VPN: "Unavailable - device missing" error

Hi there,

I'm trying to set up a VPN connection from home (Win XP
Pro) to work, and when I go through the wizard...

....connect to the network @ my workplace
....VPN
....<company name>
....<network address>
....finish

in my network connections I get the error
message "Unavailable - device missing". What device is it
referring to? And where might it be hiding?

Thanks!

See whether the troubleshooting steps here help:

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...6&Product=winxp


"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
news:ee6e01c3f107$8577c570$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> Hi there,
>
> I'm trying to set up a VPN connection from home (Win XP
> Pro) to work, and when I go through the wizard...
>
> ...connect to the network @ my workplace
> ...VPN
> ...<company name>
> ...<network address>
> ...finish
>
> in my network connections I get the error
> message "Unavailable - device missing". What device is it
> referring to? And where might it be hiding?
>
> Thanks!

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the article, but I'm afraid it didn't help.
The only step I couldn't complete was 11, and I couldn't
remove the RAS Async Adapter.

Is the "Type" of connection for the VPN supposed to be
Dial-up? Because when I did step 10, create a bogus Dial-
up connection, I got the same message (I don't have a
modem, I'm using DSL).

Thanks!

tyler

>-----Original Message-----
>See whether the troubleshooting steps here help:
>
>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;825826&Product=winxp
>
>
>"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>news:ee6e01c3f107$8577c570$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>> Hi there,
>>
>> I'm trying to set up a VPN connection from home (Win XP
>> Pro) to work, and when I go through the wizard...
>>
>> ...connect to the network @ my workplace
>> ...VPN
>> ...<company name>
>> ...<network address>
>> ...finish
>>
>> in my network connections I get the error
>> message "Unavailable - device missing". What device is
it
>> referring to? And where might it be hiding?
>>
>> Thanks!
>
>
>.
>

Yep--it is a dialup.

I'll see if I can re-read the thread later tonight and get some ideas. I
was sure that KB article would have the right stuff in it--but clearly not.

Anything else to mention--anything odd about this install of XP? Is it an
upgrade? Have you been turning off services to save energy?

"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
news:102f901c3f263$2d9a8010$a501280a@phx.gbl...
> Hi Bill,
>
> Thanks for the article, but I'm afraid it didn't help.
> The only step I couldn't complete was 11, and I couldn't
> remove the RAS Async Adapter.
>
> Is the "Type" of connection for the VPN supposed to be
> Dial-up? Because when I did step 10, create a bogus Dial-
> up connection, I got the same message (I don't have a
> modem, I'm using DSL).
>
> Thanks!
>
> tyler
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>See whether the troubleshooting steps here help:
>>
>>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
> us;825826&Product=winxp
>>
>>
>>"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:ee6e01c3f107$8577c570$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>>> Hi there,
>>>
>>> I'm trying to set up a VPN connection from home (Win XP
>>> Pro) to work, and when I go through the wizard...
>>>
>>> ...connect to the network @ my workplace
>>> ...VPN
>>> ...<company name>
>>> ...<network address>
>>> ...finish
>>>
>>> in my network connections I get the error
>>> message "Unavailable - device missing". What device is
> it
>>> referring to? And where might it be hiding?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>>.
>>

Thanks for the reply. It is an upgrade from ME which I did
about 1.5 years ago. And no funny services stuff, at least
not which I did.

tyler

>-----Original Message-----
>Yep--it is a dialup.
>
>I'll see if I can re-read the thread later tonight and
get some ideas. I
>was sure that KB article would have the right stuff in it-
-but clearly not.
>
>Anything else to mention--anything odd about this install
of XP? Is it an
>upgrade? Have you been turning off services to save
energy?
>
>"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>news:102f901c3f263$2d9a8010$a501280a@phx.gbl...
>> Hi Bill,
>>
>> Thanks for the article, but I'm afraid it didn't help.
>> The only step I couldn't complete was 11, and I couldn't
>> remove the RAS Async Adapter.
>>
>> Is the "Type" of connection for the VPN supposed to be
>> Dial-up? Because when I did step 10, create a bogus
Dial-
>> up connection, I got the same message (I don't have a
>> modem, I'm using DSL).
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> tyler
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>See whether the troubleshooting steps here help:
>>>
>>>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
>> us;825826&Product=winxp
>>>
>>>
>>>"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:ee6e01c3f107$8577c570$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>>>> Hi there,
>>>>
>>>> I'm trying to set up a VPN connection from home (Win
XP
>>>> Pro) to work, and when I go through the wizard...
>>>>
>>>> ...connect to the network @ my workplace
>>>> ...VPN
>>>> ...<company name>
>>>> ...<network address>
>>>> ...finish
>>>>
>>>> in my network connections I get the error
>>>> message "Unavailable - device missing". What device is
>> it
>>>> referring to? And where might it be hiding?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>>
>>>.
>>>
>
>
>.
>

As a kind of a "knock wood" reflex, how much work would it be to do a
reinstall of Service Pack 1 for XP?

If you have SP1 in place and do a System Restore to a point pre-sp1, or
reinstall XP, there are some symptoms related to VPN's which arise which are
not identical to yours--i.e. this isn't a clear match--but are similar
enough to make me wonder whether re-applying SP1 might help.

"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
news:116f501c3f591$f803af80$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> Thanks for the reply. It is an upgrade from ME which I did
> about 1.5 years ago. And no funny services stuff, at least
> not which I did.
>
> tyler
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>Yep--it is a dialup.
>>
>>I'll see if I can re-read the thread later tonight and
> get some ideas. I
>>was sure that KB article would have the right stuff in it-
> -but clearly not.
>>
>>Anything else to mention--anything odd about this install
> of XP? Is it an
>>upgrade? Have you been turning off services to save
> energy?
>>
>>"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:102f901c3f263$2d9a8010$a501280a@phx.gbl...
>>> Hi Bill,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the article, but I'm afraid it didn't help.
>>> The only step I couldn't complete was 11, and I couldn't
>>> remove the RAS Async Adapter.
>>>
>>> Is the "Type" of connection for the VPN supposed to be
>>> Dial-up? Because when I did step 10, create a bogus
> Dial-
>>> up connection, I got the same message (I don't have a
>>> modem, I'm using DSL).
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> tyler
>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>See whether the troubleshooting steps here help:
>>>>
>>>>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
>>> us;825826&Product=winxp
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"Tyler" <tstrand@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:ee6e01c3f107$8577c570$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>>>>> Hi there,
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm trying to set up a VPN connection from home (Win
> XP
>>>>> Pro) to work, and when I go through the wizard...
>>>>>
>>>>> ...connect to the network @ my workplace
>>>>> ...VPN
>>>>> ...<company name>
>>>>> ...<network address>
>>>>> ...finish
>>>>>
>>>>> in my network connections I get the error
>>>>> message "Unavailable - device missing". What device is
>>> it
>>>>> referring to? And where might it be hiding?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>.
>>>>
>>
>>
>>.
>>

Hi,

I was having the same problem with a computer that I've been working on at my IT job. I finally found the solution and here are the steps I followed:

1) open a command window (start->run and type cmd and enter)
2) type: netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
3) hit enter and wait for the command prompt to reappear - this will reset the ip protocol stack
4) type: netsh winsock reset
5) hit enter
6) restart

This solved my problem. I hope it also works for you.