Frustrating Wireless Connection Failure

I've been having this increasingly frustrating problem.

About a month and a half ago, I set up a two-computer network (one via ethernet cable the other via a D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G510 wireless network adapter) to share a DSL connection. The router is an SMC Barricade-G 2804WBRP-G. Anyway, after some initial trouble, the setup worked fine for awhile.

At some point, possibly before but probably after I got the XP SP2 patch, I did start getting the "Limited or No Connectivity" messages from time to time. I unknowingly attributed them to too much Internet traffic on my part or something, believing that the network connection was simply crashing because it was overtaxed. However, the problem has been getting increasingly worse these past few weeks, at first crashing every hour or so with heavy usage, and crashing every half hour or so the past few days, again, generally with heavy usage.

So today I Googled the problem, and came up with a supposed solution, the patch for the XP SP2. I downloaded and installed it, then updated the registry as it indicated. However, the problem wasn't fixed, as the connection crashed within 15 minutes of rebooting the machine. I then went on a crusade to end the evil menace. I repeated the patch process, it again failed. I then reset the router and reinstalled it, which also failed. I disabled the Windows firewall (the only one I have) to no effect. I tried configuring the router settings, but couldn't accomplish anything useful. I then tried configuring my wireless adapter settings... and succeeded. Or so I thought.

I eliminated the error message by manually inserting the subnet, IP, DNS, etc. into the appropriate fields, rather than having the adapter automatically detect the router. So it seemed that I had succeeded, as it bypassed renewing the IP address of the router, which didn't change. But I was wrong, the error persists; the connection has crashed no less than 4 times in the past two hours, and I haven't been doing all that much on the Internet.

Now that my rambling story has ended, I'll explain the nature of the problem in detail. As I mentioned, the setup worked for a time, and I was always able to connect. However, every now and again, the connection would simply fail. Not on both machines, mind you, only on the wireless PC. It would indicate that the connection was fine, but the Internet wouldn't work anymore. This seemed to happen whenever the Internet was used in abundance, such as when using a filesharing program or playing an online game, but I can't be certain if that's the cause. Anyway, when I tried to "repair" the connection (as in disabling and re-enabling it), the "Limited or No Connectivity" message came up. The only way to re-establish the connection was to un- and re-plug the router. Like I said, I've configured the adapter to connect directly to the router's IP rather than detecting it, so now the connectivity message no longer comes up. Instead, even when I repair it, it maintains that the connection is fine, but the Internet doesn't work.... possibly even more frustrating than the bloody message. Still, the only way to fix it is un- and re-plugging the router. I'll also mention that all indicator lights on the router and DSL modem remain as they should. I'm not sure about the adapter.

I don't know what the problem is. Perhaps the wireless hardware of the router is faulty, or even my adapter. However, it seems unlikely that it would be the latter, as disabling and re-enabling the adapter doesn't fix the problem, only rebooting the router does. But I don't know enough about the hardware to assert that. Could I even have damaged the router by abruptly cutting off the power so many times?

Anyway, I hope someone here can give me some suggestions. Preferably some suggestions that don't result in me having to get new hardware or have some repaired. But whatever, I'll do what it takes... I'm frustrated and I'm running out of tricks.

My thanks.

 

Probably is a SP2 related issue.

As noted by Dez in the sticky article where you first posted, if you set one PC with static IP/netmask/gateway addresses you should do the same with all on your network.

Check your registry for the following key (and the space in \Assum eUDPE... was put in due to a glitch in this forum's software so does not belong there)

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\IPSec\AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule

If you have it, it needs a value of 2. If it isn't there, you need to add it as a REG_DWORD item and set the value to 2.

I know you said you'd installed a microsoft 'fix' of some sort but if it wasn't KB884020 you should load that one.

Make sure you are running the latest firmware release for your router too.

 

Newt, I checked the registry, and I believe I already had the appropriate entry...



That's what you described, correct? As for the patch, it was WindowsXP-KB884020-x86-enu.exe from the Windows site. Same one, I think.

Static IP... that was mentioned, and supposedly fixed the problem on another's network. Can someone walk me through how to set the machines to static IP? As I indicated, my knowledge of networking is limited.

The problem is getting worse. It's crashed twice in the past half hour. Can anyone explain why only the wireless machine's connection crashes? Both have XP SP2, so why is only this connection affected?

