We have 10 network cabinets, 250 computers (nt AND xp), all linking back to a central cab with the server (Win2k). All the computers plugged into only certain cabs are running very very slow, on any network communication between cabs or back to the server. I am really really confused, with this problem, we have shut down the whole network, and brought it back up, cabinet by cabinet, but it still persists. Any suggestions, what is my next step. This network has been working without any problems for over two years. The Cabs contain Micronet SP616D Etherfast 10/100 Mbps Switch the cabs are connected using Fibre Micronet SP372F 100Base-TX to 100Base-FX Thanks for any help, or advice

I don't think I can help with speciffics but heres a few suggestions that hopefully will be helpfull. Something broadcasting on certain segments possibly ? Could you try swapping the hardware from one of the ok cabs with the harware from a slow one to see if the fault goes with it or not ? That would identify if the problem was with the switches or elsewhere on that segment. Do you have any monitoring tools ? if the switches are configorable than maybe a badly set priority could cause it. Could they have dropped from 100Mbps to 10 ? I've had this happen with 3com and netgear switches due to minor cabling faults and electrical interfearence. (sorry about the spelling, too busy to spell check)

will i would like to help you , in my organization , i face this problem too , it makes to me a big headch , i stayed one month and a half trying to know what causing this problem , it was a virus spreading everywhere name Qhoust i think , that make everything slow, network , internet everything , what i did is that isolated from spreading by a software firewall , i let the user access the email and the internet but not the local network or printer sharing for a while , until i cleaned the virus from the infected computers . you must make sure that ISA server is installed in windows 2000 , by using proxy firewall ..

It cannot be caused by a virus since the problem is occuring in one cabinet only, then within a same brocast domain. This is an indication that the problem may belong to the layer 1 or 2. Are you using VLANs with fiber trunk connection ? Danny

it was just an Idea , if he using VLAN then there is a broadcasting with this certain cabs , and i think he should check the end of the cables and network interface cards . will that depend on your answer steve.

i forgot to mention that also broadcasting can comes from a viruses .

Thank you for your interesting suggestions, it turned out to be 6 fibre convertor ports in the main cabinet, that were causing the slow connection. Cheers, Steve