Contrary Network

Grouch and I have two Win XP PCs connected with a cross/over. As a rule all is fine, but some days it seems to get dumber! The client machine will work fine with dialup, browser and email and an hour later it will not. Have tried the "Repair" without much success. Sometime the Repair will work, most times no. It seems the only way to get it to going again is reboot the client. This always works. It doesn't seem to be normal for a reboot several times each day.

I'm asking if someone can offer a reason for this and a solution.

 

Need more information to even offer a guess.

First - check the event logs for significant entries. Probably easiest to clear the event logs and reboot both PCs. Look in the logs for startup problems. Then when it goes blooey again, take another look. Concentrate on problem entries - you probably can ignore success audit and information entries.

If you find something that looks strange, you can click on the icon below the up/down arrows in the event detail (just double-click on the event) and it will send a text-only copy of the entire event to your clipboard. Paste it in here.

Next, open a cmd window on each PC and get all the ipconfig data then post it here. Once when all is well and once when things have gone bad.

Easiest is to send the data to a text file to paste on here. As follows and assuming your host PC is named HOST and your client PC is named CLIENT (and please make sure the information from them is clearly identified when you post it):

ipconfig /all > c:\host-good.txt
ipconfig /all > c:\client-good.txt
and then after problems start
ipconfig /all > c:\host-bad.txt
ipconfig /all > c:\client-bad.txt

This will save you a lot of typing and will insure the info is all accurate. Too easy to mess up a number or name if you do it by hand. And please, post all the information. If you give us 192.xxx.0.1 for an ip address or XXXXXX for a PC name, you might be covering up the needed data.

 

Thank you Sir. I will do exactly as you indicated. Will take me time as some of the things you mentioned are new to me and I'll be careful to do it right.

 

I'm going to let this pass by. Grouch can complain about it and still reboot to be connected. Newt, this is so far over my head that I cannot even imagine that I can go and do what you have advised.

I certainly appreciate your taking the time to explain what to do and your efforts are appreciated.

 

Mudd - not so. Do as follows on each PC.

1. Click on start~run and put in cmd. That will open a DOS command line window.

2. At the command line on the PC, type in
ipconfig /all
and you will see lots of information displayed on the screen. If you enjoy writing, you can write it all down and send it along. Otherwise if you use
ipconfig /all > c:\somefile.txt
you will send the exact same information to a file on c:\ called somefile.txt and won't see any results on screen. You can open the file with notepad or any other text editor, copy the contents, and paste it here. The > character in this particular case redirects the output to a file rather than to the monitor which is the default. The filename doesn't matter but since it will be a text file, ending it in .txt will make life simpler.

 

Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mudd

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : CNet PRO200WL PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-A1-09-A0-02

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.218.251.2

64.218.251.3



PPP adapter Ray Tech:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 65.67.226.62

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 65.67.226.62

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.218.251.3

65.208.29.9

NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : virgie

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : mshome.net

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : CNet PRO200WL PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-A1-0A-60-5C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.83

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 18, 2003 7:06:05 AM

I sure hope this is what I'm supposed to forward. The Host is Mudd and the Client is Virgie. What next?

 

Mudd - that was exactly the needed information from ipconfig.

I assume that was taken when everything was running well?

If so, please post the same information but from a time when the client PC isn't working. Unless the following fixes you without the need for a reboot and in that case, post that fact. Easy enough to fix.

Next time it quits, open start~run~cmd on virgie again and type in the following

ipconfig /flushdns

and see if that fixes you. If not, do the same on Mudd.

DNS is the method internet machines use to match up a human-friendly name like www.windowsbbs.com to it's IP address. Easier for people to remember the words but the PCs will only deal with the number.

A feature of XP, designed to speed up internet browsing, is for it to cache a name-address match on the local system when you go to a site. That way, no time wasted doing the DNS lookup next time you go to a site. Problem is, if there is ever an error and a bad match/no match, it will cache that and use it so you won't be able to get to that particular site.

A reboot will clear the cache but so will ipconfig /flushdns. And if that is your problem, there are a couple of changes you can make to settings to prevent the bad entries from being cached in the future.

 

You Sir, are helping me learn a lot. We will watch and when it (Virgie) does not connect, will do the "ipconfig /flushdns" on both machines.

Yes Sir, that was taken when the machines were running well. In fact there has been no difficulty in the past two days. But, tomorrow may be a different story, it may pull it's act several time that day.

I found the following in the Events Log. There are several of this entries. Many on a particular day and then several days without. I think the days correspond with the days she has trouble connecting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Sunday, January 12, 2003 MRxSmb The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer VIRGIE that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on transport NetBT_Tcpip_{6C9148D2-C63B-486 2-8A. The master browser is stopping or an election is being forced. "

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will certainly post the result of whatever happens. Againk, your time is appreciate.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Newt: The machines worked fine for almost three days. Just a few minutes ago the Client machine got stubborn and would not connect for email nor would it connect to Internet. Just as if the cable was disconnected. Below are the stats you instructed me to furnish when it burped.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mudd

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : CNet PRO200WL PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-A1-09-A0-02

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.218.251.2

64.218.251.3



PPP adapter Ray Tech:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 65.67.226.39

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 65.67.226.39

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.218.251.3

65.208.29.9

NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : virgie

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : mshome.net

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : CNet PRO200WL PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-A1-0A-60-5C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.83

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 20, 2003 7:20:09 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 27, 2003 7:20:09 AM

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did the ipconfig /flushdns on both machines, not success. Reboot the Client (Virgie) machine and all is well again.

