Optimising the Novell client
John Sheesley
Published: 18 Feb 2003 16:15 GMT
Check your network card
Many performance problems can arise as a result of problems with the workstation's NIC. The fact that the card seems to be operating properly doesn't mean it's operating optimally.
Start by making sure the network card driver you're using is the proper one for the card. Frequently, Windows 2000 installs the wrong network card driver for a NIC when it autodetects the card. Windows 2000 makes the best guess it can based on the chips it detects during the autodetection routine; however, on many generic cards, it guesses wrong. You can check the installed driver in the Local Area Network Connections Properties page.
You should obtain and install the proper and latest version of the NIC driver for the card. If you need to reinstall the driver, click the Configure button in Local Area Network Connections and then select the Driver tab. Click the Update Driver tab. When the wizard opens, go through the screens and select the new driver, either from a manufacturer's CD-ROM or from an updated driver that you download from the Internet.
If you have the wrong driver altogether, you have a lot of work to do. First, obtain the proper driver from the NIC maker or from the Internet. Next, uninstall the Novell Client along with all of the other protocols and clients on the workstation. Remove the wrong driver from Device Manager in My Computer. After that, you can run the Hardware Wizard to install the proper driver. Finally, reinstall the Novell Client and any other client or protocol you need.
Even if you're running the proper driver for the NIC, it doesn't mean that the driver is configured properly. Commonly a NIC's duplex settings will be set incorrectly. A NIC can either be set to full-duplex mode or half-duplex mode. In full-duplex mode, a NIC can transmit and receive data at the same time. In half-duplex mode, the NIC can transmit data or receive data, but not both at the same time.
What most dictates how the NIC can transmit is whether the card connects to a hub or a switch at the other end. Switches usually support full duplex, while hubs do not. Check your hub or switch to see which duplex mode it supports. Then, check the settings for the NIC to make sure it matches.
You can verify the setting by clicking Configure in Local Area Connection Settings. Check the Advanced tab. The exact value you'll change to indicate full-duplex or half-duplex mode will vary from NIC to NIC. Avoid an autodetect setting, because if the NIC autodetects and misconfigures itself, it may try communicating with the wrong duplex setting, which definitely will slow down network transmissions.
Tinker, tailor, soldier (on), spy (your performance)
The Novell Client is a complex piece of software. Getting the peak performance out of it can be a difficult task, but if you follow some basic steps and experiment with different settings, you can eventually find the best settings for your workstations. Keep an eye out for configurations that may lead to instability or reduced safety as the result of increased speed.
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