XP Wireless Nightmare

Hello all. I have a wireless nightmare that I've been trying to resolve for a couple of months now. I've Googled all I can (and read the similar subjects here about this) and had two alleged network pros spend several hours on this with no resolution. While I'm only a newbie to wireless networking, I do know my way around a PC and make my living from broadband engineering (infrastructure), but this mess has me pulling my hair out. In other words... help!

Here's the situation - I travel a lot for work, and most hotels now are providing wireless hi-speed connections. I'm using a desktop P4 2.4 with WinXP SP2, and first purchased a DLink DWL-122 wireless USB adapter. Initially, this worked as expected for about a week. For no apparent reason, I could no longer connect and received the dreaded "limited or no connectivity" message. At that point I just assumed the hotel had ******* something up (although I found out later that others there were not having any problem).

On to a new hotel and network. I set everything up and shazam... it works perfectly. This lasted about 2 weeks, then the dreaded "limited or no connectivity" demon. Argh. Again, everyone else in the hotel was connected without problem. The hotel called in their 'network guy' to help, but after 3 hours of messing with the command prompt and trying every static IP and setting we could think of... no dice. Perhaps a new adapter?

Next up was a new Linksys WUSB54Gv2. Connected perfectly, but the driver was causing blue screen of death after 3-5 minutes of surfing (memory leak, I believe). With no updated driver available, back to the store it went (though I did an ipconfig/all to at least have the config numbers to try entering static #'s if necessary).

Adapter # 3, a DLink DWL-G132. Installed and fired up no problem. Worked with either the DLink software or Windows Zero, and automatically assigned an IP. A couple of reboots and a few hours of surfing and everything still working. Success! Or maybe not. 24 hours later, while surfing, suddenly I was unable to get anywhere. Repair connection? "limited or no connectivity ". Grrrr. Again, nobody else here is having troubles.

So far, I've done the following - several times and in different combinations and orders -

* checked device Manager (never any conflict).

* checked for spyware - Spybot S&D, AdAware, HijackThis, Norton AV. All good.

* ran defrag, disk cleanup, and regclean.

* XP Firewall - tried "allow incoming echo request" checked and firewall off completely.

* Zone Alarm Pro - both off and completely uninstalled.

* Peer Guardian and Norton AV off (disabled).

* applied MS Hotfix 884020 and reg entry.

* tried all command line fixes (ipconfig/release, renew, etc).

* ran Winsock XP Fix (also have reset the stack manually).

* uninstalled SP2 (which nearly killed my system altogether).

* system restore back to before the DWL-G132 first install.

* complete power-off and unplug all hardware.

* diabled DHCP and wireless zero services, reset stack, restart computer, and restarted services.

* several uninstall and reinstalls of both DLink adapters/drivers, also trying every different USB port.

* manually entered static IP, DNS suffix, host, etc.

* tried manual DNS entries.

* tried various network key settings (open, WPA, WPA-PSK, etc.), though open w/encryption disabled is what was set when it worked.

* Googled "limited or no connectivity" and tried everything I could find.

* Note again that I don't have access to the AP's/Router(s), but I know they've been reset and tested - and all others I know of are connected without any problems and without any manual configuration.

None of this has helped at all. Here's where things are now - If I attempt to connect using DHCP (Obtain IP address automatically), it's a guaranteed "limited or no connectivity" and XP assigns a 169.whatever IP (which I know is incorrect). If I add 192.168.0.2 IP and 255.255.255.0 subnet mask under "alternative configuration ", the limited connectivity message goes away and all appears good, except no internet and I can send but not receive packets.

If I attempt connection using the static IP, the network monitor shows as being connected and ready to rock, but no-go on the browsers (both Firefox and IE), and no returns from http pings. An ipconfig/all shows everything identical to the last known working config, minus the "lease obtained/lease expires" fields.

Worse yet, the dialup here seems to work at about 1 byte per hour. I really need to get this straightened out.

