Windows network stopped woking

I've had a small windows network using internet connection sharing, on an XP pro machine.

Until now it's been simple. I've one NIC connected to the broadband modem and another to a netgear hub. Whenever I've plugged in other PCs using both XP and win 98 the 've had access to the internet and mail.

I installed bluetoooth dongles to try and eliminate some wires (didn't get that to work, but I haven't tried very hard) and since then none of the other networked PCs can get internet access for browsing or Email.

All connections look good status windows show activity but no connection can be made.

Help please.

 

Gordon - welcome to the forum and ouch on your problem.

Do all the PCs still have functional network cards & connections? Test as follows and I'll use PC-A with IP 192.168.0.2 and PC-B with IP 192.168.0.3 for giving examples.
- On both PC-A and PC-B, open a command window
(start~run~command on 9x/me or start~run~cmd on NT4/2K/XP)
and type in ping 127.0.0.1.

You should get a response that indicates the address was pinged and replied. If not, your network setup on the PC that failed is bad and will have to be reinstalled. If so, then

- from PC-A ping -a 192.168.0.3 and you should get the same sort of response but with PC-B named along with it's IP address.

- Same from PC-B to PC-A by IP address and using the -a switch to give the name.

Post back with those results and we'll go from there.

 

Thanks Newt.

The 127.0.0.1 worked fine. I can't cut & paste from the DOS window so with apologies for typos:

Both PCS:

Pinging 127.0.0.1 with 32 bytes of data

Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 127.0.0.1:
Packets: sent = 4, recieved = 4 , lost = 0 <0% loss>,
Approximate round-trip time in milli-seconds
Minimum = 0ms, maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms.

XP PC (PC A)

Pinging JOHN [192.168.0.3] with 32 bytes of data

PING: transmit failed, error code 65.
PING: transmit failed, error code 65.
PING: transmit failed, error code 65.
PING: transmit failed, error code 65.


Ping statistics for 127.0.0.1:
Packets: sent = 4, recieved = 0, lost = 4 <100% loss>,


Win 98 PC (PC B)

Pinging OFFICE (192.168.0.1) with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.1:
Packets: sent = 4, recieved = 0, lost = 4 <100% loss>,

Approximate round-trip time in milli-seconds
Minimum = 0ms, maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms.

Thanks again.

What next?

 

Incidentally Newt that was thanks for the help, the welcome & the sympathy.

 

OK. Good. You have some configuration problems that are stopping things from working. Easy enough to fix.

All connections look good status windows show activity but no connection can be made. - glad you posted that. Saves checking for a couple other problems.

First a trick to save yourself some typing.

ping ABC > c:\pingit.txt will direct the output of the command (actually of any command) to a file of any name you specify rather than to the screen. After a try and seeing there is a failure, do the next one with the redirection and then you have a nice text file with contents.

Now to use the trick. Unfortunately it will only work on NT systems (NT4/2K/XP) so you'll still have to write some stuff to get the information on the 98 PCs posted.

XP and do this from a cmd prompt on each:
ipconfig /all > c:\config.txt and copy/paste the results on here. Make sure to identify the name of each PC.

98 (again on each)
start~run~winipcfg and when the GUI window comes up, click the button for details and then copy down all the stuff and post it here too.

And a general suggestion for after we get things working - get yourself a router/switch (Linksys, D-Link both make good ones and a 4 port with built-in firewall will run you well under $100 US. Let the router do the broadband connection and hook all the PCs to the switch or if there are too many, hook the hub to a switch port and let the router/switch run it too. Lots of advantages over the setup you have now and the router has the ability to keep your PCs configured.

 

It's surprising what you can forget, it's been a long time since I've used DOS in anger. I'd completely forgotten the redirect operator.

So,
on the XP machine (PC A) The FA311 being the LAN and the 312 the connection to the cable modem:

Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : office

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

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

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

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



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR FA311 Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-02-E3-18-1F-1D

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

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

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

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



Ethernet adapter Internet Access:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR FA312 Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-02-E3-0B-39-50

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

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 82.39.67.32

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 82.39.64.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.144.119

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.144.39

195.188.53.175

62.31.112.39

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 04 December 2003 23:27:49

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 05 December 2003 23:27:49


Not a lot of info on the 98 machine and the redirect isn't a great help as there's no connection to this machine.

