ok, I'm stumped on this one

If I setup a VPN or dialup connection on Windows XP Professional, Internet Explorer or Outlook Express insist on using it. If I set IE or OE to never dial a connection, within a few minutes I get prompted for dialing a connection again. I have searched the MS knowledge base, but couldn't find anything that seems to apply. If I delete all VPN / dialup connections, I have no problems.
For some reason IE / OE think they are working in offline mode, even though I have a DSL router connected via ethernet all the time.
When I get prompted for dialing a connection, I can set the never dial a connection, and get to what ever website I wanted to go to, but if I wait a few minutes IE thinks it's working off line again.
this started happening a few weeks ago when I was on a trip and my wife tried to fix our Internet connection. That problem was resolved by just rebooting everything on the network, (router, DSL modem, etc). But I think she may have changed something in the registry when she worked with our useless tech support at our ISP. Since she is not all that familiar with computers, she couldn't tell me what she did.

 

Eric,
Have you re-run the network setup on each of the machines?
I have a simple network with 2 machines connected with a Xover cable, and had similar problems, with the 2nd machine wanting to dial a connection instead of using the primary machines internet connection sharing. Re-running the network setup has helped but I still occasionally get the dialup box on the second machine even though "never dial a connection" is selected. Running the network setup again helped but there is something flakey in the code somewhere? I realise your issue is a little different but this may help?

Cheers,

Paul

 

Thanks, I have tried that. I don't use a system that has ICS, I use a DSL wireless ethernet router (DLink), that handles my connection to the Internet and provides a wireless / wired LAN. I have checked my ethernet connection many time, and only 1 of my systems is having this problem. It just so happens to be my main system.