Server connection issues

mato · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:12

Hi All

So I have a home server running Server 2012 and am getting some connection issues.

I have a Ventrilo running on the server and 2 PCs in the house connect to the Ventrilo server using the IP. About once every 15 minutes, 1 of the PCs will disconnect from Ventrilo and be unable to re-connect (it happens to both PCs but normally only one at once).

Whilst the connection is down, I still have internet connectivity on the affected PC and can ping my router, but trying to ping or tracert the server does nothing, just times out.
This normally resolves itself between 30sec-3min later.

Any ideas on where I should start? Thanks.

Orcvader · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:16

How is the network set up? Is the server using a static IP? Is the static IP outside the DHCP range?

mato · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:22

Yes static IP, no it's inside the DHCP range.

Router is 192.168.2.1 (DHCP range 192.168.2.2 - 192.168.2.101)
Server has static IP 192.168.2.2

joey1211 · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:23

You should not have any static IPs within the DHCP range

Orcvader · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:27

joey1211 said:
You should not have any static IPs within the DHCP range

This, you need to set it outside the range to prevent any possible IP conflicts.

But how are the PCs and server connected to the router?

paradigm · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:35

Or, don't bother with a static IP, but instead configure the server to have a DHCP reservation so it always gets the same IP from the DHCP server.

(Or or, configure the reservation, but leave it statically assigned on the server)

joey1211 · 15 Jun 2016 at 12:46

I'd be assigning static ip to all cabled items.

Router: 192.168.2.1
PCs: 192.168.2.11-99
Servers/NASs: 192.168.2.100-149
DHCP Range: 192.168.2.170-179 (You can change this on the router)

mato · 15 Jun 2016 at 13:35

So when I say it has a static IP I mean I've set it up in my router with an address reservation for 192.168.2.2 and then also in the TCP/IP settings on the server I've set it manually to 192.168.2.2

Could this still cause conflicts then?

Also just to confirm both PCs and server are connected to the router by ethernet

bremen1874 · 15 Jun 2016 at 14:38

That should be okay. The reservation will never get used, but it will stop the IP from getting allocated to another device.

When the connection goes down can the two PCs ping each other?

Any Powerline adapters on the network?

mato · 16 Jun 2016 at 01:20

bremen1874 said:
That should be okay. The reservation will never get used, but it will stop the IP from getting allocated to another device.

When the connection goes down can the two PCs ping each other?

Any Powerline adapters on the network?

Not sure re pinging the other PC, will check tomorrow. And yes, sorry should have said, all are connected by Powerline. I know the affected PC can ping he router OK when the connection goes down but I'll test pinging the other machine

bremen1874 · 16 Jun 2016 at 01:32

I'd get everything physically connected and see if the problem goes away.

Network cables are cheap, and if it's happening as often as you suggest you won't need to keep them connected for too long.

There a few ways Powerline adapters could be causing problems, and completely removing them is the quickest way to see.

Steveocee · 16 Jun 2016 at 07:42

Firewall fully open on the server also? I dropped a clanger when I re installed mumble over the weekend and I didn't open up both tcp and udp ports in the firewall. It worked and I could connect but some behaviour was a little wayward, ie server ping or current users wasn't showing. Opened up the other protocol and things returned to normal.