Network and Internet Problems: Fixing Wired and Wireless Networking Problems – Page 3

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NETWORK AND INTERNET PROBLEMS - Page 3

Visit the Networking section of this site for information on wired and wireless networks.

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1. - AOL Broadband - Sharing a connection: Can I use a wireless router with AOL broadband to share the connection with other computers?

2. - Problem: Windows XP auto-dials the Internet

3. - Online, sometimes when I try to open web pages in Internet Explorer, why do I get blank pages?

4. - What keeps wanting to use my dial-up account to access the Internet?

5. - Certain programs take forever to open for no obvious reason: the LMHosts networking problem

6. - How can I share a printer on a network without having the PC it is attached to turned on?

7. - I installed Windows XP SP2, now my network cards are working, but don't show up in the Device Manager

8. - The default settings of Windows XP File Sharing are frustrating and leave the computer vulnerable

9. - I can't network Windows XP and Windows 98/Windows Me computers

10. - Security software such as an antivirus scanner can prevent the installation of network cards or wireless network adapters

11. - A problem installing adapter cards in a Windows XP system

12. - Computers networked under Windows 98 SE won't reconnect to the network when coming out of standby mode

13. - The differences between wireless routers and wireless Access Points (APs)

14. - Using wireless equipment to network two desktop PCs and a notebook PC, and share a DSL connection to the Internet

15. - An interesting networking and internet access thread on the Lockergnome Forums

16. - Why does Windows XP Pro disconnect network drives?

17. - 10/100 Ethernet PC card won't work when other cards do work

18. - A new computer is slower than the old one sharing the same broadband connection

19. - The ipconfig command doesn't work properly from Windows XP's command prompt

20. - Network licensing and Administrator's password problems using Windows 2000 Server

21. - How to expand a wired network that shares an Internet connection via a wireless router

22. - Windows XP wants to connect to my neighbour's (neighbor's) wireless network instead of mine

23. - Drive mapping: After installing a Windows update I can't access a network drive. Windows XP Professional says that it is disconnected

24. - I can't network my two PCs - Windows XP and Windows Me PCs can't be networked

25. - Is my local exchange responsible for 'Server Not Found' and 'Limited or no Connectivity' error messages when I attempt to access the Internet?

26. - Why does my USB broadband modem keep disconnecting when I download files larger than 2MB?

27. - I installed Windows XP SP2, now my network cards are working, but don't show up in the Device Manager

28. - The default settings of Windows XP File Sharing are frustrating and leave the computer vulnerable

29. - Can a student house with incoming calls only be used for broadband Internet access?

AOL Broadband - Sharing a connection: Can I use a wireless router with AOL braodband to share the connection with other computers?

Question

I use AOl's Silver ADSL Broadband service. I want to use it to share a connection with two other computers. I have been told that I need to buy a wireless router, but everyone I ask seems to think that sharing a connection with AOL Broadband is going to be problematic. Is this correct or can I just buy any ADSL router and try my luck?

Answer

It used to be very difficult to share an AOL connection. In fact, you could buy routers that were specifically tweaked in order that they could be used to do that. However, that is no longer the case.

To find out which routers AOL Broadband supports, visit:

http://info.aol.co.uk/broadband/homeNetworking.adp?promo=228937&promoCode=228937.

AOL provides you with a free router when you sign up with AOL Broadband, but any standard ADSL wireless router that supports the PPPOE (the Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) networking protocol can be used.

Note that if you use a router that is not supported by AOL, you won't be able to receive technical support.

And here is another page worth looking at: Cannot Log on to AOL Through Router - http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101194.asp

Online, sometimes when I try to open web pages in Internet Explorer, why do I get blank pages?

Problem

I am using AOL and Windows XP Home edition. I prefer to use Internet Explorer instead of AOL's browser, but, sometimes, when using it to open web pages, nothing happens and I just get blank pages. This tends to happen in particular when I attempt to download files. Is there a fix for this condition or will I just have to put up with it?

Answer

It could be an issue involving the AOL software, so ask AOL's online Help service for advice if none of the following information corrects the problem.

There are several possible problem areas that are know to be the cause of this kind of behaviour.

First, open Internet Options in the Control Panel (a program such as Spybot S&D can be set to prevent Internet Options from being accessed from the Tools menu within Internet Explorer).

Under Security => Default Level there are four possible settings: Low, Medium-low, Medium, and High. If you have the security level set to High, this could be the source of the problem, because, at this level, any site that Internet Explorer deems as being a security threat won't display. If this is the case, try using the Medium setting.

Secondly, if you're running software that blocks spyware and malware such as Spybot and Ad-aware, they can block certain websites known to be a security risk from being opened. Therefore, try disabling any such software that is set to monitor the system.

Thirdly, there could be a problem with the Windows Registry.

Make sure that you can recover the system should it fail after editing the Registry, because if done incorrectly that is what can happen.

To open the Registry Editor in any version of Windows from Windows 95 up enter regedit in the Start => Run box.

Navigate to Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft and find the key for Internet Explorer\Plugins\Extensions.

There may not be an Extensions key, which is different from the Extension key. But if there is an Extensions key, open it by double-clicking on it and make a note of its value name, which should be a filename. Then delete the Extensions key by right-clicking on it and then clicking Delete. Close the Registry Editor.

Now, to prevent the problem from occurring, you have to change the name of the file that was listed as a value name in that Registry key. Use Find (in Windows 9.x) or Search (in Windows XP) to locate the file, right-click on it, and use the Rename function to change its extension to .bak so that you can reverse the change, if necessary.

If the problem still occurs after doing that the next step to try is to re-register several DLL files in case the references to them have become corrupt.

To do this, in the Start => Run box type the following commands, pressing the Enter key after each entry. Urlmon.dll is the first DLL file, shown in the command without its .dll extension.

Regsvr32 /i urlmon

Regsvr32 /i shdocvw

Regsvr32 /i mshtml

Regsvr32 /i Shell32

Regsvr32 actxprxy

Regsvr32 oleaut32

Then reboot Windows, open Internet Options in the Control Panel, and, under the Programs tab, click on Reset Web Settings button.

Certain programs take forever to open for no obvious reason: the LMHosts networking problem

Windows XP and Windows 2000 may enable LMHosts lookup on a network using the TCP/IP protocol, which most networks are set up to use by default. If there is no LAN Manager Host on a network, which there won't be on most small networks, Windows XP and Windows 2000 can lose themselves for a lengthy periods every time a program is opened as they looks in vain for the Host that isn't present. Simply disabling the LMHosts Lookup setting solves the problem completely and allows programs to open at their normal speed.

This is how the LMHosts Lookup setting is disabled. Open My Computer, click My Network Places, right-click Network Connections, click Properties, then right click on Local Area Connection => Properties. Find the Internet Protocol entry and select Properties => Advanced => WINS. Once there, uncheck the Enable LMHosts lookup setting.

You may also wish to click to disable NetBIOS over TCP in order to improve local network security.

How can I share a printer on a network without having the PC it is attached to turned on?

Question

In order to share a printer on my home network, the PC that the printer is attached to has to be up and running. Is there a way of setting a printer up so that it can be accessed by another computer on the network without having the PC it is connected to switched on?

