NASLite Network Attached Storage

Hi.

This is not specially a NL question but as I know there are some LAN genies on the forum, here comes the problem.

I have a special "modem, router, switch, wifi access point" (NeufBox) which is used by Neuf (my service and VOIP provider). This 100MHz router is used for distributing fixed IPs (DHCP). The modem connects to an 7Mb ADSL. The switch part is connected to a dLink Gigabit Switch, to a 100MHz dLink IP camera and to a 100MHz Brother laser printer. The NL server and 3 XP PRO SP2 are connected to the Gigabit switch (all at gigabit duplex) with fixed IPs.

Everything almost works great (with really fast transfer rates but that will be in another post). The problem is that from time to time, computer 2 and the server are cut off from the LAN. It may work 5, 6 days with no problems and then the same day, I may have 2 cuts. On computers 1 & 2, WinAmp is playing online music, The dLink camera software is connected to the camera and a dental office software (mainly a database program) is running smoothly. On computer 3, only the dental office program is running.

The only way to repair the cuts from the lan, is either unplug and re-plug the LAN cables or restart computers 2 and NL server. Nothing is noted on syslog in NL (except that the LAN has been cut off and reconnected). Sometimes the camera and Winamp goes on working; sometimes, everything LAN related stops on computer 2.

Computer 2 have been reformatted and reinstalled but this have not changed the problem.

I have put fixed IPs to all the computers and this didn't change anything either.

I have set the duration of the IP "lease" to 99999 secs but still no changes to the problem.

All the computers and the printer are turned off at night except the NL server and the IP camera.

This is all the information I have

Question: can the problem be related to the router ? If I add and gigabit router (please advice brand name and reference if possible) and deactivate the router of the "modem, router", do you think that the problem will be solved? Secondary question, will a Gigabit router make the gigabit part of the LAN go faster? Silly question: if I turn off the router function, as all the computers work with fixed IPs, will the LAN continue working or is a router a "must have"?

Thanks for having read all this and thanks in advance for your help and time

First, DHCP is not a static IP. the IP address are doled out based on a first come first sseved basis. For a small network like that I would not even be using DHCP and would turn it off. Also, if you have wireless and a large pool of IPs available then it is a potential security risk. If they must have wireless then limit the number of IPs that DHCP has to that same number of wireless clients and limit access by MAC address.

An upgrade to a router/NET (that is the xDSL unit) will make no difference, save your money.

Windows networking is funky to say the least, I would be looking at the NIC in the number two computer for starters. Get Intel Gigabit NICs, they are very stable and fast as are the drivers for them. Make sure that your cabling is in tiptop shape, allot of trouble can be traced to poor cabling and termination.

Mike

Thanks a lot Mike

The WiFi is already secured with the MAC address of my laptop. As the home and office LAN does not have the same IPs ( 192.168.1.x and 168.192.0.x) , I'll have difficulty in putting a fixed IP on the LapTop (which is the only WiFi connection at work.)

I'll get a new NIC and try with that. I have good quality cables and I suppose if the cables were the culprit, I couldn't work OK severel days and than have cuts several times a day (the computers and cables are not moved or touched).

Thanks again. I'll keep you updated.

Regards