Network Diagnostics

[[GSV]Trig]

The network at this place is a right mess, we have a collection of hubs switches and media converters plugged in anywhere that was thought useful by the previous IT monkies..

Now the problem is were loosing enough packets for our warehouse telnet system to drop its connections.
Is there free/cheap way to find out what these errors are or track there source so I can fix the damned network?

[Moby-Dick]

bit of packet sniffing woudn't go amis

[tiggerai]

Ethereal, packet analyser.

It's great.

[Moby-Dick]

yes...not hangin about by the changing rooms on all fours

good rule of thimb is that you shoudln't have more an 2 hubs / switches between a machines / routers.

tidy your cabling up , get rid of the hubs - dont use media doublers ( or avoid where absolutly possible ) replace any damadged cabling etc.

[StormPC]

Also make sure all of your servers are on static IP's (even print servers), and don't use a router to do your DHCP. Use a domain server or something. Cheap routers (like the ones for home use) are not very good at DHCP when there are many users.

[[GSV]Trig]

Print servers are on statics, as are the servers, the workstations are DHCP tho for ease really more than anything else.
Its the cabling thats a mess, altho not as much as the actualy hardware, theres 2 switches in the server cupbard, one in the design room, one in reception, one in accounts, one in dispatch one in my office and the best bit, a media convertor from RJ45-BNC linking an old machine in goods in, think thats about it, its a right state but now the FD seems to be keeping out of my way things are hopefully going to get sorted.
Cant see the problem being caused by the DHCP as the problem has always existed since way before I've been there and the DHCP has only been there for the last 5/6 months. I've already disco'd the BNC machine but theres a lot of crap hardware laying around, bits probably exist that I havent even found yet so some sort of clue as to what to look for would be good lol

[Moby-Dick]

how many machines trig ?

you may find you are getting a lot of broadcasts which will slow things down.

[Moby-Dick]

also is everything a switch ? are all network cards configured for full duplex ?

[geezerone]

How often is the connection dropping? I would try and replace hubs with switches as hubs would forward corrupt packets but a switch will not.
What type of switches and are they manageable such as Cisco which you could list ports to see where any CRC errors are showing. What network protocols are you running and really you would need a packet analyser to trace if your equipment won't allow you to look at it.