Conflict of IP Address on Novell 5 network w/ Win98 clients

[CTR]

sys:\system\console.log

If you are running conlog, that is. Check you autoexec.ncf file and I believe the first line should be "load conlog" or just "conlog" since it is NW5. It's been a while, so I could be wrong about the nlm.

 

[0vercast]

<< sys:\system\console.log

If you are running conlog, that is. Check you autoexec.ncf file and I believe the first line should be &quot;load conlog&quot; or just &quot;conlog&quot; since it is NW5. It's been a while, so I could be wrong about the nlm. >>



sorry, no log file exists. the best i can do is show you the 4 errors on the console screen right now.

 

[CTR]

So this answers my previous question about whether you were seeing corresponding messages on the client and server. Would it be possible for you to put a host on a segment local to the server, ie NOT linked to it by the L3 switch? Config it for DHCP and see if you can reproduce the problem. Ideally you could grab a PC that is already experiencing this problem.

Are you familiar with the Novell DNS/DHCP tool?

 

[MSS]

CTR,

You're right about conlog. The file can be specified in autoexec.ncf so Overcast check autoexec.ncf for a path to conlog - otherwise it should be in sys:etc\console.log.

Check your scope/s to see if the first address in the scope/s is an exclusion (also if these addresses are listed as exclusions). I've had problems with admins excluding addresses within a scope and while you should be able to do this it's better to move those addresses out and assign an exclusion scope. Also, if there a static first address in the scope, DHCP will ping this address every time even if it is listed as an exclusion.

I think you really need to put a sniffer on the wire. It's possible that the DHCP requests from the client get to the server, the server DHCPACKS back and the ACK doesn't get to the client.

You mentioned you opened a service call with Novell. Did they/you make sure that your DHCP table is not corrupt?

 

[0vercast]

<< So this answers my previous question about whether you were seeing corresponding messages on the client and server. Would it be possible for you to put a host on a segment local to the server, ie NOT linked to it by the L3 switch? Config it for DHCP and see if you can reproduce the problem. Ideally you could grab a PC that is already experiencing this problem.

Are you familiar with the Novell DNS/DHCP tool? >>



It's not really possible for me to do anything. What I am going to do is continue to show this thread to the people who can as long as ideas keep coming in.

I have been tinkering with the DNS/DHCP tool. I understand it pretty well, but there's still a good amount of details that are over my head at this point.

 

[0vercast]

<< You mentioned you opened a service call with Novell. Did they/you make sure that your DHCP table is not corrupt? >>



It's actually a third party consultant we work with. I do believe he checked that.

 

[CTR]

At this point I would take Spidey's advice and escalate it with the consultant. Don't call they guy who comes out -- call his boss or even his boss' boss. If you are not an important person within your company, have somebody important do it for you. If I was either your Novell or your Cisco consultant and this was happening, I would fix it instead of pointing fingers. I'd pick on the Novell consultant. Or get new consultants and send the bill to your old consultants when the new ones fix it. You obviously don't have the resources or the in-depth knowledge to fix this problem, so find someone who does.

 

[MSS]

Let us know how everything works out. You have certainly piqued some curiosity here. Best of luck.

 

[0vercast]

<< Let us know how everything works out. You have certainly piqued some curiosity here. Best of luck. >>



The whole problem around here is that our network was thrown together by people with no novell experience and in many cases, barely any networking experience. Now we have our consultant trying to make everything right. To make things more difficult, we are a County Government Center. This means there are 100 steps that have to be taken before you can even think about doing something productive, and even then, someone may come along and tell you to stop.

I suspect this problem won't be fixed until our leases are up at the end of 2002 and we start over from scratch. If they somehow are, I'll try to remember to let you guys know what happened.