Problems connecting clients to a Windows 2000 server

[Guest_imported]

Good afternoon,
My company resently upgraded from a Novell NetWare server to a brand new Windows 2000 server. Our network consists of Windows 98 and 95 workstations. The Windows 2000 server acts as a Primary Domain Controller, has Active Directory activated and runs a DHCP server. All the clients use TCP/IP and NetBios for communication with the server and they are assigned ip's via DHCP. Now, for some reason I am only able to connect the some computers to the network (all running windows 98). The rest can't see the network at all. I disabled automatic IP assignment to make it contact the DCHP server, but can't establish contact, and it get's assigned the ip 0.0.0.0. We use a Lan Switch (all computers are connected to the same switch, using the same Cat 5 UTP cables). What really confuses me is that some computers work fine (they contact the server, get their IP and log onto the domain and connect all network drives), while others on the same LAN Switch AND running the same operating system do not succeed in contacting the server. Winipcfg.exe reports an invalid IP, invalid subnet mask (255.255.255.255) and an invalid WINS ip for the computers that cannot access the server. I even tried to use the NET DIAG command to see of two of the computers that could not access the server at least could communicate with eachother. I got the following output:
On the diagnostic server I got:
That local session number is invalid. The session has probably been dropped.
There was an error attempting to receive on LANA 0.
ERROR while receiving packet #0
That local session number is invalid. The session has probably been dropped.
There was an error attempting to hangup on LANA 0.
The command was completed successfully.

on the client I got:
The diagnostic server has been located on the network.
The session has been unexpectedly terminated.
There was an error attempting to call on LANA 0.
The command was completed successfully.

I know hardware problems is out of the question, because I hooked all the clients up to the old netware server again and everything works fine. But as soon as I connect them back onto the win2000 only some computers are able to connect (and it is always the same computers).

Any feedback on how to solve this problem and connect the other computers as well would be greatly appreciated. I will be happy to supply any additional information about the network topology as needed.

Please carbon copy any reply to elevator@encasa.org

Thank you,
Ken V. Nordberg

 

[Jpoandl]

To rule out Hardware or connection problems, try to manually assign an IP address to one of the problematic workstations. What happens?

This will also tell you if you have a networking related problem (for example, maybe the DHCP broadcasts aren't reaching some of the end clients.)

Also, remove IPX/SPX from all client machines. MAke sure Netbeuei is gone too.

-let us know what you find Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please check out

http://www.esavio.com

 

[Callahan]

A really lazy fix but one which has worked for me is to uninstall all of the network protocols from the machines which do not connect and then re-install them (only TCP/IP in this case, no need for Netbeui. The default installation is set to look to a DHCP Server to gain an address and WINS resolution. Another thing that may help is to make sure that the client machine's workgroup is the same name as the domain, not sure on the truth of that one, but I was advised once that this helps and I've always used it.

Good Luck.

 

[tlcscousin]

There is a client uninstaller available to remove NetWare client software.
Are the PC's in question still by any chance set to log onto novell?
It does sound like it is not using TCP/IP for the primary logon.