Answer

It is possible to share most printers using Widows 98/XP/Vista networking file and printer sharing, but the PC that the printer is connected to has to be up and running in order for another computer on the network to use it. This is inconvenient and a waste of power.

You can connect a printer with a built-in network connection or a dedicated print server to the network. (A print server is a device that you connect one or more printers to, which is then connected to the network.) In both of those cases, the network printer/print server is connected in its own right to the network instead of being attached to a PC that is connected to the network, so you can access it from a workstation if both devices are switched on.

Note that if you want to share a multifunction peripheral (MFP - printer/scanner/copier), you'll have to connect it to a PC on the network, and you might find that the scanner doesn't work on the network. Even if it is possible to share the MFP's scanner on the network, you might only be able to scan at resolutions that are lower than those that are available during stand-alone use.

I installed Windows XP SP2, now my network cards are working, but don't show up in the Device Manager

Problem

With some trepidation, I decided to install the Windows XP SP2 update on my five-year-old computer. I soon discovered that my two ethernet network cards (NICs) - one for a home network, and the other for a wireless broadband connection via a router - were missing from the Device Manager and had also disappeared from Network Connections (under My Network Places). I have removed the network cards, rebooted, and replaced them with alternatives cards, but they still aren't showing up in those places. Fortunately, they're still working. I can use my home network and wireless broadband connection, but I would still be grateful to know how can I put the matter right.

Answer

The first action to take is to make sure that you're logged in as Administrator, or in an account with Administator privileges, and make sure that "hidden devices" are shown in the Device Manager.

Click here! to go to relevant information on this site if you don't know how to do that.

When all of devices are shown in Device Manager, if the network interface cards (NICs) aren't showing, shut the computer down, open the case, and remove the NICs - I take it that you have two separate NICs and not a network card and one built into the motherboard - and reboot.

Enter the BIOS and do whatever is required to Reset Configuration Data (reset the ESCD, or "Extended System Configuration Data"), so that the computer removes any references to the NICs. The setting is usually in a section of the BIOS called PNP/PCI Configuration. When enabled, the setting only works once to clear the BIOS of its data and reset it with the default data that won't include the NICs because they are no longer installed.

Go here for more information: http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/res/pnpESCD-c.html

If you can't clear the ESCD, unplug the computer from the mains supply, and remove the BIOS battery from the motherboard (it looks like a coin), wait about an hour for the capacitors to discharge, then replace the battery, plug the computer into the mains supply, and restart. The battery makes it possible for the BIOS chip to retain its data. Cutting its source of power removes the data. The next time the system starts up, the BIOS detects the existing computer hardware and configures it with its default settings.

Windows should update itself so that it has no knowledge of the NICs at all. Shut down again, install only one of the NICs, and reboot. The BIOS should find the new hardware and go through the process of installing the device drivers. If that doesn't happen, open the Device Manager, right-click on the Computer icon at the top of the listings, and run Scan for hardware changes. After the first NIC becomes visible in those areas that it was missing from, shut down, install the second NIC, and repeat the process.

It is not the case here, because Windows detects the NICs and installs the drivers, but if the NICs are elderly, they may either not be Plug-and-Play (PnP) devices, or may only be partially PnP-complaint. Non-PnP adapter cards don't know how to communicate with Windows, so it can't install them automatically. They require manual configuration, usually by making use of a setup floppy disk. If this is the case, you may be able to find the setup software at a particular NIC's vendor's site, and then transfer it to a floppy disk. Alternatively, it may be better to buy new PnP-compliant NICs, which are very cheap these days, costing no more than from about £10/$20 to £20/$40 each.

The default settings of Windows XP File Sharing can be frustrating and leave the computer vulnerable

The LAN (Large Area Network) file sharing model in Windows XP Professional is designed to provide a high level of security, but the default settings leave the computer vulnerable and can be a source of frustration even to experienced users running larger peer-to-peer networks.

Moreover, probably millions of people using Windows XP Home edition, especially if its native NTFS file system is being used instead of the FAT 32 file system inherited from Windows 98, should protect themselves by disabling what is known as Simple File Sharing.

It's far too complex to go into in the required detail here, so I'll provide links to relevant sources of information instead. Reading them in the presented order is advisable.

Windows XP Professional File Sharing -

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

How to Configure File Sharing in Windows XP -

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304040

How to Disable Simplified Sharing and Set Permissions on a shared folder in Windows XP - http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307874

Enabling Windows XP File Permissions Editing -

http://whoozoo.co.uk/winxpFilePerms.htm

I can't network Windows XP and Windows 98/Windows Me computers

Problem

My computer runs Windows XP Home and my daughter's computer runs Windows Me. My daughter's PC has a floppy drive, a CD drive, and an HP MFP (all in one printer/scanner/copier/fax). My PC has a CD/DVD writer and an HP printer. I want them networked so that I can access her floppy drive and the HP MFP. The two PCs have been networked successfully before with a crossover cable, but now I can't network them.

I have run the Network Setup Wizard in the Control Panel but without success. I used the Windows XP installation CD on the Windows Me PC and went through the Perform Additional Tasks routine. The computers are named properly with different names and the Workgroup is the same on both of them. I had an network technician in to network them, but he was also unable to do so. He said that Windows XP doesn't like to be networked with Windows Me and that I should reformat the Me PC and install XP on it. I didn't want to buy another licence for Windows XP, so I removed Windows Me by formatting the C: drive and installed Windows 98, which used to be installed on the PC. However, I still haven't been able to get the two PCs networked.

Answer

All of the versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows XP can network with each other. However, Windows Me is the last in the line of the Windows 95/98 versions. Before Windows XP came out in October 2001, security software was less sophisticated and less readily available, so it was the done thing to set up two separate networking protocols - TCP/IP for Internet access, and NetBEUI (the NetBIOS Extended User Interface, for LAN network access. NetBEUI is a non-routable protocol, which means that the packets of data that it generates can't be transmitted over the Internet. Therefore, using NetBEUI as the internal network protocol and TCP/IP as the Internet protocol is a good way of making the data on the network more secure than if the TCP/IP protocol is used for both internal and external communications.

However, Windows XP doesn't have the NetBEUI protocol installed by default, but it is possible to add it. Microsoft supplies an official NetBEUI protocol with Windows XP, so you can set up both PCs to use NetBEUI for local communications, and TCP/IP for Internet communications. Doing that should solve the problem. NetBEUI is an old technology, but it works with all of the above-mentioned versions of Windows.

Alternatively, you can use TCP/IP for internal and external communications, but but you must have a firewall and other security software, such virus and spyware scanners, installed on each of the computers.

If applying the above information doesn't solve the problem, a faulty crossover cable might be the cause. Instead of buying another cable, buy an inexpensive network hub. Such a hub allows the use of a standard Ethernet cable. Moreover, its indicator lights show you when a connection has been made and when there is network activity.

