hanging telnets and ftps

[CCVJ at lure.latrobe.edu.au]

We have three RS6000s, two model 540s and one model 530, all running 
at the same level (03.01.0001.0003).  All three are on the same 
sub-network, have identically configured tcpip for nameserver, 
netmasks, broadcast...etc, but one of the 540s periodically loses its 
ability to translate names to addresses for ftp and telnet. (ping it 
can do and "host node" returns numbers which have had to be gotten from 
the nameserver!).

I can fix this by flushing the routing table and restarting 
routed.

I have run telnet with netdata toggled, and get no output (by name -
it works by number). I have put the names and addresses of our most 
frequently accessed machines in /etc/hosts and the behaviour is strange.  
With a name in /etc/hosts, ftp or telnet will work - but with a terribly 
long delay, long enough to make most users ^C out of it.  However, using 
the address, the response is virtually immediate.  (Is this because it 
tries to resolve the name first?)

Has anyone seen this sort of behaviour before, or can any network 
gurus point me in any directions?

Thanks,

Vicki Jordan
Computing Services
La Trobe University
Bundoora Vic 3088
Australia

ccvj at lure.latrobe.edu.au