Microsoft Network Diagnostic Tools for Ethernet Revised April, 2007

Distributed software applications such as RSView32 Active Display and RSView SE rely on a robust and reliable network foundation. The intent of this document is to provide some basic Microsoft network diagnostic utilities and internet references to allow you to examine the quality and performance of your Ethernet network, prior to deploying a distributed application. For those who may need assistance interpreting the results of these utilities, or simply wish to hire a network professional to perform advanced tests, we have also included a link for more information on Rockwell Automation Industrial Network Services.

Network Diagnostics

When troubleshooting an Ethernet TCP/IP based system, the first tools that usually come to mind are the - line utilities like , PING, and . These utilities are available in virtually all Windows Operating Systems (for more information on any of these commands use Windows’ online ). However, Windows XP and Server 2003 include a new graphical Network Diagnostics utility that performs many of those same functions – and more.

To use Network Diagnostics, you must first launch System Information by clicking > Run and entering “msinfo32”. Next, choose Diagnostics from the Tools menu.

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Click Set scanning options to choose the tests you wish to perform. For Rockwell Software distributed applications, you would typically select the following: ƒ Ping ƒ Connect ƒ Show ƒ Verbose ƒ Save to Desktop

ƒ Computer Information ƒ Operating System ƒ Windows Version ƒ Network Adapters ƒ Domain Name System (DNS) ƒ Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) ƒ Default Gateways ƒ Internet Protocol Address

Now click Scan your system (depending on what you selected, the scanning process can take several minutes). When the scan is complete, look for any items that are marked “FAILED”, expand those categories, and then view the additional details about what the testing showed. You can either use that information to resolve the issue or you can provide the information to a network support professional.

NETDIAG.EXE

Another lesser known and slightly more advanced command-line diagnostic tool is NETDIAG.EXE. NETDIAG is not installed with the OS by default, but is added to your 2000/2003/XP system when you install the Windows Support Tools from the respective operating system (to install the Windows Support Tools, browse to \Support\Tools\Setup.exe. The version of NETDIAG can also be downloaded from Microsoft here). Although very similar to the graphical Network Diagnostics utility, this tool has some additional tests that can be useful for troubleshooting domain controller related issues.

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Network Monitor

Another potentially useful graphical utility included only with the 2000 & 2003 server OS’s is Microsoft Network Monitor (Lite version). Network Monitor captures network traffic for display and analysis. It allows you to perform tasks such as analyzing real- (or previously captured) traffic on your network. The Network Monitor utility typically must be installed using Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Add/Remove Windows Components and selecting the Network Monitor Tools subcomponent under the Management and Monitoring Tools components. After installation, the utility’s shortcut is located in the Program Files > Administrative Tools folder. For more information on Network Monitor, use the Help Topics menu item located on the Help menu:

Note: As of February 2007, Network Monitor 3.0 is available for download. This version has a number of improvements and the added benefit that it will also run on Windows XP Professional.

There are also numerous 3rd party protocol analyzers and discovery tools available via the Internet such as Ethereal and NetworkView.

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