Make use of the following links to locate more relevant information:

Google search - Windows XP/Windows Me networking - http://www.google.com/search?q=me+xp+network

Should I use NetBeui? - http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/netbeui.htm

You can also conduct your own searches by making use of the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

Security software such as an antivirus scanner can prevent the installation of network cards or wireless network adapters

I installed a Netgear USB 2.0 WiFi adapter on a PC running Windows XP Pro. It worked, but every time I booted a message came up saying that I'd get better performance with a USB 2.0 port. The elderly PC only has USB 1.1 ports. Then I installed the free version of AVG Anti-Virus and a USB 2.0 four-port PCI card. However, when I tried to plug in the Netgear USB 2.0 WiFi adapter into a USB 2.0 port on the card, it complained that it needed to be reinstalled. The installation got to the end and then it produced a message saying that a particular file could not be found. I tried again with the same result. I had another USB WiFi adapter and decided to try installing it with the same result. Thinking that the virus scanner might be responsible, I disabled (not uninstalled) AVG Anti-Virus and tried the installation again. This time the installation worked, and the adapter is working well. Disabling the active virus scanner also turned out to be the solution to a similar problem I had when I installed a wireless adapter in an older PC that was added to a wired network.

So, if you encounter an otherwise unexplainable installation problem with software that should install without a hitch - brand-name commercial software - then it is a good idea to disable any security software that is actively monitoring the system. However, don't forget not to go online until the software has been turned back on. If you use software such as Norton AntiVirus, it will inform you by producing pop-up messages from the Notification Area (System Tray) if some of your PC's security software is out of action.

A problem installing adapter cards in a Windows XP system

Problem

You have purchased a new motherboard and installed it in your Windows XP system; successfully for the most part, but whenever you try to install a sound card or network card, and then boot the system you get the message, "An error has occurred during the installation of this device. The data is invalid." For some reason, you have not been able to install an AGP video card, but you have been able to install a PCI video card, You have also tried unsuccessfully to install two different makes of network and sound card. The other measures you have taken to rectify the problem are: - reflashed the BIOS with the latest update, and tried replacing Windows XP with its forerunner, Windows 2000. Because the same error occurs with both versions of Windows, you suspect that the problem has to be hardware-related.

A possible solution

The usual cause of this problem in Windows 2000/XP systems is Registry keys that are set as read-only.

From the Start menu, click Run and enter RegEdit to run the Registry Editor. Open the following - Keys => HKey_Local_machine => System => CurrentControlSet => Enum => PCI.

You will see several keys in this form - Ven_xxxx - where xxxx represents a string such as - 1102&Dev_004&Subsys_00011103&Rev_04.

In each of these folders there is another folder that has a long numerical name. Open each of these folders, and look for the DeviceDesc entry that matches the type of hardware that you are trying unsuccessfully to install. Use the right mouse button to click on the Ven_xxxx entry for that device, and click Permissions. If it is set to read-only, then that is the cause of the problem. To rectify it, change it to Allow Full Control.

Problem:

Computers networked under Windows 98 SE won't reconnect to the network when coming out of standby mode

Microsoft's Knowledge Base does not address this problem very helpfully. Its article number 267318 suggests restarting a computer that won't reconnect when coming out of standby mode.

Many layers of software have to function together if the resume-from- standby feature is to work properly.

Windows XP/2000 are both fully up to handling this power management issue, but the power management system has not been fully developed in Windows 9.x. Even if a computer reconnects to the network when coming out of standby mode, problems with running peripheral devices are often encountered.

Using Windows XP to run the network would cure the problem if the computer and its peripheral devices are a few years old, but would not be a good idea if they are any older than that, because the devices have to be able to use WHQL certified drivers, which are supposed to be tested for such problems. WHQL stands for Windows Hardware Quality Labs. Microsoft tests device drivers in these labs and passes or fails them.

If you enter dxdiag in the Start => Run box, the DirectX diagnostic utility will inform you if the system is running untested video or sound device drivers.

But, if you want to keep the network running under Windows 98 SE, it would be a good idea to make sure that all of the relevant service packs and patches are installed.

For your information, Microsoft has extended the support for Windows 98, 98 SE, and ME to 30 June 2006.

If you are using the non-routable NetBEUI protocol - the Netbios Extended User Interface, Microsoft provides the answer here -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;267643

"This problem can occur if Microsoft NetBEUI is the only network transport protocol that is installed on your computer. The NetBEUI network transport protocol is not power-management compliant. When the computer returns from Hibernation mode or Standby mode, the NetBEUI protocol is unable to restore your network connections."

The solution is to use TCP/IP addresses on all of the computers.

If none of that advice works, for any computer, especially laptops, a BIOS update can fix power management issues. The power management settings are in the BIOS and in the Windows Control Panel. Often using ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) instead of the older APM (Advanced Power Management) fixes the problem, but could make the situation worse, because early BIOS implementations provided buggy ACPI support. Buggy ACPI support in the BIOS would be rectified by reflashing it with the latest update from the motherboard's site.

Finally, older network cards (NICs), such as ISA cards, would have to be replaced with newer cards that support the resume-from-standby feature properly.

The differences between wireless routers and wireless Access Points (APs)

Question

What is the difference between a wireless router and a wireless Access Point?

Answer

A wireless router is also a wireless Access Point with a built-in Internet router. A basic wireless Access Point merely links the computers of a network together.

Note that manufacturers have started adding bridging features to their Access Points. The new features add the ability for Access Points to connect to other Access Points to form wireless bridges. Unfortunately, most companies continue to call these products Access Points, and added to consumer confusion. With the prices of these improved Access Points dropping to around £60/$100, wireless networking is a little more confusing, but, thankfully, much less expensive. When using the bridging functions of AP/Bridges, it is advisable to use the same product at both ends of the bridge, because, although you might be lucky enough to make a wireless bridge work between two different manufacturers' products, you won't get any help if you call a vendor's support line because most companies only support bridging between their products.

The router just helps you route your network traffic when connected to the Internet. Most home routers use NAT - Network Address Translation. This software provides all of the computers on a network with a single fixed external Internet IP (Internet Protocol) address in this form - 195.92.193.23. The router will use this external IP address to communicate with the servers that make up the Internet. If you entered the URL (http://www...) of a website into the browser of one of the networked computers, the router will forward it to a domain-name server to be translated into an IP address in this form - 195.92.193.23. The DNS will send the translation back to the router, which will then be able to locate and access the website.

The computers of the network will also allocated individual internal IP addresses that are reserved for a network and are not used for Internet communications.

When one of a network's computers wants to communicate with the Internet, the router removes the internal IP address and replaces it with the outside IP address provided by the service provider (ISP). When outside information is returned to the router, the outside IP address is removed and replaced with the internal IP address, and it is routed internally to the computer that requested the information.

A basic wireless Access Point cannot do any of this. - It is purely a wireless point of connection for networked computers.

If you don't have a router but need to connect several computers, (all of which have wireless access cards installed) to one another and to the Internet, then a wireless router is the most cost-effective option for adding new computers to the network.

Using wireless equipment to network two desktop PCs and a notebook PC, and share a DSL connection to the Internet

Question

You have two desktop computers and a laptop computer. You have a DSL connection that you want to use to connect all three computers to the Internet. Being a novice with little networking knowledge, you don't want to make any mistakes buying the wrong equipment, so you need to know how to implement the best wireless solution.

Answer

A router is what you need, and most of the devices on the market meet your needs. But the ideal solution would be to purchase a device that provides everything you need in one box.

