Agent message code 20084. The process could not connect to Subscriber

Question

All servers running SQL 2005

SQL server (NOLA) replicates to 35 remote locations (StoreXX).

Earlier this week, one publication started having problems connecting to 30 of the 35 remote locations, with an error of:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Date 2/4/2010 10:00:01 AM

Log Job History (NOLA-Closing_Balance-CB Defaults to Stores-R99S-

Store1-2790)

Step ID 2

Server NOLA

Job Name NOLA-Closing_Balance-CB Defaults to Stores-R99S-Store1-2790

Step Name Run agent.

Duration 00:31:47

Sql Severity 0

Sql Message ID 0

Operator Emailed

Operator Net sent

Operator Paged

Retries Attempted 0

Message

2010-02-04 16:31:48.081 Parameter values obtained from agent profile:

                    -bcpbatchsize 2147473647 

                    -commitbatchsize 100 

                    -commitbatchthreshold 1000 

                    -historyverboselevel 2 

                    -keepalivemessageinterval 300 

                    -logintimeout 15 

                    -maxbcpthreads 1 

                    -maxdeliveredtransactions 0 

                    -pollinginterval 5000 

                    -querytimeout 1800 

                    -skiperrors 

                    -transactionsperhistory 100 

2010-02-04 16:31:48.081 Connecting to Subscriber 'R99S-Store1'

2010-02-04 16:31:48.440 Agent message code 20084. The process could

not connect to Subscriber 'R99S-Store1'.

2010-02-04 16:31:48.472 Category:NULL

Source: Microsoft SQL Native Client

Number: 10054

Message: TCP Provider: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. 2010-02-04 16:31:48.472 Category:NULL

Source: Microsoft SQL Native Client

Number: 10054

Message: Communication link failure

2010-02-04 16:31:48.472 The agent failed with a 'Retry' status. Try to run the agent at a later time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The problem is only this one publication & not all subscriptions. I have deleted a problem subscription & readded, same problem.

I have created another publication (same dB) & subscription (same & new subscribers) with the same results (error above).

Now is where it gets weird…..

I created a new publication using a different dB on both the publisher & subscriber & everything works fine.

I have had the network folks check what they need to check & have googled until I am blue in the face.

Can anyone give me any insight into this issue.

AHIA, Larry….