Question : Cisco Pix and Citrix, can't connect until I clear arp/local/xlate

We had a single IP address, xxx.176.219.45 and added a block of 6 addresses from xxx.176.206.309-314 that the ISP all redirected to xxx.176.219.45.  We tried to then use a 2nd external address to point to our 2nd Citrix server internally at 192.168.1.41.  Original external address point to 192.168.1.40 internally which is our 1st citrix server.  The two server on in different farms and both use 1494/1604 for the ip addresses.  We could not make them work so we put the 2nd citrix on our cable connection with a different address and a linksys router, which works find.

We reverted back to our original pix configuration, which is below.  However, now I cannot consistently connect to that connection.  It will work for a while, then the next time I tried, it cannot connect or telnet.  Then it works again.  If I go to the pix (506) and do a clear xlate, clear arp, clear local, it immediately is able to connect which may work for several hours before it stops working again until the do the clears.

We have not physically restarted the pix after our final return to the original setting.

I have tried connections from 2 different computers with same lack of reliability.

What could be causing the problem that the clears temporarily correct prior to reverting.

Cliff.

PIX Version 6.3(3)
interface ethernet0 auto
interface ethernet1 100full
nameif ethernet0 outside security0
nameif ethernet1 inside security100
enable password xxxxxxx encrypted
passwd xxxxxxxxx encrypted
hostname xxxxx
domain-name xxxxxx.com
fixup protocol dns maximum-length 512
fixup protocol ftp 21
fixup protocol h323 h225 1720
fixup protocol h323 ras 1718-1719
fixup protocol http 80
fixup protocol ils 389
fixup protocol rsh 514
fixup protocol rtsp 554
fixup protocol sip 5060
fixup protocol sip udp 5060
fixup protocol skinny 2000
no fixup protocol smtp 25
fixup protocol sqlnet 1521
fixup protocol tftp 69
names
access-list 100 permit ip 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0
access-list fire permit icmp any any
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq smtp
access-list fire permit tcp any host x.176.219.45 eq 8008
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 8008
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 8009
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 8009
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1677
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1677
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1678
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1678
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1604
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1604
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq citrix-ica
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1494
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1495
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 1495
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5639
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5639
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5640
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5640
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5637
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5637
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5638
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5638
access-list fire permit tcp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5993
access-list fire permit udp any host xxx.176.219.45 eq 5993
pager lines 24
logging on
mtu outside 1500
mtu inside 1500
ip address outside 206.176.219.45 255.255.255.0
ip address inside 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip audit info action alarm
ip audit attack action alarm
ip local pool dhcppool 192.168.2.1-192.168.2.254
pdm history enable
arp timeout 14400
global (outside) 1 interface
nat (inside) 0 access-list 100
nat (inside) 1 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface smtp 192.168.1.2 smtp netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 8008 192.168.1.2 8008 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 8008 192.168.1.2 8008 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 8009 192.168.1.2 8009 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 8009 192.168.1.2 8009 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 1677 192.168.1.2 1677 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 1677 192.168.1.2 1677 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 1678 192.168.1.2 1678 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 1678 192.168.1.2 1678 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 1604 192.168.1.40 1604 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 1604 192.168.1.40 1604 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface citrix-ica 192.168.1.40 citrix-ica netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 1494 192.168.1.40 1494 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 1495 192.168.1.40 1495 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 1495 192.168.1.40 1495 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 5639 192.168.1.40 5639 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 5639 192.168.1.40 5639 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 5640 192.168.1.40 5640 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 5640 192.168.1.40 5640 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 5637 192.168.1.43 5637 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 5637 192.168.1.43 5637 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 5638 192.168.1.43 5638 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 5638 192.168.1.43 5638 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 5993 192.168.1.40 5993 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 5993 192.168.1.40 5993 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) 0.0.23.105 192.168.1.40 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
access-group fire in interface outside
route outside 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 206.176.219.1 1
timeout xlate 0:05:00
timeout conn 1:00:00 half-closed 0:10:00 udp 0:02:00 rpc 0:10:00 h225 1:00:00
timeout h323 0:05:00 mgcp 0:05:00 sip 0:30:00 sip_media 0:02:00
timeout uauth 0:05:00 absolute
aaa-server TACACS+ protocol tacacs+
aaa-server RADIUS protocol radius
aaa-server LOCAL protocol local
no snmp-server location
no snmp-server contact
snmp-server community public
no snmp-server enable traps
floodguard enable
sysopt connection permit-ipsec
crypto ipsec transform-set aquavpn esp-des esp-md5-hmac
crypto dynamic-map dynmap 12 set transform-set aquavpn
crypto map newmap 12 ipsec-isakmp dynamic dynmap
crypto map newmap interface outside
isakmp enable outside
isakmp key ******** address 0.0.0.0 netmask 0.0.0.0
isakmp identity address
isakmp keepalive 10
isakmp nat-traversal 20
isakmp policy 10 authentication pre-share
isakmp policy 10 encryption des
isakmp policy 10 hash md5
isakmp policy 10 group 1
isakmp policy 10 lifetime 86400
isakmp policy 12 authentication pre-share
isakmp policy 12 encryption des
isakmp policy 12 hash md5
isakmp policy 12 group 2
isakmp policy 12 lifetime 86400
vpngroup aqua address-pool dhcppool
vpngroup aqua split-tunnel 100
vpngroup aqua idle-time 9000
vpngroup aqua max-time 100000
vpngroup aqua password ********
vpngroup neavpn address-pool dhcppool
vpngroup neavpn split-tunnel 100
vpngroup neavpn idle-time 1800
vpngroup neavpn password ********
telnet 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0 inside
telnet timeout 30
ssh 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 outside
ssh timeout 5
console timeout 0
vpnclient username access1 password ********
terminal width 80

Answer : Cisco Pix and Citrix, can't connect until I clear arp/local/xlate

>Yes it has smartnet support.  Is that all that should be the problem.
 Probably not the whole problem, but 6.3(3) is definitely buggy - you'll be glad you upgraded!

  Here's the open bugs ('caveats') on 6.3(3):
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2120/prod_release_note09186a0080579fd2.html#wp32434
  Here's the list of bugs fixed in 6.3(4):
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2120/prod_release_note09186a008059fccf.html#wp32553

fm250: good URL.  

Yes, come to think of it, if the server(s) are being hit by heavy traffic, you could adjust the 'embryonic limits' for TCP connections (aka, "half-open TCP sessions"). See the link on the 'static' command in fm250's URL above.  Is this a 506E? Note that the 506E only supports 25,000 simultaneous connections, & that the default 'embryonic limit' for a static nat translation is "unlimited".  You might try modifying the default connection limits on a couple of your static nat entries.

  I see the following in your config:
timeout xlate 0:05:00  <- 5 min nat translation timeout
timeout conn 1:00:00  <- system default of 1 hr for tcp connection timeout

FYI, your xlate timeout should be greater than your 'timeout conn'.  Since you're having problems, you can try lowering the connection timeout a bit (5 min is the *absolute* minimum), but more importantly you might try lowering the 'half-closed' timeout, default is 10 min; maybe try 5 min (the absolute minimum):  half-closed 0:05:00

cheers