Since you have a DSL connection, you have to make sure that you purchase a router that has a DSL modem built into it. A basic broadband router (DSL/cable router) doesn't have a built-in modem, so you would have to use an external one. Note that your ISP might make it a compulsory requirement to purchase a DSL modem from it in order to be able to use its service. If that is not the case, before you buy a router, check that it that has a built-in DSL modem.

Networking two PCs and a laptop can be done with wireless equipment as long as all of it is within 100 metres of each other, and there aren't too many walls in between. If there are too many walls, you will have to add wireless Access Points (APs) until you achieve what you want. Some wireless Access Points can act as repeaters that boost the signal, and can therefore act as bridges to link parts of a network that are out of the range of standard components.

The 802.11b standard (commonly known as Wi-Fi), which runs at up to 11Mbit/s, will be sufficient for your needs. But, if you have read the first part of this article on wireless networking, you will know something about the 802.11a and 802.11g standards, which run at up to 54 Mbit/s.

Everything you require is provided by the ZyXel 650HW series of wireless DSL routers that also have a four -port 10/100 Mbit hub, which can be used in case you want to install a much faster wired network. Enter "zyxel 650hw" as is in the Google search box at the top of this page to find out more about it.

You will have to install wireless adapters in the desktop PCs, and a wireless PCMCIA network card in the laptop. Any 802.11b PCI, USB, or PCMCIA adapters should be compatible with the router. Once all of the device drivers are installed in the three computers, just follow the configuration instructions that will have come with the router.

An interesting networking and Internet-access thread on the Lockergnome Forums

"Quite the interesting question, found over in the Networking section of the Lockergnome Forums... read on."

DrDaveK writes: "I get broadband through a cable provider. I had a wireless router hooked up and it just died on me after only one month. I then went back and tried my older wired router and that was dead too? The switch function still works on both (I can see both computers), but I can't http the Internet or even the internal control 192.168.x.1 for either router? Could my ISP have killed them like Satellite TV companies zap illegal boxes? I'll keep you posted..."

Forum regular Aryeh Goretsky replies: "Have you tried resetting the routers to their default configurations? If, after resetting them, you still cannot get into their internal management web (or terminal) interface, then I'd suspect they were damaged by something else, such as a power surge from a nearby lightning strike."

Fellow Gnomie elecdave offers his outlook on the problem: "The ISP will not be able to "kill" your router; however, they can certainly disable your IP address or account from accessing their network for services such as http, ftp, smtp (mail), etc. In other words, they can shut you down for any Internet services that you pay for.

"However, they cannot disable your router's DHCP server, which provides IP addressing for your local network or LAN interface. If you can't connect to the Admin web page (192.168.x.1) on either router, then you are dealing with a different issue unrelated to your ISP. First, I'd definitely take the 'Great Goretsky's' advice and reset your routers. Next, I'd check to make sure all my cables are connected to the router properly. You should see a green link light on the router ports for each computer that is turned on. Afterwards, try pinging the router interface (192.168.x.1). You need to go to a command prompt and enter the following command:

ping 192.168.x.1 (of course, where x is the number of your gateway or router)

"Once you press enter, you should receive several replies. If you receive the following reply, 'request times out,' then you should verify that your PCs are getting an IP address from your router. In order to verify you are getting an IP address, simply go to the command prompt again and type the following command:

ipconfig

"You should now see your Local Area Network connection along with an IP address. If the IP address is all zeroes (0.0.0.0), then you most likely are dealing with a connection issue. If your LAN connection has an address of 169.X.X.X, then your DHCP Service on your router is not accessible or disabled. Finally, if you have a valid IP address (192.168.x.y where y is between 2 and 254), then your ping command should have been successful. At this point, you should be able to access the Web Admin page of your router."

At this point, though, our friend DrDaveK is still having problems... "I'm going nutso here! I left my cable modem and routers unplugged for 12 hours, hit all reset buttons (which for some reason did not restore defaults) and reset them up next to my desktop system. Everything worked great until this morning. Desktop - no Internet connection, and cannot http to DHCP server. I go to my laptop, which connects fine to the Internet via the wireless card.

"I check the wired connection of my laptop (temporarily disabling the wireless card) and nothing. I go back to the wireless card - nothing, except that both computers can see each other via file sharing. Can't get to DHCP. I unplugged and reset the router - nothing. I plug my desktop into the cable modem and here I am asking for help, although it looks like the router, which is two months old, is starting to crap out. SMC 7004vwbr, which I got for $29.99 after a freaking rebate. I didn't try IPCONFIG, but my IP address was 192.168.0.154. There have been no power surges and both were plugged into a Tripp Lite APC."

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x-treme adds to our lifeless router conversation: "From my days with cable ISPs, MOST if not ALL of them have gone by the MAC address. If you set your router's virtual MAC address to the same MAC as your computer that can get online, and give it the same hostname you should be okay."

Aryeh chimes back in on Dave's difficulty in resetting the equipment: "Some devices require you to hold down the reset button for a relatively long time (30 seconds or even a minute) or press it in conjunction with another button, such as the power button, in order for the settings to be reset back to their original default configuration.

"You can also try updating or reinstalling the router's firmware, since this operation usually resets all of the settings to their original configuration, too. Your cable Internet service provider's technical support department should be able to tell you if you do need to 'clone' or register your router's MAC address with them in order to connect to their network.

"One thing to try after resetting things is to try using the 192.168.1.nnn range of addresses, instead of 192.168.0.nnn. I've noticed occasionally that some networking gear has trouble with 192.168.0.nnn addresses." < P> DrDaveK then posts: "OK, it is fixed, finally - mostly. Well, it's usable. I have no idea why my router spontaneously stopped working as it did. My ISP had nothing to do with it, I think. For those who may have the same problems, here are the gory details: the router's DHCP address was 192.168.2.1 and was assigning 192.168.0.xxx addresses. I manually changed each computer's connection (on the laptop, I had to do it twice, once for wired and once for the cat5 connection) giving a 192.168.2.xxx address, subnet mask, and 192.168.2.1 as the gateway. Try the Internet and I get to the terminal for the router, but no Internet. I manually add in the DNS servers for my ISP's connection and voila! the Internet is there. But wait! No file sharing now. I go back in time and install the IPX protocol and finally all the sharing and Internet I could want. But wait! I try to load the MAC address filtering for my router and none are seen on the DHCP server...

"I'll try again to upgrade the firmware, but it wouldn't work for me because of file error... I guess this is a learning experience. Any other suggestions?"

And it turns out that elecdave had similar problems, but it wasn't the hardware that was the problem: "After reading your last post, I want to provide some insight regarding your scenario. First off, about a month ago, I replaced my Linksys wired router with a DLink Wireless router. The installation went very smoothly for about a day. However, the very next day it seemed we started losing the Internet connection. Sometimes it resolved itself on its own, and other times I fooled around with the router performing resets, checking addresses, firmware update... etc. I noticed on my router that when the Internet connection was lost, my DHCP address on the router was also a 192.168.2.x number.

