Solve intermittent network connection issue – ping request timed out

By
Jayce Ooi
-
Last modified on

There are 2 networks in my lab environment. 1 test network and 1 general IT network connection. Test network is used for communication between test server, PQIUHC and UUT – for all the testing purpose. Test network is an isolated network. On the other hand, general IT network is used to connect to all other networks such as Internet, other lab or factory network. Test server has 2 NIC (1 connect to test network and 1 connect to general IT network)

My customer reported he failed to connect to test server from his UUT. Network failed intermittently. The simple way to test network connection is using command prompt to test it. Key in ‘ping -t testserver‘ (replace testserver with your IP) in command prompt. In normal condition, you will get ‘Reply from testserver: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=125‘. Else you will get ‘Request timed out‘ if the server network is totally out of service. However, sometime you get reply from it and sometime don’t. This is what we call intermittent network issue.

There are many factor that can cause this issue to happen. Hardware might the one that causing the problem but very less percentage unless your hardware is very old. Another one is caused by software. Finally, human’s mistake. Most of the time, it is caused by ourselves.

For this case, it is caused by human error. Somehow, there is cable from general IT switch link go to test network switch. Therefore, whenever PQIUHC or UUT want to talk to test server. They will face problem to connect to test server due to there are 2 routes (test network and general IT network). So intermittent network issue will happen. Only 1 route is allowed in this case. All we need to do is unplug the cable between these 2 switches and everything back to normal again… 🙂

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

16 COMMENTS

  6. Hey, guys i am having troubles with the following website: sundance.org (i keep getting a network time out) all other websites work fine…ppl help…

    ipconfig /release (there is a space between ipconfig and /)
    ipconfig /renew (the first command removes your old IP, this second one polls for a new one)

    Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
    (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>
    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>TRACERT sundance.org

    Tracing route to sundance.org [208.110.150.7]
    over a maximum of 30 hops:

    1 <1 ms <1 ms
    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>TRACERT [-d] sundance.org
    Unable to resolve target system name [-d].

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>tracert

    Usage: tracert [-d] [-h maximum_hops] [-j host-list] [-w timeout] target_name

    Options:
    -d Do not resolve addresses to hostnames.
    -h maximum_hops Maximum number of hops to search for target.
    -j host-list Loose source route along host-list.
    -w timeout Wait timeout milliseconds for each reply.

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>-d
    ‘-d’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
    operable program or batch file.

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>[-d]
    ‘[-d]’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
    operable program or batch file.

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>-d
    ‘-d’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
    operable program or batch file.

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>d
    ‘d’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
    operable program or batch file.

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>Tracert sundance.org

    Tracing route to sundance.org [208.110.150.7]
    over a maximum of 30 hops:

    1 <1 ms <1 ms
    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>ping sundance.org

    Pinging sundance.org [208.110.150.7] with 32 bytes of data:

    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.

    Ping statistics for 208.110.150.7:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>ipconfig /release

    Windows IP Configuration

    Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
    IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
    Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>ipconfig /renew

    Windows IP Configuration

    Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
    IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.2
    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
    Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>ping 192.168.1.2

    Pinging 192.168.1.2 with 32 bytes of data:

    Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
    Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
    Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
    Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 timeping 192.168.1.1

    Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:

    Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
    Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
    Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
    Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 timeping sundance.org

    Pinging sundance.org [208.110.150.7] with 32 bytes of data:

    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.

    Ping statistics for 208.110.150.7:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

    C:\Documents and Settings\Jose Ramirez>

  8. @Jayce: thank you for you help. I get the following error when i try > sundance.org (am on Verizon n modizilla)(Network Timeout: The server at sundance.org is taking too long to respond)…this is the only website that this happens would you be able to help why n how to fix it….thank you so much n hope you can help….

  10. i have a prob in my gaming site.. ping all my online games and always results request time out and when i tracert for example 9dragons.acclaim.com, the first 13 hops have replys but from 14 to 30 hops maximum all request timeout and everytime i play all my online games i disconnect every 6 – 7 mins…..

    • and btw i have 3 online games right now, 2 are local and one is internation(9dragons) and when i tracert the other two local games the rto starts at 7 hops….. can u help me what to do with this prob. tnx

    • Problem (XP/sp2):
      1. Internet access via browsers ect will time-out intermittently
      2. Ping http://www.google.com successful
      3. Connection appears active
      4. Regain access only after a system shutdown.

      Solved by:
      ->Control panel/Windows firewall (untick “Don’t Allow Exceptions”)
      ->Exceptions Tab
      ->Add Port
      -now add ports. Internet search will find a list of commonly used port numbers
      (ie TCP port 80 for HTTP, 443 for SHTTP)

      Only just tried this method. So far so good.

      Good hunting.

  12. in ping cmd i got request timed but the packets are sent but it is not receiving,firewall is off cannot able to ping default gateway but i check the lan cable with the cable tester it is fine,lan speed was also reduced and checked,lan was unistalled and reinstalled please give me a suggestion

  13. when I download one photo from my Gmail, sowing browsing continually, it’s unable to stop this download. Also I switched off my mobile not success..!!!!!

  14. If you’re not using IPv6, try disabling it.

    It worked for me after I tried everything!!! still amazed its been over 10 minutes with no failure or timeouts..haha

    Tried many resources to fix “Intermittent – General Failure – Timeouts of Ping” After a crypto-locker virus hit the machine.

    Tried all the TCP/IP resets and winsock procedures all NETSH resets,
    disabled everthing/firewall/antivirus in normal and safe mode..still got

    example:

    reply
    reply
    timeout
    general failure
    …
    ..
    reply

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here