[TriLUG] Linux DNS Server issues with DOS client

[Aaron S. Joyner]

Roy Vestal wrote:

> ... The problem: When it tries to map this drive, it fails 8 times
> before it finally is able to map the drive.  This happens from ANY
> network drop I have on this private network. And it is exactly 8
> failures EVERY time. I cannot manually map from the DOS diskette. I've
> tried to manually do this 10 times in a row, so I have to put it in a
> bat file to make it loop. ...

There were several good suggestions on this thread of possible solutions
such as a WINS server, but if it hasn't been resolved, have you
considered the network?  Spanning tree on a managed switch will
introduce behavior very much like what you're describing, because that
port won't be active for a certain time after boot.  It goes something
like this:
1. Boot computer
2. Load OS
3. OS initializes Ethernet card driver
4. Switch notices link come up on switch port
5. Switch starts spanning tree process, blocks all traffic
6. Your loop starts trying to talk to the network
7. Switch decides ~30 seconds later that your not causing a network loop
8. Switch allows traffic through your port
9. Your loop gets to it's 8th iteration and magically starts working

Just a thought, and hopefully may help other people with similar
problems.  :)  This is a relatively common problem with systems that
boot quickly on managed switches.

Aaron S. Joyner