New server with network error

I have a brand new server - Win Server 2008, SQL Standard 2008 and I am getting alerts being fired for Level 20 Alerts. In the log the entry is

Error: 4014, Severity: 20, State: 11.
A fatal error occurred while reading the input stream from the network. The session will be terminated (input error: 109, output error: 0)

This happens randomly, up to 4 or 5 times a day.

Does anyone have any ideas on what might be the cause, and indeed the resolution, please?

I have checked the NIC driver and it's the manufacturers own, not a generic Windows one.

Pings to the server don't drop any packets at all.

Currently the server is under almost no load as I am still benchmarking, configuring ready to go live next month. I am concerned that this problem will get worse if we go live with it.

I have Googled the error and cant see anyone who has actually applied a fix.

[update]
We have updated NIC (Broadcom) drivers and are leaving it 24hours. If it still occurs we will swap to a different port (currently using 1 of 2 on NIC). If it still occurs then we are going to add a PCI NIC from a different manufacturer and see if that has any effect.

asked Aug 08 '11 at 04:03 AM in Default

Fatherjack ♦♦
38.8k ● 55 ● 69 ● 104

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3 answers:

Is it a NIC card or onboard? If a card, maybe try reseating it? (although you'd expect ping drops if that was the case......)

answered Aug 08 '11 at 04:10 AM

Kev Riley ♦♦
46.1k ● 38 ● 43 ● 69

both are onboard.

Aug 08 '11 at 04:14 AM Fatherjack ♦♦

some of google results suggest it could actually be caused by the client and not the server?

Aug 08 '11 at 04:38 AM Kev Riley ♦♦

the only client currently is my version of SSMS

Aug 08 '11 at 07:04 AM Fatherjack ♦♦

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are the NICs from Broadcom? We've had issues with the misbehaving in the past. Not this exact error, but they were being strange. We swapped to Intel and everything was fine again.

answered Aug 08 '11 at 04:53 AM

WilliamD
25.3k ● 16 ● 18 ● 41

yes, Broadcom. :(

Swapped drivers or NICs?

Was it done under warranty?

Aug 08 '11 at 05:41 AM Fatherjack ♦♦

we have them as extra NICs and just went to the onboard intel ones. didn't bother with warranty, the machines are in production and have a total of 6 NICs, two broadcom, rest intel. Intel ones are rock-steady.

I/we suspect it is a problem with the broadcom tcp/ip offloading chip not playing nicely with our switches, or something similar.

Aug 08 '11 at 05:57 AM WilliamD

We have had similar issues with broadcom, updating the firmware of the NIC cards has proven to be successful.

Aug 08 '11 at 07:07 AM Tim

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We were having this issue at one time at previous employers. It was the client application that was using a slightly out of date version of ADO. I'd suggest checking on that first.

answered Aug 08 '11 at 05:06 AM