Subnetting for Simpletons

Yep, that's the way it's going.

A very brief history. Two years ago everything was run via hubs and no servers. 20 pcs, 5 macs (yes, he needs 5 macs!) Management decided an sbs + exchange server and switches was the next upgrade. Macboy decides he also needed a server to serve himself and now uses it purley as a share to drop stuff into. This is a G5 running the leopard server software.

Insisted that he had a better switch than everyone else, cat6 instead of cat5, which all the macs and no pcs are attached to. After he realised that he had no part in the setup and management of said switch, insisted that he needed another switch (netgear dumb switch) that he controlled. The next step (which i've heard on the grapevine) is his own dedicated broadband connection.

Where does it end? I get along quite well with managment and they just joke about it. I've been working there for 5 years, but it's getting tiring now.

The squeakest hinge gets the oil I guess!
 
haha even greater

hes already got his own server, but believes the speed that he can access his mac server from his mac desktop is effected by the mere prescence of dirty windows devices on his network and demands to be subnetted away from them.

this guys a classic.


You can end this very easily. get him to clarify to management exactly whats slow. Then time it. Disconnect his switch from the rest and re-run and time the same task again. observe if there any improvements. Should be a 15 minute exercise at most. No difference = pointless subnetting him off.
 
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As some posts above, I would outline how pointless and costly this whole exercise is.

I would get him to PROVE to you that his network is slow and that it's because it is on the same subnet as what I presume are non-network intensive windows machines. Ask for packet captures sorted in wireshare or ethereal, put a flow recorder on the switch, ask for latency recordings at intervals throughout the day, basically get him to provide a real business case as to why you need to outlay cash and more importantly your time to speed up his poxy network.
 
The management won't be interested. He whines to them and they pass the agro on to me. Iv'e tested the entire network using a macbook at various times during the week for the past month and it runs like a dream. Even the consultant says it cannot get faster. He won't let anyone touch his macs. The consultant has told him many times to switch from appletalk, but he won't have any of it.

One of the problems comes down to macboys ill-understading of technical terminology i.e MBits/s as opposed to Mbits/s. We had a meeting where it was explained to him that he could not move a 100MB file across the network in 1 second. And even 8 seconds was not achievable. And I quote "It's pcs, there slowing down the network"

I switched off and looked out the window
 
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sounds like he needs to be fired tbh. The way he acts cant be very productive for the company.
 
agreed

its counter productive when he starts arguing he needs a whole network of his own because he thinks he should be capable of transfering files at 100 MB/s despite the fact that most consumer SATA drives can only write at around the 70 MB/s mark. Even less than that if he's got an old disk.

And thats before we mention the fact the Cretin doesnt understand that 100 MB != 100Mb
 
Well it get's better... today, I was asked if tomorrow morning I could show macboy how to set xp machines to run on a domain account.

Reasons i'm peeved.

1. I am employed to maintain all xp machines and the network. I'm self taught, and with the help of books and the internet have achieved quite a good understanding of both. Am I know expected to educate other people for free so that they can balls up and blame me down the line.

2. I do not even get along with macboy and now they expect me show him how to do stuff? Wouldn't I be shooting myself in the foot. If he knows how to setup x, y and z, why do they need me anymore?

3. Where does it end? Teach him how the network runs, give him access to the server.

4. What am I getting in return? The feeling of being shafted, that's what.

Moan over.
 
Sorry I have nothing to contribute towards the technical side of this thread, but why not put a cost saving proposal over 5 years to the management that recommends the removal of the Mac hardware from the business??? Does your company really need them and rely on them? I am sure you could add macboy to the cost savings.

You are far more patient that me, I would have lamped him a good one several times over.
 
Personally if network access is slow it could be one of many reasons.

Are all clients connecting to the same switch?
What is the subnet size?
What type of traffic is being transmitted? Voice? Video? Data?
What is the speed on the switch and or interconnects?
Are the servers running at 100Mbs/1Gbps?
Are the server network adapters teamed?

These are all valid questions, if your all connected too the same switch vlan's may help but it depends if your exceeding the forwarding rate of the switch backplane.

If you want to Vlan the network you will firstly need a vlan capable layer 2/3 switch with native support for IEEE 802.1Q.

