post for it. You asked...

"What about your router? or what device is doing the DHCP?"

I am using a Linksys router. As mentioned earlier, my wireless network works well with all computers...3 laptops are wireless...one desktop is hard wired. The desktop can connect to the server, it just takes a long time to boot up.

DHCP...when dealing with IT issues, at times I feel like I am drowning in aplhabet soup. Not too sure what DHCP is. :confused

 

Ok, if it were me in your position I would go spend $20ish on Networking for Dummies (the All-in-one edition). It can answer a lot of questions and even though I have an IT degree I still use my copy quite a bit.

Next, I would check the IP addresses and see if they are dynamic[unassigned/ let's the network give the address] or static[a preassigned number] (I will step you through finding and changing these). For such a small network, I would recommend dynamic addressing, but if that's what you already have and they are running too slowly, you can assign an address. By the way, sometimes changing the physical location of a computer or network changes the way the network runs.

Here's how to check/ change the IP address of a computer. Follow these steps for each computer:
1) Go to Control Panel and click open the network connections.
2) On the icon for your internet connection (LAN/Hi speed, Dial-up, or whatever) right click, then click on properties.
3) Select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and double click it to open it.
4) Check the settings. WRITE ALL INFO DOWN ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES.
5) Compare network addresses of all computers and make any necessary adjustments. *I recommend setting them all to the obtain address automatically if they are not already to see if that speeds everything up.

Hope this helps!

 

Geekqueen....Thank you for your help....You said...

"I would go spend $20ish on Networking for Dummies (the All-in-one edition)"

Hey, I already got it!!!....It's like reading the Iliad...in Greek...I don't know Greek.

I will check your instructions and see what the settings are. I am relatively sure that they are all set to "automatically detect", but will verify....Stay tuned!!:wave

 

Do this quick
Right click on My Computer and go into properties. Computer name tab. Click change. Where it says Member of, which bubble thing is clicked? Domain or Workgroup?

 

GeekQueen....All computers are set to obtain address automatically

KingSteve....the Domain Button is checked

You are all awsome!!! Thanks for helping...

 

Are you using roaming profiles at all? Like can you log in with any account on any computer?
On the computer that takes a long time to load, does it happen with any account you try to load or just one?
Are any profile settings stored on your server or are they stored locally?

A user at one of the campuses i admin had a ton of information being stored on the server, so when he tried to log on it took him 15-20 minutes. I created him a new profile and transferred anything he really needed to his new profile. After i did that, he was able to log on very quickly.

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Paced-Tr...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262020990&sr=8-1
(heres something you might need if youre using Server 03 and Active Directory...)

 

Also, if you go into your Server 03 machine and open Manage Your Server, itll show you what roles that server is playing. That will be a good place to start to see what your server is doing.

 

Thanks for the link to the books. I'll have to get the approval from the Director of Finance. Sometimes it is tough getting approval...especially when you are married to her!!

King Steve...I was able to log on using another account on my computer...It still took 14 minutes..."Loading your personal settings" & "Applying your personal settings" are major hang ups.

Can you help me here? I do not know where to look for profile settings...

Went there..did that, but I lack the skills to determine what the server is doing. I looks like it has the user information for those with access to the server.

I could use a little guidance here also

 

Theres a lot of stuff in those books that will be good for you to know. Im not saying to go out and get certified, but they have loads of information that is extremely useful.

Manage Your Server is in the start menu of the Server 03 machine. Itll say Your server has been configured with the following roles: Under that is all the roles your server is playing. File server, Print server, Application server, etc.

Youre going to need a print server if you want those printers to be networked.
You'll also want to know what is doing your DHCP and internal DNS. Manage Your Server will tell you what you already have and what youre going to need.



To find out if an account is roaming or local, you can go into control panel > system > advanced tab > user profile settings. If each computer has a person who only uses that one computer to do their work, you should change the profile type from roaming to local. That should cut the loading time down as well.
You can change the type of profile by clicking on the account name, and clicking change type. If the Type is set to roaming, set it to local.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

You have lots of things going on with this network. I think it would be best to hire a network technician for a couple of hours to straighten out your network and problems while looking over his/her shoulder. They may even entertain some questions. In that way you get your network working and gain a bit a valuable knowledge which will allow you to maintain your network in the future. At your current level of knowledge the process to get things right will probably cause you a good deal of frustration.

 

There is a Server Management option under the Start menu, but I do not see anything that looks like what you are describing...???

I think I have one around here somewhere...maybe a wireless printserver...is that the same?

ARRRGG!!! Alphabet soup...I don't see anything like that in the Server Management option under the Start menu...is this the same as Manage Your Server?

All computers were set to local.

 

If i remember correctly, server management is part of Small Business Server(SBS 2003) which is actually a little different than Windows Server 2003... Ive only ever seen it once so i cant be of much help with it. I work with Windows Server 2003, so my advice on these things comes from experience with that. I think your best bet is going to be what jconstan said. hire a tech to come out and get you running. ask the tech some questions, pick up some books because youre going to need them eventually. the books i linked you were for the full Windows Server 2003 and active directory, not Small Business Server, so i dont think theyll be of much help.

Sorry, but we could go back and forth all day here. Only so much i can do over the internet forums.

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Bus...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262092826&sr=8-2
This might be something better for you.