"Just to let you know, the DHCP address on the router is the address assigned by your ISP and not an address assigned by the router, or so I thought. Anyway, the router's DHCP server should only be assigning IP addresses to machines on the local area network, and not the WAN port. In other words, the 192.168.2.x was being assigned to the WAN port. The WAN and LAN connections on your router are actually two separate networks. I still to this very day couldn't figure where the 192.168.2.x was coming from, so I was thinking that my cable modem itself may have had a built-in DHCP server that was assigning the IP address to my WAN port. Or maybe, the router itself would assign the IP address because it sensed a connection loss from the actual cable modem. Meanwhile, when my connection was functional, my DHCP address on the WAN connection was a valid public IP address of 64.x.x.x. Whenever I saw this IP on the router, I knew my Internet connection was working.

"Needless to say, I removed my wireless router and reinstalled the Linksys router, and sure enough, the same problem was occurring. I thought that this was too coincidental for both routers to fail, so I changed my network cables between the routers and the modem without success. Finally, I called my cable company, and they sent a technician out that same day (amazing, isn't it... same day service!!). Sure enough, the problem was traced to a faulty filter on the cable line itself. The filter was actually located outside my home in the junction box maintained by my cable company. Apparently, the filter was at least 10 years old, and the technician said he's been paid a lot of overtime recently for having to replace the filters.

"Anyway, the bottom line is that my problem was simply related to the cable connection itself and had nothing to do with my routers. I suggest you call your cable company and have them check your signal lines and any filters you have installed."

I'm hoping DrDaveK gets his problems resolved... perhaps you might be able to help! Visit the Forums if you have any advice for our fellow Gnomie, or post a problem of your own. There are folks there helping make everyone's ride on the 'Net a smooth one. [Jim and his Hosting Special]

Why does Windows XP Pro disconnect network drives?

Question

You are using the Windows XP Professional version logged into a Windows 2000 domain server, and Windows XP disconnects your network drives after a period of inactivity. You can disable and re-enable the network connection to re-establish the drive, but that is a nuisance. How do you rectify this situation?

Answer

It is not necessary to disable and re-enable your network connection to re-establish the mapped drives. If they are still listed in Windows Explorer or under My Computer, but have a red X through them, you merely have to double-click on the drive's reference/icon to re-establish a connection.

The server running Windows 2000 (not Windows XP Pro) disconnects the network drive because by closing a connection that is not being used it has less work to do in maintaining the network.

If the mapped drives are disappearing out of Windows Explorer or My Computer, then remove the Windows XP computer from the Windows 2000 domain, restart, and then add the computer back to the Windows 2000 domain. Microsoft has acknowledged this situation as a problem and has stated that removing and then re-adding the computer to the domain is the easiest way to rectify the situation.

10/100 Ethernet PC card won't work when other cards do work

From the Lockergnome Windows Daily newsletter

Problem

"I have a IBM ThinkPad 380ED and a Compaq 10/100 Ethernet PC card. I have installed the drivers and inserted the card and the computer does nothing. I have updated the BIOS and reseated the card and still nothing. I have put the card in a different laptop and it works fine. On the ThinkPad, I currently use the slot (that the network card doesn't work in) for a 56k modem and it works fine in that slot. I have contacted IBM and they said the card isn't theirs, so "Sorry!" I also contacted Compaq, and they said to reseat the card and it will work. I am running Windows ME on the ThinkPad."

Answer

"I'm not particularly familiar with this model, but after looking over this page from IBM's web site, it appears the IBM ThinkPad 380ED only supports 16-bit PC Cards, not 32-bit CardBus cards. If your PCMCIA network interface card is a CardBus card, then it appears it will not work with this particular laptop. You'll need to use a 16-bit PC Card instead."

A new computer is slower than the old one sharing the same broadband connection

Problem

For some unknown reason, an Athlon 2600+ system running 512MB of RAM and Windows XP Home Edition is usually slower at accessing the web than an older and slower system running a Pentium 600MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, and Windows 98 SE, connected via a shared ADSL router. Moreover, the new computer often suffers from time-outs, and often Internet Explorer's Refresh button has to be used to bring up new pages. For some reason, the situation seems to have worsened rather than improved after installing the latest patches and updates from Microsoft's site.

Answer

Inexpensive routers often look like an ordinary network hub but contain a small computer that runs Linux or some other networking proxy software that will usually have been provided on a CD that was packaged with the router. The router's installation routine issues local network IP addresses to the computers connected to it, and then it translates the addresses on incoming data packets and forwards them to the particular computer they're addressed to. If the two computers have been allocated IP addresses that start with 192.168, they were allocated by a router. To find out what the IP addresses are being used by a particular system, enter winipcfg (Windows 9.x) and ipconfig (Windows XP) in the Start => Run box.

For your information, a tool similar to Winipcfg called Wntipcfg works with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It is included in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit, and it can be downloaded from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp.

You can you it to release and renew IP addresses in Windows XP instead of using the commands ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew at the command-line that you bring up by entering cmd in the Start => Run box.

The system should be scanned for viruses and worms with an updated virus scanner as a matter of course, because they can slow the connection down by stealing bandwidth by downloading files to the system and transferring data away from it. They can also cause unexplained time-outs that will be announced by messages from the browser.

The new Athlon 2600+ system should be the faster machine, because the basic TCP/IP stack - the protocol used by both systems to communicate on the web - is superior on Windows 2000 and XP systems in comparison to the stack used on a Windows 98 SE system. But active software on a computer that examines the incoming web traffic for viruses, and which performs other security measures, can be responsible for slowing web access down.

The firewall built into the router will provide all of the required firewall protection, so the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) that is part of Windows XP should be disabled if it is enabled (as should any third-party security-monitoring software). To do this, right-click on My Network Places, click Properties => Network Connections (or access it via the Control Panel). Choose the Properties for the connection, and select the Advanced tab under which Internet Connection Firewall is an option. Uncheck its box to disable it.

The free Spybot S&D program from http://www.safer-networking.org/ should be used, because the spyware and malware that it is designed to remove could be what is slowing the computer down.

The ipconfig command doesn't work properly from Windows XP's command prompt

Problem

You are experiencing some problems with your home network running Windows XP, and decide to enter the ipconfig /all command at the command prompt. Unfortunately, an error message appears saying, "'ipconfig' is not recognised as an internal or external command". To use the command, you discover that you have to make XP's command environment navigate to the C:\Windows\System32 folder. But you also discover that bar a few basic DOS commands, everything appears to have been lost. Moreover, you can't find anything in XP's Help & Support on how to modify the command-prompt environment.

Advice

Here is some general information on the Windows 2000/XP ipconfig command and its Windows 9.x counterpart, winipcfg:

If a computer suddenly stops being able to connect to a shared Internet connection and/or is no longer able to access other computers on the network (LAN), the two most important tools needed to troubleshoot basic network problems of this sort are ping and a Windows utility called WinIPCfg or IPConfig. Under Windows 9.x, the tool is a small graphical utility called WinIPCfg, Under Windows NT/2000/XP, the tool is IPConfig, a command line program that is run from the command prompt.

The need to release and renew the IP address is more prevalent on Windows 9x/Me computers. To load WinIPConfig under Windows 9.x/Me, you enter winipcfg in the Start => Run box. Clicking the Release All button, followed by Renew All releases the old IP address and then renews it. In Windows 9.x, you might find that you have to reboot in between the two commands. Under Windows NT/2K/XP, enter cmd in the Start => Run box. In the Command Prompt's box, type and enter ipconfig /release followed by typing and entering ipconfig /renew.