Should you have only a later 2 switch youll also need a router to provide inter vlan routing so that traffic can pass between different subnets (See Image)

20060718154607V2.jpg


I would also check that the MAC is running TCP/IP and not Appletalk or IPX which really doesn't work well on an IP network.


I would highly advise you purchase decent, reliable manageable equipment and throw any off the shelf goods straight into the bin, the Cisco Catalyst Express 500 series switches would be my choice for yourself as they don't require any knowledge of the CLI to setup.
 
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Curiosityx said:
I would also check that the MAC is running TCP/IP and not Appletalk or IPX which really doesn't work well on an IP network.
Click to expand...

We've had a meetings regarding this issue at least twice. We hire a consultant that has told him each time to ditch appletalk and use tcp/ip. Macfans having none of it. And once again, management shrug their shoulders and tell us to leave him to it.

And in 3 months time comes the same old question "Is the network slow, can you look into it?"
 
joey1211 said:
Those are the ones we have. I couldn't for the life of me remember their model names when I originally posted.

The replacements he bought himself were Netgear dumb switches. Says it all.
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Little trick, enable port security on the Cat 500's on a per port basis and check that spanning tree is enabled globally, then let him try and plug another netgear switch in.


We've had a meetings regarding this issue at least twice. We hire a consultant that has told him each time to ditch appletalk and use tcp/ip. Macfans having none of it. And once again, management shrug their shoulders and tell us to leave him to it.
Click to expand...

You cant help him then, appletalk is awful at the best of times and certainly shouldn't come anywhere near TCP/IP. It can be switched relatively effectively but not using netgear equipment...oh dear



Ps: Please post his email address! ;)
 
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Management have already agreed that he's to have his own little switch and subnet, so this is a no-no.

I hope to call a meeting tomorrow morning and lay it on the line. I'm either running the network or not. Setting up and maintaining xp workstations, or not. I'm not about to take on an apprentice without a MAJOR payrise.
 
Curiosityx said:
Please post his email address!
Click to expand...

He also decide 3 years ago to use his own email address *****@yahoo.co.uk. The most unproffesionnal thing i've seen! If he can't manage the technical side then he does his own thing. Of course, management put up with his little power trip.

50% of the blame is on their side, that they've not pulled him into line and instead let him do as he wants.
 
joey1211 said:
He also decide 3 years ago to use his own email address *****@yahoo.co.uk. The most unproffesionnal thing i've seen! If he can't manage the technical side then he does his own thing. Of course, management put up with his little power trip.

50% of the blame is on their side, that they've not pulled him into line and instead let him do as he wants.
Click to expand...

I thank god everyday that i dont have to deal with these idiots anymore, i now live in a world of AUP's and no nonsense IT managers who hate users...oh the joy!
 
joey1211 said:
Management have already agreed that he's to have his own little switch and subnet, so this is a no-no.

I hope to call a meeting tomorrow morning and lay it on the line. I'm either running the network or not. Setting up and maintaining xp workstations, or not. I'm not about to take on an apprentice without a MAJOR payrise.
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you need to walk away from this buddy

As others have said, we know why he's probably experiencing problems. He's running appletalk, and attempting to do so using a crap netgear switch. If he just used TCP/IP and connected to the cisco switch he'd be fine

Lay this on the line with the management, you know whats wrong, he disagrees with you and the consultant.

Your the one employed to look after the network ,they either go with you or him. They choose, because they either trust you to look after the network or they dont.

If they choose him you leave. Simple as
 
MrLOL said:
you need to walk away from this buddy
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Hope to do so anytime soon. Applying for suitable jobs left, right and centre. But the day in, day out aggro is really getting stressfull. Sometimes you think that they are trying to get rid of you. I've brought the situation up twice and management say "We really don't want you to go and we'll sort it out." Yeah, right!

My mindest at the moment is "Give in and you'll regret it for the rest of your life, stay strong and 5 years down the line you'll find it funny"
 
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this type of small businessman who run your company wont ever grow a pair

its not admitting defeat, its learning from your mistakes.

These type of small business' you only ever work for once. Everybody i know who'se worked with small business' has had the same experience, that there's an office idiot whose been employed for "a long time" who the bosses refuse to do anything about and just tell everybody to put up with them.
 
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