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No one can argue that cable testers and protocol analyzers are essential network troubleshooting tools. Other tools, such as SNMP-based management platforms and probes/agents, also are important because they alert […]

Q: Our users are experiencing workstation lockups on a daily basis. Our primary application is a front end developed in-house that communicates with a SQL database server over TCP/IP. The […]

It's time once again for our annual look at some of our favorite networking horror stories, where spills, chills and thrills are the norm. Like the one from NetWorld+Interop where […]

Q: Users at one of our remote sites are complaining of slow response time for a particular application that interacts with our mainframe. With this application, data is entered by […]

Q: We are responsible for maintaining a mission-critical network at a major hospital and outpatient clinic. A number of times throughout the day, users-anyone requiring access to patient data-are unexpectedly […]

Q: We recently installed an Ethernet switch as a front end to a router. The switch breaks up the local Microsoft Windows NT workstation traffic that used to be on […]

Q: As we deploy remote routers to support our branch offices, we are getting reports that file transfers from our headquarter's Windows NT servers take "forever." Actually, the transfer times […]

We're having a lot of trouble transferring data to or from a remote Ethernet network. It's connected via two routers over a fractional T1 operating at 768 Kbps. Our Windows95 […]

Q: Our mission-critical application is based on online analytical processing (OLAP), designed for ad hoc data access and analysis. Our OLAP database is updated in a batch fashion, collecting data […]

Q : Our network infrastructure supports a major banking system and consists of more than 150 routers supporting more than 300 segments and thousands of nodes. The majority of the […]

Our original "Tales from the Net Crypt" column, which appeared on page 117 of the November 15, 1995, issue was so popular that we decided to provide our readers with […]

Our intranet supports more than 9,000 PC and Macintosh users, more than 100 Token-Rings and a few Ethernets. We are routing from Token-Ring to Ethernet and source routing between rings. […]

Q: Our network architecture generally can be described as several routed Ethernet segments spread across multiple buildings within a city block. There is usually one or two segments per floor, […]

Q: The network in our building consists of several Ethernet segments connected via a number of NetWare servers that are also routing. Many of the segments are also connected directly […]

Q: We recently joined our corporate backbone to a remote Ethernet rib using a pair of routers connected via frame relay. The remote users have access to their own local […]

Recently, a client called us in to solve some problems, recommend a segmentation scheme and provide some direction for a network architecture that would work over next several years. After […]

Nearly every protocol in networking has some form of "keep alive" or polling mechanism during periods of inactivity between a host and workstation or a server and client. These protocols […]

We recently analyzed a large corporate campus network consisting of several LAN segments interconnected by routers. Among the many problems we discovered were an abundance of broadcast traffic, this time […]

Q : There's never a dull moment in the network analysis business, and this time-solving a network problem at a nuclear power plant-was no exception. We were called in to […]

Q: Our latest sleuthing efforts find us in the midst of a Microsoft-centric network. In this case, our client's typical workstation is running Windows for Workgroups with NT Server as […]

Every now and then we have a little extra time after troubleshooting and optimizing a network. This was one of those times, so our customer asked us if we wouldn't […]

NFS is a "multiblock" protocol, in which a client can send one request and recieve multiple data packets from a server. Q : With the proliferation of TCP/IP in our […]

Q: We have recently ported a Unix application to DOS for use on our Ethernet LAN. The application runs great except when loading files. Then, the application appears to grind […]

Bridges, Protocols Key to Multivendor LANs Multiple local area network (LAN) architectures must be supported because there is never a single-architecture solution that will meet the needs of a corporation. […]

When it comes to solving critical networking problems, protocol analyzers are the tools of choice for many networking professionals. As networks evolve to incorporate newer technologies, such as ATM and […]

The LinkView 2030 is a Token-Ring analyzer that is part of Tinwald's LinkView 2000 series of network analyzers and consists of a 16-bit ISA adapter and software. Its strengths lie […]

Reports on devices used to test and troubleshoot computer infrastructures. How many protocol analyzers can detect cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors; Use of the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) by analyzers; Development of the LANMeter by Fluke Corp.; Details of other analyzers.

Evaluates the Network Monitor or NetMon from Microsoft Corp. for its Windows NT. Comparison of the Simple versus Full Versions; Description of the problem network used to test NetMon; How the software performed; NetMon's ability to interface with remote network monitor agent over a local area or wide area network; Other features.

Presents a question regarding the problem of migrating internet protocal (IP) followed by advice and suggestions on how to solve the problem.

Provides an answer to the question of slow response time for a particular application that reacts to a mainframe. Details of the mainframe; Advice and suggestions as to how to rectify the problem; Critical components involved.

Discusses the increase in complexity accompanying new flexibility features in Ethernet topology and media types. The popularity of 10BASE-T; The use of category 5 twisted-pair cable type for router-to-hub and hub-to-hub connections.

Presents an interview with the authors regarding a computer problem with access to patient data in a mission-critical network in a major hospital. Where the problem occurs, including Windows for Workgroups and Windows95 workstations; Results from analyzing packets on the clinic's Ethernet segment containing the most users of the application in question.

Presents a conversation between the two others regarding a solution for remote Ethernet users who continually receive file transfer errors. What the solution is.

Presents a discussion between the authors regarding optimization of servers. The need for protocol analysis and technical savvy; Equipment discussed; Conclusions.

Relates network computing horror stories sent in by readers of `Network Computing' magazine. Difficulty in logging onto a server; Network File System time-outs and poor network performance associated with the installation of a new Sun Microsystems application server; Workstation wiring.