For your information, a tool similar to Winipcfg called Wntipcfg works with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It is included in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit, and it can be downloaded from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp.

You can you it to release and renew IP addresses in Windows XP instead of using the commands ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew at the command-line that you bring up by entering cmd in the Start => Run box.

Now let's address the above problem...

MS DOS uses an environment variable called PATH to store the list of directories and sub-directories (folders and sub-folders) that Windows will search for a program's files if a user enters the its name, or the name of the file that starts it. The PATH information is only of importance when you attempt to access a program from the command-prompt environment, because, in Windows, programs are usually launched directly by clicking icons on the Windows Desktop.

In Windows 9.x systems, the PATH variable is set via the autoexec.bat file. In Windows NT-based systems, which include Windows 2000 and XP, it is set in the Registry.

To see what has happened in the XP system, click the following: Control Panel => Performance & Maintenance => System. Click the Advanced tab, followed by the Environment Variables button. PATH should be listed under System variables, and can be edited there.

The default string is:

%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem

With Windows XP installed in the C:\Windows directory/folder, this translates as:

C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\wbem

In other words, when you enter the command ipconfig /all at the command prompt, Windows XP will search the above directories and sub-directories for the IPConfig utility's files.

Badly written software can corrupt the PATH string when adding to it. It is also possible that the PATH variable is correct but that the SystemRoot variable it uses has become corrupt. This can be checked by entering the SET command at the command prompt. It is unlikely to have been corrupted in this case, because the SystemRoot variable is used throughout the Registry, and, as such, would cause far more problems than just the one under consideration.

If the path appears correctly in the Control Panel under Environment Variables, open the command prompt and enter the command SET. This displays a list of the current environment variables. If the PATH variable shows correctly in the Control Panel but is wrong at the command prompt, the culprit must be an entry in the Autoexec.nt file.

Every time XP's Command Prompt window is opened, the autoexec.nt file is run. (In Windows 9.x, it is the autoexec.bat file.) Open the file with a text editor, and make sure that the string is correct and that there are no other entries for the PATH variable that could be the cause of the problem.

For your information, there is also a config.nt file, which is the counterpart of the config.sys file used in Windows 9.x systems.

Network licensing and Administrator's password problems using Windows 2000 Server

The following interesting post was posted to Lockergnome's Webmasters forum:

"I'm a second year information systems student at Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!). I just recently landed a great internship at a small financial planning company. The primary reason they hired me was for my computer expertise - they had been paying a consulting firm $95 an hour previously. I've had a couple of internships working in IT departments in the past, but now suddenly I am the IT department, and I could use some advice. We have six computers in the office, two laptops and a server running Windows 2000 Server. Dealing with the client machines is a walk in the park, but the server is what scares me, because I have little experience with them. To begin with, the machine hasn't been rebooted since April, which means it hasn't gotten any updates in at least six months. Another big issue is that I DON'T HAVE THE ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD! And no one in the office has it. Any suggestions? What I need is advice. Any kind of advice. Security, networking, server advice. We're short a few licenses on some of our software. Where can I go to purchase just licenses (I have no need for the boxed packages)? Is there a way I can consolidate current licenses to one product key? (When they upgraded from Windows 2000 to XP, for instance, they just purchased several copies of XP upgrade. Although the company is small now, it is growing and will become a record keeping nightmare for me if I have to keep track of multiple product keys/licenses for a single piece of software.) Should I employ any type of system to keep track of IT assets? I'm young and eager to listen, and I'd really like to stick with this company for a while. C'mon Gnomies, tell me all the secrets you think I should know to be successful."

Read the posted replies on this thread:

http://help.lockergnome.com/index.php?showtopic=12432

How to expand a wired network that shares an Internet connection via a wireless router

Problem

I use a Linksys BEFW11S4 4-Port Cable/DSL Wireless Router to share an ADSL Internet connection on a home network that consists of four desktop computers running Windows 98 SE and Windows XP SP2. I want to cable a few more computers to the network but there aren't any spare PC ports on the router. If possible, I don't want to replace my 4-port router with a new 8-port one. Therefore, I need to know if there's an inexpensive way to increase the number of PC Ports on my current router?

Answer

Since you have a wireless router and a wired network, the host computer must be connected to the router via a wireless network adapter installed in it. The ADSL modem is connected to phone line and to the router's WAN port by a cable with an RJ-45 connector. You have created a wired network by cabling several computers to the router's four PC ports.

Most broadband routers, including yours, are really just a combination of a router that deals with the Internet connection, and an Ethernet switch the deals with the networking. Cabling computers to the router's Ethernet switch creates a local area network (LAN). The LAN connects to the Internet via the router's wide area network (WAN) port, which is usually labelled with the word Internet at the back of the router. The WAN port uses the router's built-in Network Address Translation (NAT) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services to manage all of the computers connected to it. Routers have the capability to support up to 256 computers, so they can be expanded. This is achieved by connecting the router to another network switch or hub via its uplink port. A four-port Linksys switch costs around £20. All you have to do is buy an extra switch and connect the switch's uplink port to a PC port on the router with a standard Cat5 (Category 5) 10BaseT Ethernet cable. If there is no uplink port on the switch, then connect any of its PC ports to a PC port on the router with a crossover network cable instead. A crossover cable is most often used to network two computers together without connecting them to a hub or a switch. Note that newer switches have auto-sensing ports that allow the use of either type of cable - standard network Cat5 cable or a crossover cable. Therefore you must find out what the situation is with the switch you buy so that you can also buy the correct cable.

Once properly connected, all you have to do is assign an IP address to the additional computers and you should have access to the Internet and the other computers on your WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network).

Could you use another router to expand the ports on an existing router? Technically, yes. Many broadband routers can be used to expand the PC ports of another router. However, configuration problems are very likely to occur, so it's not advisable to use another router. A wired switch is cheaper than a router, so it's also not a cost-effective option to use a second router.

Alternatively, since you already have a wireless router that has a wireless switch, you could try just adding wireless network adapters to the new computers. However, read this Q&A: Mixed media networks: Why can't I get my mixed wired and wireless network to share files?

You could also replace all of the wired network interface cards (NICs) with wireless network adapters. That way you could add up to 245 computers wirelessly.

Click here! to go directly to information on the Linksys BEFW11S4 4-Port Cable/DSL Wireless Router on Linksys.com, or enter "linksys befw11s4" (as is) in the Google search box provided at the top of this page to find links to reviews and discussions on the router.

Windows XP wants to connect to my neighbour's (neighbor's) wireless network instead of mine

Problem

I moved house. My wireless network that consists of two desktop PCs and one laptop PC, all of which run Windows XP SP2 Home Edition, used to work perfectly in my previous house, but now it drops its connection repeatedly. I believe that I have discovered the cause, but I don't know how to overcome it. Network Connections shows my neighbour's network as well as mine. The alien network is well protected, so I can't connect to it, but, for some reason, Windows wants to connect to it instead of my network when its signal is the strongest. I have tried tweaking all of the many Wi-Fi settings without success.

