Unexplained Network Speed slowdown

networkingwindows-server-2003

I manage a Windows Small Business server network of 12 computers including desktops & laptops all running Windows XP (Pro). We use a D-Link Switch connected to a router for internet connectivity. Recently the network speed slows down to the point of making our core sales & inventory management software unusable. I have tried switching off the router & network switch and re-starting the server but this does not help much. What could be causing the slowdown?

Best Answer

There are a few things you could try, including but not limited to:

  1. Does the same slowdown happen if you connect directly into the switch?
  2. What kind of wiring does the building have? If it is old, this could be the issue.
  3. Run wireshark to see if you have any strange traffic on a slow machine, whether that be collisions or some other packets out of the ordinary.
  4. Do you have some sort of monitoring/graphing on the router? It is possible one of the connected PCs is running P2P, malware, or other software which could be using up the local or internet bandwidth?
  5. If all else fails, what happens if you replace the network equipment?

I would break this problem down into parts - start at the core of the network and work your way out until you figure out what the problem is. And please share the ultimate fix! :)

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