I noticed this strange performance when I was trying to recover this customer’s Windows 2003 Standard Domain Controller (DC).
It has NWlink protocol installed and the Replmon was unable to report the replication performance. The screen on the blank is totally blank. Replmon ran on other DCs without NWlink shows that this DC was functioning properly. I did not think much about it putting it down to the something was corrupted. That is until it happened again.
This time is on a functioning domain controller that I was in the midst of promoting using DCPROMO /ADV. I could not see status on replication activity. Strange. DS Site and Services reported that there is some problem with replication.
Time for some action. I removed the NWlink and the Replmon began working. DS Site and Services reports that “replication is working, but it is between sites .. .. .. .”
So next time replmon gives you a blank screen, don’t panic check NWlink protocol in LAN connections.