Answer

The Wireless Network Setup Wizard (in the Control Panel), which is supposed to be a zero configuration utility for Wi-Fi adapters, can make connecting to a wireless network very easy, but it can also be problematic. The cause of this problem, when it occurs, appears to be the utility's inability to lock on to a wireless network that it has configured itself.

The best way to fix the problem is to make use of the wireless adapter manufacturer's own wireless setup utility on the main host computer to configure the network. If the desktop or laptop host computer has a built-in wireless adapter, you should have the network configuration utility on a CD that came with the PC, or with the motherboard if you built the computer yourself. Alternatively, identify the manufacturer of the wireless adapter by looking in the Device Manager (right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab, click the Device Manager button) under Network adapters, and download the network configuration utility from its website. If there is no Network adapters showing there, click the View menu and enable Show hidden devices. The manufacture's utility is almost always far more versatile and less problematic than the Windows Network Setup Wizard. Moreover, some of these utilities support network profiles, which allow you to switch between Wi-Fi networks with ease.

Drive mapping: After installing a Windows update I can't access a network drive. Windows XP Professional says that it is disconnected

Problem

An office workstation running Windows XP Pro on a network was automatically updated with a new Windows update. All of the workstations restarted, but the server did not. I tried to locate a network drive marked: Data (D) on 'Server' (G:). It was there, but without access. A Windows message said that the drive was disconnected. I restarted the server, restarted the workstation, and tried to get back to Data (D) on 'Server' (G:), but it wasn't there. I discovered that all of the information on said drive is located on D: and I can access D: just fine, but none of the programs can locate the information because the label they are looking for doesn't exist. How do I get the label back so the programs recognise it?

Answer

For those of you who might be confused by this, D: is a mapped network drive, not an actual hard drive or partition on a hard drive.

Drive mapping involves assigning a drive letter to a remote shared resource. Because the drive letter is local, the remote resource appears in My Computer and Windows Explorer as if it were a local resource, allowing you access the remote shared resource much more quickly than you can by typing the shared folder's Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name, or by browsing the network for the folder.

It looks as if you have lost your drive mapping. If so, all that you should need to do is to re-map the drive. Try re-mapping the network drive. Rename it the same as before and map it as the same drive letter as before. Just make sure you right-click and select disconnect on the existing drive before you re-map it as the same name and drive letter. For more information on drive mapping read this article:

The Magic of Drive Mapping - http://www.windowsitpro.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/38952/38952.html

You can find more such articles by entering "drive mapping", as is, in the Google search box provided at the top of this page with the Web radio button selected.

I can't network my two PCs - Windows XP and Windows Me PCs won't network

Problem

One of my PCs is running Windows XP Home and the other runs Windows Me. The Windows Me PC has a floppy drive, a CD drive, and an HP all-in- one printer/scanner/copier/fax. The Windows XP PC has a CD, a CD/DVD writer and an HP printer. I have used a crossover network cable to network them. They were both networked about a year ago, but I disconnected them. But now, for some reason, they can't be networked. I have used the Network Wizard in the Control Panel in both PCs, but without success. I also used the Windows XP CD on the Windows Me PC and went through the Perform Additional Tasks routine. The PCs are correctly and differently named and the Workgroup is the same on both of them. A technician tried to network them but failed. He said that Windows XP doesn't like to be networked with Windows Me and that I should reformat the Windows Me PC and install Windows XP on it. I would rather not do that because I would have to buy an additional copy of Windows XP. I have the licences for the existing versions of Windows.

Answer

1. - Make sure you have disabled any software firewall (ZoneAlarm, Norton Firewall, McKafee Firewall, etc.) and similar monitoring software, such as Spybot S&D, temporarily, because it can prevent the establishment, or re-establishment of a networking connection.

2. - Make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on both PCs. To do that, open the Control Panel, open Network Connections, right-click on the network adapter's listing, and click Properties.

If you require more information, search for file sharing in the Windows XP and Windows Me Help files, or make use these preconfigured Google searches:

Windows XP - http://www.google.com/search?q=file+sharing+xp

Windows Me - http://www.google.com/search?q=file+sharing+me+millennium

3. - Remove the network settings in both PCs.

Use the Device Manager to uninstall the network cards or devices. Restart and allow Windows to install new hardware (reinstall the devices and their software device drivers).

4. - It's a good idea to run a Windows Registry cleaner on both PCs, such as the free RegSeeker (you can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page with its Web radio button enabled to find a download site) to remove leftovers from the previous network setup.

5. - The following steps have already been done, but it won't do any harm if you to repeated them.

On the Windows XP PC, right-click on My Network Places and select Properties. Network Connections opens. Click on Set up a home or small office network and follow the prompts. If Set up a home or small office network isn't visible, use Start => Help and Support to search for Set up a home or small office network. When the Network Wizard reaches the end of its run, you'll be asked if you want to make a network setup floppy disk. Click Yes. Next, take the floppy disk to the Windows Me PC and run it to set up that PC in a way that should get it to start communicating with the Windows XP PC.

If that doesn't happen, the network cable might be responsible. Just because it worked at some stage doesn't mean that it hasn't been damaged by being stood on, etc. They are relatively cheap, so you could try using another crossover cable. I would prefer to use an inexpensive network hub. A basic, 4-port 10/100 Ethernet hub costs £10 or less. If only because its connection/activity LEDs (lights) can tell you if the network is connected and is active.

If none of the above information helps, have a look at the setup and troubleshooting advice on this site: http://www.windowsnetworking.com/.

Is my local exchange responsible for 'Server Not Found' and 'Limited or no Connectivity' error messages when I attempt to access the Internet?

Problem

Ever since I attempted to set up a wireless network using a D-Link DSL-G604T router, I have been inundated with the following error messages: Server Not Found and Limited or no Connectivity when attempting to access the Internet. I found out from a couple of my friends that they also suffer from the same error messages, although they use different ISPs and don't have a wireless network of any kind, just a 2Mbit broadband account. The only thing that we all have in common is that we share the same exchange. So, is it possible that our local exchange is the cause of our problem?

Answer

The problem is more likely to be caused by the condition of the cable connecting you to your exchange (perhaps combined with your distance from it) than with a problem at the exchange itself.

The faster the broadband connection, the more it requires a high-quality line. Quality in this case is measured in terms of the loss of signal down the line and the amount of 'noise' on the line. As the signal level drops and the level of noise rises the modem/router can no longer 'hear' the signal and the connection drops.

The solutions may be to get rid of noise from within your own property - using better filters or cutting out extension wiring - to upgrade the router's firmware by obtaining the update from its manufacturer's site (that worked wonders for me) - to get a more tolerant router (not all routers are the same) - to drop to a lower connection speed (if 2Mbit broadband works most of the time it is likely that 1Mbit will work all the time).

To establish if the condition of the cable connecting you to your exchange (perhaps combined with your distance from it) is really the cause, you would need to look at the attenuation or loss on the line and your signal-to-noise ratio, or noise margin as reported by your router. This will give figures for up-stream and down-stream performance. It is the down-stream figures we really care about as these relate to the path from the exchange to your router. If they are low, then report them to your ISP or phone line provider.

Why does my USB broadband modem keep disconnecting when I download files larger than 2MB?

