Network slowdown and hicups

Hello all, a bit about my office network:

Total 5 pc's:
3 pc's connect to a HUB (1 of them is the server)
2 pc's connect to a dsl router (the HUB is also connected to this router)

The server runs smooth, never any problems with the network... the other systems have problems...

Sometimes while all pc's is running smooth, 1 will decide to slow down talking to the server... it will still talk, but very slow. After a while it will go back to normal. Then another will slow and do the same thing. Every so often 2 or 3 will slow down then go back to normal.

Other times all pc's will lose connections with the server for a second or 2 (which brings up errors on the 4 pc's because they can not read anything off the server)

I've tried a diffrent HUB, but it still does the same thing... i've tried reseting the HUB and router... it "seems" like it helps, but I'm not 100%. It could just be timeing.

Thoughts?

Thanks all!

Do you have a "hub" or a "switch"? Have you thought about an 8 port switch?

Grumpy

Better than a hub!

Grumpy

thanks lyleb, i'll try that software out and report back.

Quick and simple. During the periods of the slowdowns, look for any IP addresses that are having an extreme amount of activity.

If you don't see anything there, then the network hardware is most likely OK.

The problem may reside in the software on the Server. Microsoft patches keep me busily employed
Server system resources? What percentage of the Server memory is in use? Are the swap files to large?
Look for issues like these.

Have you tried a new network card in the Server?

Good luck with it.

Ok, here is a schematic of how I’m thinking it should be setup from your guys responses…

The reason I have PC5 going to the 2-Wire Router instead of the Switch is because of convenience, they sit next to each other… or am I better off running a line from PC5 to the switch anyway?


Thanks again all!

Your idea about replacing the hubs seems to be more legitimate.

One or two small switches should be able to handle the network traffic.

It would be a better idea to separate the POS and internet traffic until it
reaches the router.

I couldn't guess when I was last troubleshooting a hub on a business network

Any chance you can run the wire from the (internet computers) switch directly to the router instead of going through the other switch?

What I was suggesting is separating the network at the router.

That way the POS systems do not share the same wire path with the
internet stuff.

Internet computers
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switch 1
||
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Internet Router --or POS5 here if necessary
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switch 2
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POS1 - POS5