I strongly suspect that the problem is something in XP - perhaps SP2 (though my experiment in uninstalling the service pack did not correct the problem, just created havoc with my ATI Radeon). At this point I'm stumped and just repeating the above attempts over and over for apparently no good reason. Ideally I'd like to resolve this so that the DHCP "assign IP automatically" works as it should (and as it did when I could actually get to the internet) because I'll be on different networks in the future. However, a manual/static solution would work for now. Any help with this is greatly appreciated!

 

Welcome to the forum,
This is a bug with windows xp service pack 2.You will get it After installing Windows XP SP2, your network connection reports a problem with "Limited or No Connectivity "

Here is the fix

1) Download the patch from Microsoft's site http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...d2-5034-4bbb-b74d-ad8430a1f7c8&DisplayLang=en

2) Run the update to install it

3) Run this short Registry fix to complete the update. Type the following lines in Notepad and save the file as FixReg.reg on your desktop, then double click on it to install into your registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\IPSec]
"AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule "=dword:00000002

4) Reboot your computer


Let us know how you go

Simond

 

Not much help for you problem but here's a few tips for future reference.

As of SP2 I no longer use third party utilitys for wireless connections.
Install the driver only and use windows for your wireless connections. Works awsome!

Stay away from usb adapters as much as possible especially with a laptop. It's just a matter of time before you forget its pluged into the back of the laptop and gets broken.
I have installed the D Link DWL-650 PCMCIA cards on numerious occiasions and I use them on both my laptops because they work better than the intigrated wireless. I highly recomend them.

 

Thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, I'd already tried the hotfix/reg entry fix. No Go.

I've uninstalled the DLink utility and installed just the drivers, using the Zero utility only. Same problem exists. By the way - this is a desktop, not a notebook.

I've pretty much given up on the DHCP approach for now. This was what was used when I was able to connect successfully, but nothing I have tried since has corrected the problem of Windows assigning a 169.x.x.x and the "limited or no connectivity" thing. Why each of 3 different adapters worked perfectly after their initial install, then suddenly failed after anywhere from a day to a few weeks is a complete mystery to me.

So, I am at least attempting to configure this mess manually. So far, no luck. I am using the settings from an ipconfig/all when things were working - verified today by doing an ipconfig on someone elses machine. While it seems like I'm getting closer, I still have no internet through this network. It shows in the taskbar as being strongly connected and no problems, and I can ping and send/receive packets to the IP # , but anything else including the gateway, DNS servers, or anything like google.com all just time out. Firewall on or off make no difference. Encryption is disabled.

There are a couple of things that I'm unsure of. The working machine has a 'Node Type...: Broadcast', while I'm getting 'Node Type...: Unknown ". Also, the working config shows "Lease Obtained" and "Lease Expired" fields - mine does not. I've not found any way to manually enter the node type, and am unsure if the lease bit matters when not using DHCP.

Grrrr.

 

When you mentioned Hotel I assumed Laptop. Sorry.

When your machine is assighned an IP address through DHCP it is called a lease. Thus the reason there is no lease with DHCP turned off.
Im not familliar with this "zero" utility. Is that what MS calls it?

Since you show a strong connection but no communication it sounds to me like they have WEP turned on at the hotel and this requires either a 64 bit or 128 bit encryption key.
FWIW I have had 2 D Link DWL G510 cards die. One after a month and one after 2 weeks with the same symptoms you have. So it's a far stretch but not out of the question you have had 3 devices fail.

 

Try running this from a DOS prompt and then reboot the PC/Laptop: "netsh winsock reset catalog "

Works 99% of the time for me in work when getting 'Limited or No Connectivity' connecting to our cable modems.

 

Still no luck.

* I don't believe the adapters (I have both DLinks) are bad. Both worked on this machine in the past, and work on other machines here.

* I had not tried the "netsh winsock reset catalog" before, but this did not work.

Using DHCP is just a fantasy at this point. I've exhausted every suggestion I could find through Google and the newsgroups, short of a format/reinstall of the OS.

