Server 2003 issues

[gntlkilr]

Ok, I'm running a full Gig network except for my media computer, which is running wireless G (802.11g)/54Mbps/Excellent Signal. Running XP with WMP 11

My server is a Dual P3 1Ghz/ 2 Gb PC133 RAM/SATA II controllers on the HDD's. I'm running Server 2003 on it

Here's my problem. I'll be streaming video off my server and it starts jerking and pausing like its buffering. It just stops, then starts up again but real jerky-like. This was never a problem up until a few weeks ago. Its not my media computer, cuz I can stream video off my other computers perfectly fine. So it's not my network. What can cause that in Server 03? I don't know exactly how the damn thing works, and I'm about ready to "upgrade" to Win 2000 Advanced Server. All I want to do is watch my anime in peace. LOL

[Luke122]

I'd check a couple things.. fragmentation on the HDD's, Windows Automatic updating, and power management.

Also, make sure the server isnt using any type of screen saver other than a screen blanker.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Here's my problem. I'll be streaming video off my server and it starts jerking and pausing like its buffering. It just stops, then starts up again but real jerky-like. This was never a problem up until a few weeks ago.

Sounds like its just the machine on wifi playing up soo ... Anyone move in next door or get a new router? If so they could be running wifi on the same waveband as you and it could be causing dropouts and lost packets when they get home and fire it all up (or use their decades old microwave which is slowly cooking their liver at the same time cos it leaks so bad). Can hit the same issue if one of your neighbour started using a 2.4Ghz cordless phone.

I'd try all the frequencies you can set your router to one by one and see if one is cleaner than the others.

:)

[gntlkilr]

Sounds like its just the machine on wifi playing up soo ... Anyone move in next door or get a new router? If so they could be running wifi on the same waveband as you and it could be causing dropouts and lost packets when they get home and fire it all up (or use their decades old microwave which is slowly cooking their liver at the same time cos it leaks so bad). Can hit the same issue if one of your neighbour started using a 2.4Ghz cordless phone.

I'd try all the frequencies you can set your router to one by one and see if one is cleaner than the others.

:)

No, it's not that. The wifi works great playing video from any other PC, just the server. Checked the signal freq's first thing, actually. They be clean.




I'd check a couple things.. fragmentation on the HDD's, Windows Automatic updating, and power management.

Also, make sure the server isnt using any type of screen saver other than a screen blanker.


Luke, its not the HDDs or the updating, cuz I have updating off. I do it manually once a week through Windiz. Not MS. The screen saver isn't the issue, no monitor on the thing, I remote in with VNC. Power Management is good too. Just check that too.

Not a clue, I think I'm gonna try Linux and Advanced Server 2000 see whats works better. Ah well, gives me a reason to reminisce about the good old days.

It might be my hardware. It is older. Ah well.

[Luke122]

All the unnecessary services are disabled? Event viewer shows nothing unusual?

[gntlkilr]

All the unnecessary services are disabled? Event viewer shows nothing unusual?

yup. Thus the reason I'm thinking that the mobo/proc/ram isn't fast enough to really handle server 2k3. no worries, gives me a reason to play with linux/samba in a server config. heh

[Luke122]

a dual P3 1ghz w/2gb ram should be fast enough.. hdd's in raid?

[Luke122]

if that box is only going to be serving files, why not just install win98 and VLC?

I suppose the dual cpus might cause a problem then.. hmm.. nt4 or win2000?

[Airbozo]

...
Anyone know if Ubuntu has Multi-proc support/utilization, off of the top of their head?

-Jeremy

Pretty much any linux kernel since 1995 (or before) has MP support.

Any new distro, it is already part of the kernel.

[SgtM]

Fedora 7 FTW guys!

[Crazy Buddhist]

No, it's not that. The wifi works great playing video from any other PC, just the server. Checked the signal freq's first thing, actually. They be clean.

And the server streams OK to a wired machine? or not? If not I would look at more general issues like making sure no auto-defrag or anything is going on, virus/malware etc. If yes then this is a weird one for sure. Maybe a botttleneck in your router between the Gigabit link to the server and then throttling down to the 54Mb/s wifi ?? i'm thinking out of the box (i.e. mildly stumped).


Linux does a fine job it must be said. Ubuntu works straight out of the box. Ubuntu ultimate is going on this machine soon I think.

:)

[gntlkilr]

And the server streams OK to a wired machine? or not? If not I would look at more general issues like making sure no auto-defrag or anything is going on, virus/malware etc. If yes then this is a weird one for sure. Maybe a botttleneck in your router between the Gigabit link to the server and then throttling down to the 54Mb/s wifi ?? i'm thinking out of the box (i.e. mildly stumped).


Linux does a fine job it must be said. Ubuntu works straight out of the box. Ubuntu ultimate is going on this machine soon I think.

:)

No, it jumps to any machine. Not just to the media computer. No virus/malware. The bottleneck might be an issue, but I doubt it. What I'm thinking is Ubuntu. I just haven't a clue on running it as a server. But I'll work it. Heh.


EDIT:
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm an idiot. The wireless strength was "Low". I adjusted the gain on my router, got a longer antenna for my media PC and it works fine. I did what I always B*&ch about, I didn't pay attention to the details. Ah well. Thanks for the help anyways!

[Crazy Buddhist]

EDIT:
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm an idiot. The wireless strength was "Low". I adjusted the gain on my router, got a longer antenna for my media PC and it works fine. I did what I always B*&ch about, I didn't pay attention to the details. Ah well. Thanks for the help anyways!

So it was a wifi bottleneck +general loviliness to me :D

[gntlkilr]

So it was a wifi bottleneck +general loviliness to me :D

I'll give you that one.

[Crazy Buddhist]

I'll give you that one.

It was fairly obvious from what you'd posted it was wifi related - it's packet loss behaviour. The resending of packets causes the drop outs. You are right always start from the beginning with the details and work logically and diagnostics is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

[nil8]

Try turning off QoS on the network card's properties. In real enviroments it's is a useful tool. In SOHO networks, not so much.

If your server is wired, try streaming with your laptop plugged into a wired connection. See if it does the same thing. If so, it's your wireless. If not, then it's something else.

I highly doubt that S2k3 is what is causing your problems. It's designed to deal with massive amounts of data without throughput issues, and sorry, but a streaming video isn't exactly taxing on that OS. It could be on your hardware, but I don't think so. I ran a 500 mhz fileserver running Server 2k for years without issue.

[gntlkilr]

It was fairly obvious from what you'd posted it was wifi related - it's packet loss behaviour. The resending of packets causes the drop outs. You are right always start from the beginning with the details and work logically and diagnostics is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

I assumed that the signal was good. My bad. Heh

[Crazy Buddhist]

I assumed that the signal was good. My bad. Heh

Nah ... it's all honey ... we only learn by learning .. the biggest mistake in life is not learning from your mistakes - thats all. You'd already said it was streaming fine everywhere else which meant it had nothing to do with the server and everything to do with the connection.

:)

[gntlkilr]

Nah ... it's all honey ... we only learn by learning .. the biggest mistake in life is not learning from your mistakes - thats all. You'd already said it was streaming fine everywhere else which meant it had nothing to do with the server and everything to do with the connection.

:)


And what have we learned form this boys and girls? Thats right, Always Check the Signal.

LOL