Windows 7 unable to access a Windows 2003 Standard - Networking Issue

I encountered a really weird problem today. I have a client running Windows 7 and had no problems accessing any other servers in the network - Windows 2008 R2. However, when trying to access my Windows 2003 domain controller, 192.168.1.9/255.255.248.0 I couldn't even PING it! 

Yes I have internet access, I can access other servers, I have verified that there's no firewall block on either side (both PC and Server).

Other computers in the network can access all the servers including this Windows 2003 domain controller.

I thought it was a network port, and viola! My Laptop was able to ping and connect to the DC with the same port.

Not the server, not the switch, not the port, not the cable, not firewall.... hmmm.... Then I checked the IP address and found the workstation being assigned 192.168.1.255/255.255.248.0

I set the IP address for workstation to another.... and VIOLA! Resolved!
Set the DHCP reservations on the DC to not-assign .255 address, and problem was resolved!
Set Dynamic IP again for the PC. :)

Remotely restarting my 'stuck' server

Saturday afternoon, found some alerts.. Yikes! one of the server refuses to replicate backup across the WAN!

Started my mRemoteNG and tried connecting... found out my dear server is 'stuck' with a blank console with no icons and no way to restart 'explorer.exe'.

Solution?

1. Used my virtual machine to VPN into the network using PPTP VPN (already set-up of course). I had to use my virtual machine as I am downloading couple of stuff and I'd hate to get it interrupted. :)
2. Go to start >> Run >> \\(server name)
3. Key in administrator's username and password, once you can get access to the server shared folders, you may then close the screen.
4. Run command prompt, and type the following command: shutdown -f -r -m \\(server name)
5. Note: If VPN doesn't allow access to the server via Computer Name, use the IP address. It'll work.

The screen will look like this below:

The first error, access is denied, happened because I haven't yet log-in to the server.
The second one initiated the shutdown-restart all-right. 
That worked! I can now login to the server back-to-normal using my mRemoteNG!