Has anyone seen a single bad switch cause a entire network to lose connection to a server/internet.
Details of network (Please note this is a network that was setup by a previous IT Company):
Main building – cable modem connected to the firewall, firewall connected to the main switch. The server has 2 NICs both plugged into this switch. There are 3 other switches located through out the building that connect to each other and then into Main Switch.
Building 2 – has 3 switches and a CAT5 connection into the Main Building switch.
Problem: One switch went bad in building 2, which cause not only the PCs plugged into it to lose connection, but the PCs plugged into the other 2 switches as well as the main building switch to lose connection. We know that it was the switch in building 2 causing the issue because as soon as we disconnect building 2’s connection to the main building everything started working in the main building. Bad switch was replaced and their connection re-connect to the main switch and everything still continued to work correctly.
Thoughts: I can see the bad switch in building 2 effecting building 2’s connection to server and the internet, but I do understand how it relates to the main building. My staff and I are completely baffled by this one.