Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ogicse!mintaka!bloom-beacon!vaxeline!backman
From: backman@vaxeline.COM (Larry Backman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: IPX packets going through one server to get to another
Message-ID: <1197@vaxeline.COM>
Date: 22 Oct 90 14:08:19 GMT
References: <2868.271e3313@zeus.unomaha.edu>
Reply-To: backman@vaxeline.ftp.com.UUCP (Larry Backman)
Organization: FTP Software, Inc.
Lines: 40

In article <2868.271e3313@zeus.unomaha.edu> network@zeus.unomaha.edu writes:
>
>   We have multiple Novell file servers on the campus, nearly all v2.15
>and all individualy bridged from our Ethernet backbone. 
>   I did some packet tracing with our network analyzer and found that when
>a station on one bridged network logged in to a server on another bridged
>Novell network, that they would pass ALL of their IPX traffic via a third
>file server which is also bridged from the backbone.  It would be a different
>'third' file server at different times.
>   The packets had their final destination within the packet, but their
>destination address in the packet header was allways the 'third' file server.
>
You are running into the dreaded Novell RIP protocol.  All Netware servers
can also be Netware routeres as they  have RIP (XNS derived) protocol
embedded within them.

When a workstation comes up it issues a GET_NEAREST_SERVER NCP (netware
Core Protocol) packet.  This is a broadcast query which *ALL* Netware
servers reply to.  The worksdtation picks the first reply (Fastest or
nearest) server as its default server.

Now the user tries to log onto another server.  The login program
comes fromt he inital server, and if the target server does not have
the same Novell network number as the initial server, RIP protocol
determines a rouet (read two hops!) to the target server.  I believe that
this is the behavior that you are seeing.

Suggestion:  if your network is really bridged rather than routed, make
sure all Netware servers that are bridged to thwe backbone have the same
network number.  This should alleviate the two hop syndrome.  If you
have different media, Netware subnets, etc. put two cards in the server,
the first (Net A!!!!) should be connected to your backbone ethernet, and
the second (Net B) is connected to the workgroup's media.  Remember
that all servers on the ethernet should have the same network address.



					Larry Backman 
					backman@ftp.com
					.