Question : Netware 5.1 Routing/IP issue

I have a Novell 5.1 box. I am currently having a routing problem.

My network used to be:

172.16.1.1 – 172.16.1.254  MASK 255.255.255.0  and a Gateway of 172.16.1.2 which is my frame relay router. Everything worked great, I could ping all of my remote sites just fine from the novell console. Under inetcfg in protocols and LAN static Routing Table I have  the following:

Default Route 0.0.0.0 and a next hop of 172.16.1.2
Network 172.16.0.0 next hop       172.16.1.2

My remote sites:

172.16.4.1     255.255.255.0
172.16.2.1    255.255.255.0
172.16.3.1    255.255.255.0

I ran out of hosts so I borrowed less bits and changed my subnet masks to 255.255.254.0 at my main location which has the Novell server on it.  I didn’t have to change the IP of the Novell server just the subnet mask, because the usable network range is 172.16.0.1 – 172.16.1.254    255.255.254.0.

Everything on THIS network is fine, everyone can ping the Novell server and can authenticate via NDS over IP. The frame is working fine. I can ping all of the workstations at all of the remotes sites and they can ping all of the servers and printers at the main location from the remote sites just fine, except the Novell server.  My Frame is working great. They just can’t ping the Novell server. The route looks like it should still work with the settings I have currently in inetcfg.

Answer : Netware 5.1 Routing/IP issue

NetWare 5.1 (Novell is the company that sells NetWare, among other OSes and products) is an excellent multiprotocol router, but its IP stack may not be as robust as modern NetWare, depending on what the patch level is.  I don't think that's the issue, but it never hurts to be current on your communications stack when you're having communications problems.  What NetWare 5.1 Support Pack level is installed, and have you installed any TCP/IP updates since the Support Pack was installed?

NetWare will respond to PING on any route it can see.  It's obviously not seeing the other networks, or it would respond to PING requests from the remote sites.  Can you PING the remote sites from the NetWare server?

I personally would not have the route to its own local network having a next hop of the frame router, since it already knows what its own network is and how to get to it.

Try removing that route to the 172.16.0 network from its routing table, and try adding static LAN routes to the 172.16.2, 3 and 4 networks with next hop of the frame router instead.  Since you're subnetting a class B network, using a static route as though it's a class B subnet mask won't work.  You're not bridging, you're routing.  Since you changed the local subnet to use 172.16.0.1-172.16.1.254 as a single network, your WAN isn't a straight class B "zero" network any more.