Finding Servers

[masiefert]

I am having issues with my remote site. When I configure IP only, stations login across the WAN, but not locally, but will after the machine has been up. With IPX installed, all services are found immediately. My question becomes what does the client use, and in what order does it check, for finding services?
NWHOSTS, DNS, SLP what is the most reliable? Or is there something that I am missing? My goal is to eliminate IPX from the network completely.
MAS

 

[Jontmke]

I use SLP. It takes a little configuring but works well. There is a special thing you can do in DHCP but I have not done that.

Jon

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)

 

[TheLad]

You can use DHCP Option 85 which will automatically populate the server field of the Novell Client with the IP Address of the specified server. The specified server must be a server with replicas on.

Try it manually first, put the IP address of a server with replicas on into the Server field in the advanced section of the Novell Client.

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"It's true, its damn true!"
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[SuperDaveDCF]

You didn't mention the OS of your client machines. I had great success on our 95/98 PCs by editing the nwhost file in the Novell client directory. We still have legacy IPX apps in our tree so we still run both protocols. This change allowed my clients to connect IP every time.

 

[masiefert]

Most, all but one are 95/98 clients. The other is XP. The network OS is 5.0 sp5. I've modified nwhosts, setup SLP (I think correctly) and forced down the name through DHCP. Something odd is definitely going on in unfortunately, our remote office.
MAS

 

[Jontmke]

Maybe one of the routers blocking one of the protocols? Or ports?

Jon

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)

 

[terry712]

type slpinfo /all at client

this will tell you if it's correct

 

[masiefert]

I've done that, and it sees the agent, but does not seem to show any info that it may have recieved from the agent.
MAS

 

[terry712]

is your scope and da set up correctly

if at server - type display slpda
you should see an active da and it should show the correct scope
if you do display slp services - are you getting a display


in console1 do you see the da and the scope and is it being populated

from dhcp are you delivering the da and the scope
think it 78 and 79

 

[masiefert]

Turns out the issue was with the fancy new Cisco switch that we got. While doing all of it's port sensing, 10/100?, full/half duplex?, End node/switch?, it ignored/lost the DHCP request. Now, all is happy. Thanx for all assistance!
MAS

 

[tasminracer]

I'd be interested to know what you did to the switch, i've also got a lan with 2 cisco 2924 switches linked via fibre. the machines on the far end i've had to set to static as the dhcp didnt always work and im getting intermitant login. sometimes the login box appears when you boot, sometimes it doesnt..

its a real pain

cheers G

 

[masiefert]

On all of the ports that were connected to actual stations, I had to
Config T
int F0/1
spanning
spanning-tree portfast

I had to do that for each individual port. Hope that helps!
MAS

 

[tasminracer]

Ahh, Cheers I've had a play and i think its the port fast that sorts it out. puts the port into forward mode immedietly...

all the issues look like timing. i.e waiting for the cards and the ports to auto sense ect..

heck by pre setting everything and using port fast even the dhcp is working and it finds the server...


cheers
G