Thread: Help locating confusing problem? What am I missing?

being new to, well- more or less i'm trying here, i'm not 100 percent sure of problem , such reluctant start 'flipping switches @ random'. i'm hoping might able clue me in i'm peak of hill , things make total sense once see other side. i've googled, forum searched, reread previous results, forum browsed... again... without being have reluctance.

overview: things work of time there sporadic outages.

topology:
cable modem -> linksys soho router -> pc1, pc2 ; linksys hub -> closet1, closet2, desk.

as applies:
modem -> router -> hub -> closet1, closet2, desk

machines:
closet1 ; low-end machine: 10.04.02 - apache, webmin, mysql... 'web server' - nothing ever loads system past 25%. .03 on 15 minutes.
closet2 ; low/mid machine: 10.04.02 - webmin, mysql... 'app server'... when running it's @ 30%
desk ; windows daily driver.

closet1, closet2 - static local ip's. else comes linksys soho.

dynamic ip\name redirection - no-ip.org

problem details:
mentioned above, of time things 'work'. other times server doesn't respond , thing can done try again in 5 minutes or so.

because if i'm @ home can load webmin local ip 'wake things up'. http requests local ip served know machine isn't 'dead' or load-locked or anything...

during outages requests [name].no-ip.org:[routeradminport] served know it's not external\no-ip problem...

my thoughts:

every time i've sat down poke @ on last couple of months keep finding myself convinced breaks things me 'two-machine factor' , keep looking towards /etc/hosts , /etc/hostname... i'm sure i've missed somehow tells machine serve requests [name].no-ip.org, or somehow 2 servers confusing each other.

, while find myself looking @ /hosts , /hostname, i'm not sure of will\won't break things. admin via putty , both closet1 , closet2 headless machines in inconvenient place can't monitor to. i've poked @ down route far hasn't had results i've expected.

anyway, though find myself looking @ /hosts, /hostname i'm not entirely that's solution... small part of me thinks might need dns server. more if add mailserver 1 of machines. part hesitates thinking may nail need bit of glue. through searching 1 of questions i've not been able pin down when *need* own dns server...


conclusion:

in feel same way did right before understood how 3-way light switch worked...

had been wiring houses 8 or 9 months , every time had pull wire 3-way have stop , think how needed run. ..."ok... um... 2-conductor atob, 2-conductor btoc, 3-conductor b\ctod..."

1 day returning lunch spotted switch had evidently fallen out of supply box , had gotten run on left. looking on pretty easy see unusable set 'stuff' remember replacement later...

anyway... taking break later afternoon started playing switch , turned taking switch apart, , while made harder explain boss when handed him later... seeing way worked inside made possible me pull 3-ways. no more thinking , walking through it, can start @ b , pull wires wherever need go. point feel same way this... cognitive-bottleneck if will.

said suppose thing left invite questions things didn't yet mention , say...

...many can me work through bit of frustration.

i think may have hit nail on head dns.

few machines can use /etc/hosts on local machines map ip addresses hostnames.

alternative 1 run local dns server.

alternative two, allow router act dns server. if router has ability reserve ip address given mac address can replace /etc/hosts solution.

static ip machines, use router make ip static mac/ip reserve. able set /etc/network/interfaces file dhcp adapter. accomplishes router aware of ip , hostname, request via hostname resolved @ router.

in opinion simplest, robust solution using hostanmes on lan. sure backup router settings, once complete, can pain reconfigure ip's, port forwards, etc.

don't rule out hardware issue. had finicky 5port switch loose connections intermittently. respond unplugging power supply reset. replaced switch, problem gone.

understanding, happens if server static ip set @ server: if working well, reboot or restart networking service, machines can become unaware. includes router reset also.

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