Internet, a Router, and stupid XP

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:47 pm

Here's an interesting one for you. As I've mentioned before, I have a router running a cable modem w/ 2 computers. The one is my personal computer, the other my family's older one.

Both have lived in harmony since I put them together (Christmas break once, and then again after school let out).

My computer has XP (Pro) and I decided to get XP for the other one. So I install it, no problems (Well, minor problems). Internet works and everything.

My mom yells at me one day: "The internets working on your's, but not the other one!" Yet every time we reboot the other system it works again.

I've tried re-installing network drivers, LAN options, everything. Yet the problem keeps coming up. And it all started when I installed XP.

AFAIK, this only happens when my computer's on. But my comp's almost always on anyway.

Any idea why one computer would black out randomly?

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Fri May 31, 2002 6:17 am

That is a strange one

have you checked the actual network card isn't faulty. Also check the cables, at least then one can narrow it down to just XP or the router.

How did you set your router up, i believe you have to use a specific computer to do that (or at least i have for every ISDN i have installed) is it an issue concerning the software used on the router? (might be way off base *shrugs*

Howling · Post by **Howling** » Fri May 31, 2002 6:38 am

This sounds like an IP conflict. Check your router to make sure it is set to use DHCP and you have to give it a IP range so it will assign your PCs with IP addresses. Check your router's manual for that.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Fri May 31, 2002 8:20 am

Yep, Router is at 192.168.1.1. Set to use DHCP. Automatically assigns IPs ranging from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.255.

I'm gonna try manually setting the comps to 100 and 101.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Fri May 31, 2002 8:24 am

What version of XP did you install on the old computer? Was it XP Home Edition or an upgrade? That could be part of your problem. You might try a fresh install of XP.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Fri May 31, 2002 10:26 am

Can both XP machines communicate with one another when the family's Internet connection is down.

Check subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS numbers on the problem machine.

Does the router have NAT enabled. Check the entries in the NAT table, if so.

Double check to make sure there is no hangup with the DHCP, it does sound like an IP address conflict.

K0r/\/f1@k€$ · Post by **K0r/\/f1@k€$** » Fri May 31, 2002 10:32 am

I'm not sure of the exact hardware you are using, but I do know of another person who suffered a similar problem when playing games online. After he quit the game, no other internet access was available until he rebooted. This turned out to be a lack of power from the USB port and he solved it with an externally powered USB hub.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Fri May 31, 2002 7:08 pm

Tried manual settings, it still went down after awhile.

HLD: XP Pro, clean install (after a format).

Kornflake: Nothing's USB, so that ain't the problem.

Ned: The family comp can't do anything LAN or WAN when it goes down. Mask, gateway, and DNS were configured at the right numbers (automatic and manual). I have my computer set to .101 permanently now (it serves other purposes also).

I just used Q299357 on microsoft's website to reset my TCP/IP configuration. hopefully that does it.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Fri May 31, 2002 11:42 pm

Quark,

when lan and wan communication goes down, can you still ping the loopback and/or local IP of the family/problem machine.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Fri May 31, 2002 11:50 pm

When the second PC loses it's network connection can you still ping the other computer, router or your ISP's DNS servers? If not, then I'd say it would probably be either a driver or hardware issue. If you do get a response from any of them then something on your network must be interfering with that computer.

EDIT - Damn, Ned just beat me to it.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 1:56 pm

Edit: Whoops

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 1:56 pm

Well, according to my mom the problem's still happening, but I haven't seen it again yet. Talk about your frustrations ...

Update: Just happened and once it went down the sound card's stuck in a continuous loop (it might be the 'click' when you hit a link in IE). I can ping the problem computer (local, 127.0.0.1 and LAN, 192.168.1.100) but not the router or my computer.

This pretty much says to me drivers with WinXP and the network card. Ugh.

Next Update: I just looked at my driver manager on my computer and find, to my dismay, I have the same network card in both computers. Linksys LNE100TX - of course there's like 7 different versions. Old one is V2.0, new one (in mine) is 4.1. That might have something to do with the problem.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Tue Jun 04, 2002 4:23 pm

Time to get Stranger

You wanna get stranger? I decided to investigate that sound loop that developed occasionally when the internet failed. So I disable the sound chip (on board SB PCI64). No more internet problems. Haven't gone back to investigate further yet, but the word conflict is screaming in my brain even though XP tells me there is none.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Tue Jun 04, 2002 8:24 pm

XP and a Creative Labs on board sound chip. Try reenabling the sound but disabling the Creative SB16 Emulation. It has been the source of many a conflict and may in fact be the sole culprit. Take a look for it on google or creative's site. You may still be able to have functioning sound while side stepping the problem. Just a thought.