Internet Connection

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I

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You stated “either lose the email connection or the Internet connection or both”, is this that you have your email program and/or browser running and it (they) quit working?

Or that when you try to open your email program and/or browser and they do NOT open?

And are you running “Microsoft Exchange 2000” on a 3 machine peer to peer network?

You did NOT state what programs you are using for your email and browser?

Are the same browsers and email programs being used on ALL machines?

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Dave,

I am running Outlook 2000 on all machines. All browsers are IE 6.0. Email is delivered through a pop.server and sent through a smtp.server provided by my ISP.

I do not have Microsoft Exchange 2000 or a peer-to-peer network that I know of unless that is what LinkSys makes my setup. My network was automatic when I connected each computer to a connection on the LinkSys Router and then connected the router to the high-speed cable modem. I don

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A couple of questions: Do you have Internet Connection Sharing enabled (possibly unintentionally)? I had exactly the same symptoms, and they went away when I disabled ICS. You may have an entirely different problem, but it’s worth checking out.

If you have a dialup connection in addition to your cable modem, try this instead of rebooting: establish a dialup connection, open your browser and let it find a web site. Then close the browser and the dialup connection. Then try your broadband connection again. This always worked for me as a workaround until I disabled ICS. It’s still a pain, but it’s easier than rebooting.

Fafner

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Fafner,

I don

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To check for ICS, go to ControlPanel/Network and Internet Connections/Network Connections. Select your cable connection and in the left panel click Change settings of this connection. On Advanced tabs, look for Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection. If it is checked, uncheck it. If this option doesn’t appear, then you don’t have ICS enabled.

Doesn’t your ISP give you a dial-up number to use as a backup?

Fafner

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Fafner,

Thanks but actually that is exactly where I was checking yesterday. I don

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No, you are looking at the Windows XP firewall, which you do not want if you are using ZoneAlarm. If you don’t see anything on this tab that specifically says Internet Connection Sharing, then it is not enabled.

Also, try to find out if your ISP has a dial-up number you can use. Every broadband service i have had experience with will provide one.

Fafner

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Fafner,

I searched my ISP’s WEB site and found no mention of a dialup method of connecting. I even checked the entire operating and setup manual they gave me when I started their service. I really don’t think any exist but I will try calling Tech. support and see what they say about it. However, if I read your first post correctly since we have established that I don’t have ICS enabled why would a dialup connection help in any manner?

Another funny thing happened on my way to this forum, my described problem has been nonexistent since I posted about it. It was happening on a regular basis before I posted but it hasn’t happened since. I have done nothing, not installed anything, not downloaded anything, not even run Norton Utilities since the post. These computers are strange things. I’m fairly certain the problem will occur again but at this instant it is working fine. I wish I knew what happened to change things.

Thanks.

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Fafner,

I just got off the phone with my ISP’s Tech. support. They said I have no means of using a dialup connection.

Thanks.

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Fafner,

Sorry I missed your last question. No my ISP does not give me a dial-up connection as a backup unless I am just totally unaware of it. My ISP is Road Runner and I have never seen or been made aware of any dial-up connections. I know for sure that I have no dial-up connections on any of my computers.

Thanks and sorry I missed your question before.

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Using a dial-up is a stopgap, but not a means to and end – in other words, it doesn’t solve the problem that installing the patch created.

Does the “fix” (it sure fixed you good) appear in the Add/Remove programs list? If it does, you should try removing it and see what happens.

I’d also make sure that you contact the mothership (Microsoft) and complain loudly. These kind of things aren’t supposed to happen, but there’s no way that you can test every single hardware/software combination out there.

And my oft-repeated mantra: try the system file checker, or an emergency repair with the CD. As I said already it’s not normal behavior. I have had a wonderful experience with XP’s stability and just doing what it should, and this seems like a needless frustration.

I had to add this after posting initially: did you see this?
[indent]

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Recommendation:Customers who need the Windows 2000 SMTP services should apply the patch; all others should disable the SMTP service.

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[/indent]

Try disabling the SMTP service.

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Hi Mark,

I’m not sure because there are a lot lot of

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Mark,

Try disabling the SMTP service.[/b] I don

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Disabling the SMTP service should not affect your ability to send/receive mail. The service is not intended for the usual email activity that you have described. Its primary function is to provide SMTP abilities to interactive web pages (ASP and similar) as well as to Exchange Server. In short, it’s for systems that act as mail servers in some form or another. Email with a client on your system uses SMTP to connect but should not rely on the service.

Remember, if you disable it, you can enable it after the fact if it prevents mail from going for some reason.

To disable the service, go to Start — Programs — Administrative Tools and click on Services. The SMTP service will be listed, and I believe is dependent upon the WWW service (there are three that work together with IIS). Right-click on it and select STOP. You will likely be prompted to stop the FTP publishing service, , IIS Admin service, and the WWW service – you can disable these as well if you are not using the PC to develop web pages and need a specific function that it provides. The right click again, select Properties, and set the Startup Type to Manual. This will allow the service to start if needed.

All said it may not solve your problem, but I believe IIS to be a glaring security hole if you’re not using it.

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Mark,

I can

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There are two possibilities along this line then. One is that SMTP services are not installed, and they are not by default if memory serves.