So begin typing (only populated fields):

Host name: JOHN
Node type: Broadcast
Ethernet Adaptor Information:
Realtek 8139 series PCI NIC
AdapterAddress: 00-E0-4C-00-D5-46
IP Address: 192.68.0.3
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0


If we can get this sorted I'll look into the router/switch comment you made which I must confess I don't really understand.

 

Please can someone help me here. I'm completely stuck.

 

Gordon - sorry but I had totally missed your response.

If IP Address: 192.68.0.3 is accurate, that's your problem. Change it to 192.168.0.3 and you should be back in business.

As to using a router/switch, it just simplifies life some since it acts as the host to the internet and as the communications link between your two PCs.

- You can connect without needing the 'host' PC running since the 'host' device is always on.
- DHCP (auto configuration application for network card settings) on the router will assign good values to a PC when you boot it.
- Faster by far than having a PC do the various manipulations in software since the router does it in hardware.
- If you buy one with a firewall built in, it will not only be lots faster but also cannot be shut down by an outside attacker as a software firewall can.

The switch portion can deal with lots more PCs than the number of ports would suggest so you can easily 'chain' more PCs to it by simply hooking them to a hub or switch and hooking the hub/switch to a port on the router/switch. The home versions can deal with around 254 PCs without any slowdown.

 

Thanks Newt.

The IP address was a typo, unfortunately, it is 168.

Sounds like the router/switch is the way to go, but I'd like to get this thing fixed first, if that's possible.

 

Gordon - for the 98 PC you didn't list a default gateway address. There MUST be one there and it has to be the internal/LAN IP address on your 'host' PC so 192.168.0.1. Otherwise the 98 PC has no idea how to get out to the internet.

The host does not need and should not have a default gateway listed on the internal NIC since it would be confused by trying to use itself and it already sees the external NIC so will use it as a gateway.

If the gateway address was there and correct, then at this point, try getting a fresh start. On all your PCs (since we don't really know where the problem comes from)

• In device manager (safe mode on 9X/ME, normal mode on 2K/XP) remove all networking items you find.
• Shut down, physically remove the network card, and reboot. This should remove as much of the networking stuff as is possible without major surgery.
• Shut down, reinstall network card, reboot and let the system detect the card. Good idea to get new drivers before you do this and force the reinstall to use them. Your existing ones may be damaged.
• Set up the network again.

 

Newt.

IP configuration on the 98 machine shows default gateway as blank.

Should I go ahead with the reinstall you suggest, or is there a way to update the default gateway?

FYI
An XP Pro machine that is occassionally connected to the network has the same apparent problem (ie looks good but no connection but I can't easily get the configuration details). This implies to me that the problem lies on the XP Pro server rather than the 98 machine

 

You can open the network connection (properties) and type in the default gateway address. 98 or XP.

Are you using ICS to share the internet connection?

 

No apparent difference with the default gateway set to 192.168.0.1 on the 98 machine.

Yes I am using ICS

Imagine how much faster this would be if one of us were nocturnal

 

I'm pretty much nocternal - up to a point. Most of my time online is from 4pm to midnight Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5). But there are parts of the world that I just don't match up with. Darn it.


At this point, try the suggestion (above) for removing networking from the 98 PC and reloading it. Very possible for it to look good, smell good, and not work.

Added suggestion and one I always make with 9X problems is to do a system cleanup.

• From the browser, dump all your temp internet files and cookies.
• From Windows Explorer, look in c:\ and delete any files with a name filennnn.chk where nnnn is any number so file0001.chk and any others.
• Empty your temp folder of any files that will allow deletion.
• Using Ctrl-Alt-Del, kill any running processes except Explore and if it's running, systray.
• Run scandisk with it set to auto-fix errors and do a standard scan.
• Run defrag and force it to run even if you are told by the system that you are zero percent fragmented.

Then proceed with the NIC removal/replacement.

 

Hi,

Problem (semi) resolved. The 98 Machine left home with his user (my brother in law who has moved to his new flat) before I had time to do more than the cleanups as suggested by Newt.

For the first time since August I wired an XP Pro laptop to the hub and everything worked first time.

The laptop is going to be used for a presentation tomorrow, so it's being left alone at the moment, but I'm sure I'll have even more fun when I try to install the Bluetooth dongle.

Thanks for the help