 

Can I add 2p into this discussion...

Why does Virgie have DHCP running ?

Looks to me like the lease is expiring and it sometimes takes a while to renew (it will renew automatically if you reboot)

just wondering if your PC will have a problem again on the 27th when the DHCP lease expires on virgie

I would (if this is 2 home PCs) make the IP addresses static on the PCs and it will then not need to renew a DHCP lease every so often - heck you could even switch off DHCP

hth

PS next time it happens - go into virgies events page and see if anything to do with DHCP crops up.

 

Well, like I mentioned to Newt earlier, I know nothing about the system, only knew to hook up the crossover cable, run the Network Wizard, and how to share files. That's the full text of my knowledge.

So, what you said makes sense as I don't know any better! I'll certainly turn off the DHCP if I can figure out how. You asked "Why" on a thing or two and my answere is "I don't know why. "

Thank you for assistance and I'll certainly try your suggestion if I can figure out how to do that.

 

From the events page the following is sumbitted as this is the last entry from Jan 20th and exactly the time that her machine failed to hook up for Internet or Email retrieve:

Monday, January 20, 2003 NetBT The name "MSHOME :1d" could not be registered on the Interface with IP address 192.168.0.83. The machine with the IP address 192.168.0.1 did not allow the name to be claimed by this machine



Does this tell a story?

 

Mudd - it does indeed tell a story.

Do the following (and a couple may already be done) in any order:

1. On both, right-click on my computer, manage, services and stop DHCP Client & Computer Browser. Then in properties for each service, change the startup to disabled.

2. On Virgie, change the network card settings from automatic and put in IP address of 192.168.0.2 and subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Use a default gateway and DNS server address of 192.168.0.1. Remove any other entries. Uncheck NetBios over TCP/IP. Uncheck Use LMHosts.

3. On Mudd, change the network card settings (not the wan/slip ones). Uncheck NetBios over TCP/IP. Uncheck Use LMHosts. Everything else the same.

4. Open notepad and put in the following two lines
192.168.0.1 mudd Mudd MUDD
192.168.0.2 virgie Virgie VIRGIE
Save the file as hosts with no extension. If notepad puts .txt after the name, rename it to just hosts. Place a copy of the file on each PC in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ and if there happens to alreay be a file by that name, open it with notepad and add the two lines to it rather than replacing it.

5. Reboot first MUDD then Virgie.

I think the above will stop your annoying issues. You probably won't be able to see anything much in Network Neighborhood or Computers Near Me or whatever it is called but that's fine. Don't need that.

If you normally connect to/open up a folder on Virgie called folder, you can use start~run~\\virgie\folder and it will open. If you use it a lot, you can use windows explorer~tools~map network drive and map a drive letter to \\virgie\folder.

 

Newt: That will be a double hand-full for me! I'll print this out and do it as you say. I know that, slow as I am, I'll not be able to let you know what the results are until tomorrow. I will post for sure.

Thanks for so much attention to this problem I have. I've read many of your posts. You are a helpful person.

 

Do by all means print the thing - no sense in trying to remember all those odd instructions.

You'll be surprised though. It almost takes longer to read than to do.

The explosive growth of home networking over the past several years has left lots and lots of folks in the exact same trap you have. Microsoft tried hard to make the whole process automatic and painless. For many it is but if you have problems, there simply aren't any good tools for tracking down and fixing your problems.

I'm just glad the forum is here for folks having problems. And glad I started messing with networking when it was neither automatic nor painless. Frustrating at the time but a good training exercise if you had to do a lot of it.

 

I'm too am glad the forum is here. I also know that if there were no people willing to serve like you and so many others, there would be no forum.

 

Need Help from you Newt, or anyone else that might guide me. The instruction from Newt a couple or so post before this instruct me to "change the network card settings, etc, etc,. " I assume that means while in the Services Section, but there are more than one "network" listed items. I've looked for what he told me but can't find the exact things I'm looking for.

Exactly where is the part that I can change from automatic and put in IP addresses?

The rest of the instructions I can follow. Will somebody please offer some guidance on this for me?

 

Please disregard my previous post. I have found the area I was looking for. I suppose anxiety from getting into an area that I am unfamiliar, and a touch of "old man itis" kept me from digging deep enough.

 

NEWT: I found all the place to change or add thing, finally! It is going fine for now. Bet it stays that way. Even if it doesn't, I'm happy with it. She is worth a lot, but not enough for me to dig and ask for further help on this one.

Much appreciate you helping me. Would have never made it on my own.

 

LOL - Mudd, glad it is working for you.

If any further tweaking is called for, just get your better half to set up an account here and she can ask the questions, get confusing answers, and do the work.