If I have a sliver of hope at this point, it's through a static configuration. I can connect to the network, and can ping & successfully send/receive packets to the IP address, but nothing else. If, as suggested, I enable encryption in any form I cannot even connect to the access point.

There was a suggestion on a newsgroup to enter the IP number as the Gateway also. On the first attempt at this I pinged google.com and sent/received 3 packets. The 4th puked and I was unable to duplicate this. I've tried a bunch of different combinations in the advanced settings, but I've yet to get past that router. Granted, I'm no expert on the WEP and DNS suffix stuff, so it *is* possible that I'm not getting this part right.

IMO, Micro$oft needs to take responsibility for the XP (SP2?) networking problems beyond a patch that doesn't work for everyone and instructions for turning off the "limited or no connectivity" warning (which doesn't fix the problem in any way). Did they learn nothing from "Windows ME "?

 

Update and another plea for help!

After *every* known fix, tip and trick failed to resolve this, followed by repeated failed attempts to uninstall SP2, I did a format & reinstall (XP Home 2002 SP1), adding only the USB hotfix. Adapter(s) installed without a hitch.

I still can't get this to work again.

I know my system is working perfectly and the post-reinstall attempts were made without any firewalls or 3rd party programs like Norton and AdAware. I know the network is working correctly, as many others here are connected automatically with no problems. I've tested the 2 adapters I have on other machines and they work fine. If I try to connect as everyone else does ( "obtain IP Address Automatically" via DHCP) - with strong signal from either of 2 available access points - APIPA takes over and assigns the 169.x.x.x IP. WHY? And no, "repair" and ipconfig/release-renew don't help. Using static IP only gets me as far as successful pings to IP and localhost. Nothing more.

I'm about out of ideas and patience with this, short of formatting an extra drive and giving LINUX a go. Anyone have any thoughts as to why I can't tame this beast?

 

Are you setting the gateway?

I noticed that you failed to mention a gateway setting. Did you set the gateway? If so, what address did you configure for the gateway?

Also, please go to the DOS prompt and enter:

IPCONFIG /ALL >ipconfig.txt

This will send the output of IPCONFIG to the text file. Copy the contents of IPCONFIG.TXT to this thread.

 

Hello Close Hauled.

Here's what ipconfig says for DHCP:

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix:
Description: D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G DWL-G132 Wireless USB Adapter(rev.A)
Physical Address: 00-11-95-C8-08-2E
DHCP Enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address: 169.254.151.126
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:

And for static IP:

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix: Best-Comm.com
Description: D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G DWL-G132 Wireless USB Adapter(rev.A)
Physical Address: 00-11-95-C8-08-2E
DHCP Enabled: No
IP Address: 10.0.0.28
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 10.0.0.4
DNS Servers: 68.1.208.30 68.1.208.25

I'm using those numbers because they are from the last working configuration, and the other guests have the same numbers, though with various IP's (10.0.0.26, 10.0.0.27, etc.). I also entered the Best-Comm.com DNS Suffix and enabled NetBios over tcp/ip.

With the static setup, I can ping localhost, 127.0.0.1, and the IP, but pinging the Gateway times out and anything beyond that (google.com) returns 'not found'.

I did notice that 3 of the other guest's computers I've looked at here are running Win2000 (including the community PC in the lobby). The manager has XP sp2 working fine and another guest with XP Home SP1 gave up on trying to get the wireless to work long ago. *shrug*

 

DHCP does not seem to find the server.

I have DCHP enabled, and here is what mine looks like (IP addresses changed for security reasons):

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : confuser
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VM Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : AA-03-47-88-45-BB
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 204.148.131.227
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 204.148.131.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 204.148.131.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 204.148.209.253
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, March 23, 2005 6:56:53 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, March 24, 2005 12:56:53 AM


C:\>

I need to chew on this over night. I am kinda busy too. In the meantime, please try these tip from Microsoft. It will help you to clean up your network settings.

Also, have you looked in the event viewer? If not, please do and post any errors.

 

You have a valid IP address on your Ethernet NIC . . .

Please explain...