Check and see if you have FTP/WWW Publishing/IISAdmin services running then, and shut all of them down if you do. Remember also that this is not necessarily a fix, but something that you should do regardless if you are not using the services to begin with. It will save resources and close other potential security holes as a fringe benefit.

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I don’t know which post to reply to, this is such a complex thread! May I go back to the beginning (early) of the thread for a minute? I also have a Linksys router and three machine LAN (XP Pro, Win98, WinME). Since you sounded like you did little or no configuring when you setup the router, I’d like to go back to that point. The “automatic”you used tells me that your three machines Networking properties are setup for DHCP, BUT you did set up the router with your ISP’s info didn’t you. Don’t know whether you have a fixed IP or DHCP there also. Sounds like DHCP all around if you think it was automatic.

The only reason I jumped in here is that every once in awhile, my Linksys router gets a little “flaky” and it will seem like I’ve lost my email or browsing capability. I was going crazy with the problem, between calling Verizon (DSL), my ISP, rebooting computers, powering off the DSL modem for a minute or two, etc. etc. This went on for ages every time I thought I had “lost” my connection. One day, sitting at my browser surfing and the connection seemed to go out, I put in the URL of my Linksys router on the browser just to check something. When I finished, lo and behold, my internet connection was working again.

Ever since that time, when I think I’ve lost my connection, I “look at the router’s settings,” even though I don’t change anything, click continue and bang, my surfing is resumed in an OK mode. I don’t know what the anomoly with the router is, since it’s firmware is up to date and the problem only happens once in awhile.

Just thought I’d throw that in so you might tweak the router and see if anything “good” happens!

Al

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Hi Bigaldoc,

I really did absolutely no setup except hooking the computers up to the router.

I will search for LinkSys site but how will I get there if my Internet connection isn

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No, no. Your Linksys router (unless it’s significantly different from mine) is “visible” from your browser software, whether you’re connected to the ‘Net or not. You type (into the URL box) your router’s IP address and it will show you the router’s configuration screens. If you haven’t assigned the router a different IP address than its default, check your documentation on how to access the router from your browser.

There is also another possibility why your XP Pro machine drops a connection or won’t see “out” onto the ‘Net. If you have XP Pro you have to DISABLE Simple File Sharing. See this link.

Al

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Hello Al,
Interesting! I occasionally have the same scenario with my Linksys router but I’m on cable. One difference is that when mine gets “flaky” I can’t even access the router URL. I then have to physically reset the router, then, as you stated, open and close the router URL on one of the computers, and then reboot all the computers to reestablish their internet connections.
Bill

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Right mouse click on My Computer. Choose Manage.
Goto Services and Applications -> Services

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Doug,

Thanks, that worked great. I

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Wow! I have been getting exactly the same symptoms as you describe, and I thought it was my cable ISP’s fault.

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John,

I shouldn

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John,

I should have asked you, are you running Windows XP Pro also?

Thanks.

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No. I am running XP Home. Evidently it doesn’t make a difference.

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Hlewton,

I’m running XP Pro, like you, but only have one machine, and am connecting to the net via a dsl connection. Although I probably have a less complex system then you, the same problem persists on my computer. DSL is supposed to give me an “always on” connection, or close to it, which I thought meant that if you connect in the morning, you should stay connected the whole day until you powerdown or until you disconnect your connection. I have experienced the problem, though, that if the computer has been idle for a certain period of time (read: a few hours), then I cannot surf the web (get a dns error) and I cannot retrieve or send any emails. Its a pain in the a**, and I don’t know what the fix is either, except to be patient and just reboot the computer.

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Dave,

I know, it is a pain. For me it worked perfectly until about a week or two ago when I installed the latest Microsoft Security update, not counting the one I just got today.

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Hlewton–Don’t know something this simple could cause your intermittent connectivity from the
net–not sure what you mean about “losing email connection”–does that mean you can’t get into
your email but can otherwise surf?
For 9 months I had intermmitent connectivity with my cable HSD which produced days
of calls to support who did not have a clue and around 50 truck rolls. Problem turned out to be
that the RG6 cable was defective–it leaked signal. Should have been measured from the start.
Their was a 19 millivolt loss across the cable to the tap. When you are not connected to the
internet and you go to Control Panel>Network Connection>Local Network Connection Icon>
Rt. Click>Status on Menu>Support Tab>Click Details do you still have an IP address, DHCP
Server Number or do you lose them? Sometimes simply unplugging from your modem and
restarting from the Start menu can pick up the IP address but you shouldn’t have to.
I’ve also seen System Restore pick up connectivity if you lost the IP address or
in Win 9X typing scan/reg restore at the command line which can utilize five (and up to 99) registry settings which you don’t have in XP, and apparently an IP address. . I did this often; but what
a hassle. Cable has a transmission signal window they can measure at a
closed URL (for me it’s 35-52 and if you get close to either end you’re going off).
When I rewired, it solved my problem. I would just like to know if you have “block
sync”–no connectivity with an IP address during this time, or if you lose your
IP address and if they have measured with a wave meter for a leak accross
your RG6 or whatever they are using for cable to the tap?

defrag

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Hi Defrag,

No I haven

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I am in the process of testing a simple little DOS bat file that I wrote to do a ping of that IP address when this problem occurs and see if that alone will reestablish the connection. If successful, it would certainly be much quicker and easier than having to reboot all the time. I will report back once I have had the opportunity to thoroughly test this idea out.[/b]

Well I made the .BAT file but can

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