After troubleshooting similar problems with TCP Retransmissions and TCP Dup 
Acks for 4 weeks! (WireShark was a great tool), we came to the solid conclusion 
that the new Broadcom NICs (HP NC373i) in our new HP DL 380G5 servers were to 
blame.  (this is not isolated to HP, as noted on other forums, some IBM Servers 
with the same card that showed similar problems)  After replacing the Broadcom 
cards with Intel cards (HP NC101T), ALL our networking problems went away.

 

Check/swap the card type and retest.

 

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?admit=109447626+1198247493836+28353475&threadId=1153566

 

 

 

First we noticed really strange upload vs download speed differences.  Oddly 
enough, we could download fairly well, but uploads speeds were horrible.  Then 
after seeing the TCP problems in Wireshark, I started 3 weeks ago researching 
the TCP Window Sizes, TCP1323 options, and all these other TCP setting that are 
configurable in Windows:

 

 

http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=157

 

SG TCP Optimizer – good tool, didn’t help, but simplified the testing of 
changing the reg keys

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

 

 

Slow performance occurs when you copy data to a TCP server by using a Windows 
Sockets API program

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/823764

 

 

And if you are using Vista, you have bigger problems.  Do all your testing with 
XP if you still can.  The auto-tuning in Vista caused me to initially waste an 
entire week:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931770

 

 

 

 

The FTP connection does not use all available bandwidth to download a file in 
Windows Server 2003

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/891371

This one talks about modifying the TCPWindowSize reg key.  Tried it, didn’t 
change anything.

 

 

 

Is your Server 2003 running slow on the network? Check the TCP stack.

http://www.devcow.com/weblogs/Is+Your+Server+2003+Running+Slow+On+The+Network++Check+The+TCP+Stack.aspx

 

 

I had a few more links, but these are the best.  You can search Google for them 
yourself.  Just search for any of the reg keys these articles mention.

 

 

As I said, after 3 weeks of testing every reg key combination, by luck, I 
tested with a different NIC card, and all my problems went away.

(as a side note, we did have a few duplex mismatch problems, so ALWAYS hard 
code both the switch and the host. )

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Feeny, Michael 
(GWM-CAI)
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 8:52 AM
To: wireshark-users@wireshark.org
Subject: [Wireshark-users] TCP Question - Retransmissions vs. Window Size

 

Hello.

This may not be a Wireshark question – it is really a TCP question.  To that 
end, if there is a good TCP forum to which I should post this, and similar 
questions, please let me know.

Recently, there have been 2 occasions where colleagues have seen 
retransmissions occurring, and they have been blaming this on the TCP Window 
Size being too small, and want to increase it.  My response is:

-       If the TCP Window size was too small, they would see conditions where 
the receiver’s window size goes to zero (or very small), and the sender stops 
sending until a window update is received showing a bigger window size.  They 
are NOT seeing this.

-       I cannot think of a scenario where a too-small TCP Window size would 
cause retransmissions.  (Can anyone in this forum???)

Can anyone comment on my assertions?  And, can you point me to a good TCP forum?

Thx much!

Michael Feeny

Merrill Lynch

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