Testing the connection between Message Networking and a subscriber PC

After testing the TCP/IP software and finding that the TCP/IP software is functioning correctly, you must determine if the Message Networking system can properly communicate with the PC that belongs to the user that reported the problem.

To test the integrated network interface card and the network:

1. Start at the Administrate menu, and select Diagnostics > TCP/IP Diagnostics > Send & Receive Test Packets.
   The system displays the Send and Receive Packets To & From page. For information about the fields on this page, click Help.
2. In the IP Address: field, type the IP address for the PC to which you want to have test packets sent and received.
3. Click Save to run the test.
   The system displays the Test Packets Results page when the test is finished.
   The results contain the following information:
   • icmp_seq: The sequence identifier of the packet. The packets are numbered from 0 to 9, in the order that they were sent, and are displayed on the screen, in the order that they were returned. If one or two packets are returned out of sequence, the condition is acceptable to the Message Networking system. However, if more than two packets are out of sequence (for example, 0, 2, 5, 3, 1...), inform the LAN administrator or system administrator. Out-of-sequence packets can indicate network congestion or misrouting.
   • time: The total transmission time, in milliseconds (ms), of the packet. Roundtrip delays greater than 10,000 ms can indicate a network problem.
   • packet loss: The percentage of packets that were not returned during the test. The number of lost packets vary from network to network. Percentage of loss depends on the number of users, the number of machines, and the distance between machines.

Consider the test successful if the Message Networking system reports a packet loss percentage between 0 and 49%. Do, however, inform the LAN administrator or system administrator if the loss is above 10%. Slow response time can be the result of such a loss.

A 100% packet loss indicates that the Message Networking system has not established communication to the test machine address. Verify that you used the correct IP address for the PC.

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