Any help is appreciated, thanks again.

EDIT: Okay, I think I've got the two networks on the same track, like Dez suggested. And I believe what I've done is considered setting static IPs, so disregard my plea for help in that regard. My wireless PC was set to static IP, gateway, subnet, DNS, etc., while the other PC was set to automatically detect these. So, I've now set static IPs of my router to both, xxx.xxx.x.101 and xxx.xxx.x.100 respectively, the subnets and gateways as that of the router, and the primary and secondary DNS's to those provided by my ISP. So... hopefully the wireless connection will hold now. Dez, let me know if I've missed anything important, please. I'll also send the SP2 patch and registry file to the other PC and install them there too, just for S&Gs. Any other suggestions?

 

Hopefully the IP addresses you xxx out were 192.168.0.xxx or 192.168.1.xxx since those are private addresses (and not open to being messed with from the 'outside world'). They are good for home networks since they belong to one of the reserved address ranges that will never be assigned to a live internet device.

If you used addresses that have been assigned you could run into problems so, for instance, 192.160.0.100 would not be a good one to use.

If Dez suggested values to use you will be fine.

For future reference, it is always safe to tell folks what IP you are using if it is one of those private ones.

 

Ah, I see. It's similar, 192.168.2.100 and 192.168.2.101, I believe. The IP my router provided was 192.168.2.1, with a DCHP (? ... something like that) range of 192.168.2.100-192.168.2.999. I was concerned about security, but if you say there's nothing to worry about, so be it.

Anyway, let's hope all remains well.... it didn't crash for the hour I was on after I did that.

 

The reason the private addresses are 'safe' is two-fold.

First, because there are so many of them that no one could get to you via an address that may occur 5,000, 10,000, or more places in the world. A 'real' IP address is like your postal mailing address and is unique so anyone who has it can find you.

192.168.x.x is all private.
10.x.x.x is all private
172.x.x.x has a specific part that is private.

Second (and this is based on the first reason) routers (needed to move IP packets from within one network like your local network to another network like the internet) are designed to not route any packets from addresses in those ranges so nothing in to them or directly out from them.

Regular PC to PC traffic within your network does not use the router so your computers can 'talk' when using those addresses as long as you don't have duplicates there.

Think of it as office buildings where
192.168 = this building
and the rest is room addresses within the building.

No problem as long as interoffice mail is all that's being used. But take a package to the Post Office addressed to
This Building
Room 2.213
and they won't be able to deliver it.

 

Ah, I understand.

Unfortunately, when I logged on just now the connection, although it claimed to be working, wasn't. So, I've now applied static IPs to both computers, installed the KB884020 patch and registry entry.... what else is there? Both the router and adapter are less than two months old, so I should think they're alright. The adapter isn't on the "Microsoft HCL ", but it claimed that it was fully XP compatible in the manual and whatnot. I'd assume a false claim such as that would be highly illegal (what with false advertising and whatnot), so it should be fine, lest the company wishes to be extensively sued.

Hmm.... I'm looking in the router settings now. It seems I didn't have the UPnP (Universal Plus and Play) setting turned on. Could that have been the source? When I turned it on just now, the computer automatically detected the router, which it hadn't before.

You mentioned the "firmware" release of my router, Newt, could you elaborate on that?

 

Firmware is a strange beastie that is neither hardware (so what you buy is what you get) nor software that doesn't really have pieces you can hold.

Firmware is the term for a special sort of chip that has code on it and can be updated just like software.

Your router will have a firmware-style chip inside that basically provides the router OS. As bugs are found or things change, the makers will update the firmware code and it is usually good to visit their website to see if the most recent release version is later than the one you have now. If so, you can download and install the updated version. There should be complete instructions at the site for doing the deed.

 

Hm! Okay, I understand now.

Checked the site, and it seems there's only one update available for my model router, and it seems to have something to do with the USB printer port. I think so, anyway. I'm not sure if it's even a firmware update. Must be, I suppose, I don't think there's any software with the router.

Well, whatever the update may be, the connection hasn't crashed since before I switched on the UPnP about four hours ago, so let's hope that's the end of this bloody mess. I sent an e-mail to the SMC support team, so if it does crash, they might shed some light on the issue, if it's a router problem. Either way, many thanks for your help, Newt.