Problem

My computer uses Windows Me. I have a USB broadband modem that works well, but it disconnects whenever I try to download files larger than about 2MB. The error message produced is: Tapisrv has caused an error in rpcrt4.dll and will now close. I then have to restart the computer in order to reconnect to the web.

Answer

This is a common problem, especially with computers running Windows Me. There could be many causes, which I will go into, but if none of the cost-free options works, upgrading to Windows XP might do the trick for you. Unless you use an alternative operating system, such as Linux, you'll have to upgrade sooner or later anyhow.

There is a parameter in the TCP/IP communication protocol that is most commonly used for Internet and network connections that sets the maximum packet size. Information is sent across a network and the web in packets of bytes. The TCP/IP parameter that sets the maximum packet size is called MaxMTU. Windows Me uses a default setting of 1500 for it, but the Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), which is another communication protocol used by most ADSL modems, adds overhead to each packet of information that would make the MaxMTU packet size larger than 1,500. Therefore, reducing the MaxMTU value to, say 1400, might fix the problem.

This can most easily be done by making use of a free utility such as TweakDUN from http://www.majorgeeks.com/download497.html. If you can't find it at that link, to find a working link, try entering TweakDUN in the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

If doing that doesn't work, it could be a faulty modem driver. The next action you should take is to download and install the latest modem driver from its manufacturer's site.

It could also be a faulty modem, or a faulty software implementation of USB. Installing the latest motherboard drivers from its manufacturer's site, or flashing the BIOS with the latest update are the best ways of fixing a faulty USB implementation. It could be caused by bugs in Windows Me. If that is the case, upgrading to Windows XP, which has greatly improved support for ADSL (DSL) modems, would be the solution. If it is caused by a corruption in the Windows Me Registry settings or its TAPI files, reinstalling Windows over itself, or formatting the C: drive and reinstalling Windows, should fix the problem.

You can also try downloading and installing a program called RASPPPOE from http://www.raspppoe.com/ that replaces the standard Windows remote-access software, which is where the error message says that the problem lies.

Many a USB modem draws power from a USB port, which draws it from the power supply unit via the motherboard. This is often too close to or greater than the maximum power output that the USB specification permits. A faulty USB port might not be allowing the modem to draw enough power. Using a different USB port could fix that. If none of the USB ports can deliver enough power, using a cheap self-powered USB hub that plugs into the mains would be the answer.

When all is said and done, from the security and the reliability points of view, using a wired or wireless ADSL modem router would probably be the best solution. You could also connect one or more computers to it so that they share the Internet connection. You could even share an Internet connection with your neighbours.

I installed Windows XP SP2, now my network cards are working, but don't show up in the Device Manager

Problem

With some trepidation, I decided to install the Windows XP SP2 update on my five-year-old computer. I soon discovered that my two ethernet network cards (NICs) - one for a home network, and the other for a wireless broadband connection via a router - were missing from the Device Manager and had also disappeared from Network Connections (under My Network Places). I have removed the network cards, rebooted, and replaced them with alternatives cards, but they still aren't showing up in those places. Fortunately, they're still working. I can use my home network and wireless broadband connection, but I would still be grateful to know how can I put the matter right.

Answer

The first action to take is to make sure that you're logged in as Administrator, or in an account with Administator privileges, and make sure that "hidden devices" are shown in the Device Manager.

Click here! to go to relevant information on this site if you don't know how to do that.

When all of devices are shown in Device Manager, if the network interface cards (NICs) aren't showing, shut the computer down, open the case, and remove the NICs - I take it that you have two separate NICs and not a network card and one built into the motherboard - and reboot.

Enter the BIOS and do whatever is required to Reset Configuration Data (reset the ESCD, or "Extended System Configuration Data"), so that the computer removes any references to the NICs. The setting is usually in a section of the BIOS called PNP/PCI Configuration. When enabled, the setting only works once to clear the BIOS of its data and reset it with the default data that won't include the NICs because they are no longer installed.

Go here for more information: http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/res/pnpESCD-c.html

If you can't clear the ESCD, unplug the computer from the mains supply, and remove the BIOS battery from the motherboard (it looks like a coin), wait about an hour for the capacitors to discharge, then replace the battery, plug the computer into the mains supply, and restart. The battery makes it possible for the BIOS chip to retain its data. Cutting its source of power removes the data. The next time the system starts up, the BIOS detects the existing computer hardware and configures it with its default settings.

Windows should update itself so that it has no knowledge of the NICs at all. Shut down again, install only one of the NICs, and reboot. The BIOS should find the new hardware and go through the process of installing the device drivers. If that doesn't happen, open the Device Manager, right-click on the Computer icon at the top of the listings, and run Scan for hardware changes. After the first NIC becomes visible in those areas that it was missing from, shut down, install the second NIC, and repeat the process.

It is not the case here, because Windows detects the NICs and installs the drivers, but if the NICs are elderly, they may either not be Plug-and-Play (PnP) devices, or may only be partially PnP-complaint. Non-PnP adapter cards don't know how to communicate with Windows, so it can't install them automatically. They require manual configuration, usually by making use of a setup floppy disk. If this is the case, you may be able to find the setup software at a particular NIC's vendor's site, and then transfer it to a floppy disk. Alternatively, it may be better to buy new PnP-compliant NICs, which are very cheap these days, costing no more than from about £10/$20 to £20/$40 each.

The default settings of Windows XP File Sharing can be frustrating and leave the computer vulnerable

The LAN (Large Area Network) file sharing model in Windows XP Professional is designed to provide a high level of security, but the default settings leave the computer vulnerable and can be a source of frustration even to experienced users running larger peer-to-peer networks.

Moreover, probably millions of people using Windows XP Home edition, especially if its native NTFS file system is being used instead of the FAT 32 file system inherited from Windows 98, should protect themselves by disabling what is known as Simple File Sharing.

It's far too complex to go into in the required detail here, so I'll provide links to relevant sources of information instead. Reading them in the presented order is advisable.

Windows XP Professional File Sharing -

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

How to Configure File Sharing in Windows XP -

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304040

How to Disable Simplified Sharing and Set Permissions on a shared folder in Windows XP - http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307874

Enabling Windows XP File Permissions Editing -

http://whoozoo.co.uk/winxpFilePerms.htm

Can a student house with incoming calls only be used for broadband Internet access?

Question

During term time, I live in a shared house with other students. The telephone in the house can only accept incoming calls because of problems paying the bill. The landlord has given any of us permission to use broadband Internet access as long as the incoming calls bar isn't removed. Is doing that possible?

Answer

Surprisingly enough, as long as the telephone line can be used for DSL (ADSL) broadband access in the first place, it is possible. Not all lines can be used for DSL, because the telephone company that owns them has to have upgraded the line to make it fit for that purpose. A DSL service uses the same line as telephone calls, but a different range of frequencies is used, making it separate from the telephone service. At the telephone exchange, the DSL signal is separated from the telephone service long before it reaches the outgoing calls block. The outgoing calls block isn't a physical device on the telephone line; it's merely an instruction set up in the computer that controls the telephone exchange instructing it not to allow outgoing telephone calls from that address. It therefore won't interfere with broadband Internet access at all.