Corrupted ICS Help Pls

[Guest]

I have had a network running successfully on two desktop PCs both XP Home
SP2, and regularly add a Notebook XP Prof, all via a Belkin 5 port Ethernet
network switch, using ICS to broadband USB modem on one of desktops. No
problems, IP addresses all 192.168.x.x

Then tried to set up 3com wireless access point on the Ethernet, and this
seems to have destroyed all the auto IP addressing. I could ping between the
two desktops by address and name but not able to explore files either way.
Broadband link from the connected PC working throughout. Network diagnostic
basically OK tho it did say in blue (not red) on the broadband-connected NIC
DHCP server=255.255.255.0 (Invalid IP address). IPconfig/release OK, but
renew reported renewing IP address cannot be completed.

I therefore completely disconnected the access point and tried to get back
to where I was but IP addresses which were all 169.254.x.x wouldn't change
automatically. After much internet searching I have managed to get the basic
network back so that the 3 machines can network, by using manual IP
addresses, but only the main one can access the internet. Network setup
wizard waits for ages, then reports limited connectivity, then seems to
complete OK - but I still cannot connect to internet from either desktop#2 or
notebook.

ipconfig for NIC on main m/c now says DHCP No/192.168.0.1/255.255.255.0/Def
gateway blank.

I'm not so worried about wireless as I can work without it in the short
term, but I urgently need to get ICS back for my notebook.

Any suggestions welcome, many thanks in advance

Geoff

 

[Tony]

I have had a network running successfully on two desktop PCs both XP Home
SP2, and regularly add a Notebook XP Prof, all via a Belkin 5 port
Ethernet
network switch, using ICS to broadband USB modem on one of desktops. No
problems, IP addresses all 192.168.x.x

Then tried to set up 3com wireless access point on the Ethernet, and this
seems to have destroyed all the auto IP addressing. I could ping between
the
two desktops by address and name but not able to explore files either way.
Broadband link from the connected PC working throughout. Network
diagnostic
basically OK tho it did say in blue (not red) on the broadband-connected
NIC
DHCP server=255.255.255.0 (Invalid IP address). IPconfig/release OK, but
renew reported renewing IP address cannot be completed.

I therefore completely disconnected the access point and tried to get back
to where I was but IP addresses which were all 169.254.x.x wouldn't change
automatically. After much internet searching I have managed to get the
basic
network back so that the 3 machines can network, by using manual IP
addresses, but only the main one can access the internet. Network setup
wizard waits for ages, then reports limited connectivity, then seems to
complete OK - but I still cannot connect to internet from either desktop#2
or
notebook.

ipconfig for NIC on main m/c now says DHCP
No/192.168.0.1/255.255.255.0/Def
gateway blank.

I'm not so worried about wireless as I can work without it in the short
term, but I urgently need to get ICS back for my notebook.

Any suggestions welcome, many thanks in advance

Geoff

Go to start, Connect to, show all connections. Right click on the USB ADSL
connection under Dial-up. Click on the advanced tab and put a tick in the
box that says "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's
Internet connection".

This will turn on ICS and the DHCP server. ICS doesn't work too well with
static IP addresses so change them back to dynamic ones.

If the box is already ticked, untick it, re boot and retick (is there such a
word?) it again.

 

[Guest]

Go to start, Connect to, show all connections. Right click on the USB ADSL
connection under Dial-up. Click on the advanced tab and put a tick in the
box that says "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's
Internet connection".

This will turn on ICS and the DHCP server. ICS doesn't work too well with
static IP addresses so change them back to dynamic ones.

If the box is already ticked, untick it, re boot and retick (is there such a
word?) it again.

OK thanks. I have reset to auto IP allocation. Then when I untick ICS box
and re-boot, it re-ticks it automatically on reload and still says limited
connectivity - even though I have only powered up the main desktop.

ipconfig says:
NIC: DHCP Y/autoconfig Y/169.254.169.98/255.255.0.0
Broadband; WAN/PPP Slip Interface/DHCP No/81.76.90.251/255.255.255.255 etc

Any further thoughts please?

 

[Tony]

OK thanks. I have reset to auto IP allocation. Then when I untick ICS box
and re-boot, it re-ticks it automatically on reload and still says limited
connectivity - even though I have only powered up the main desktop.

ipconfig says:
NIC: DHCP Y/autoconfig Y/169.254.169.98/255.255.0.0
Broadband; WAN/PPP Slip Interface/DHCP No/81.76.90.251/255.255.255.255 etc

Any further thoughts please?

Next step I would take is to uninstall the software for the ADSL USB adaptor
and network card, reboot and reinstall it again. Basically take everything
back to the beginning and start again.

Try not to use the MS wizards when you reinstall. ICS can be set up
manually by just putting a tick in the box on the advanced tab of the USB
adaptor as you done before.

Make sure you have the installation disks to hand for the USB adaptor and
network card. You could also try looking on the internet for updated ones.

Right click on my computer. Select properties, click on the Hardware tab
then device manager. Delete everything under network adaptors then reboot.
Windows plug and play should find your network adaptor and reinstall it when
you reboot.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for suggestion. Downloaded latest drivers (I think no change) for USB
modem and (integrated) Ethernet card , then deleted both in Device Manager.
Machine reloaded drivers on repowering up, and initially got message in
system tray network disconnected which it was. When I re-connected cable to
switch (so system currently just modem - main PC - Belkin switch - laptop)
all went quiet while "acquiring network address" then got same message as
before "limited or no connectivity". Again the modem has automatically been
set to ICS. Still works OK on local network with manual IP addresses

Then thought I'd delete both again, and before reconnecting the network try
to unclick the ICS box which I did and the properties box blanked and then
didn't respond for >10 mins. So I plugged the network cable into
switch/laptop, it thought a bit then "limited connectivity" again.

Are we eliminating anything yet? Seems to me the hardware's OK as modem's
working fine on its own as is the local network?

Thanks again

 

[Tony]

Thanks for suggestion. Downloaded latest drivers (I think no change) for
USB
modem and (integrated) Ethernet card , then deleted both in Device
Manager.
Machine reloaded drivers on repowering up, and initially got message in
system tray network disconnected which it was. When I re-connected cable
to
switch (so system currently just modem - main PC - Belkin switch - laptop)
all went quiet while "acquiring network address" then got same message as
before "limited or no connectivity". Again the modem has automatically
been
set to ICS. Still works OK on local network with manual IP addresses

Then thought I'd delete both again, and before reconnecting the network
try
to unclick the ICS box which I did and the properties box blanked and then
didn't respond for >10 mins. So I plugged the network cable into
switch/laptop, it thought a bit then "limited connectivity" again.

Are we eliminating anything yet? Seems to me the hardware's OK as modem's
working fine on its own as is the local network?

Thanks again

ICS should allocate an IP address to the network adaptor of 192.168.0.1.
Try right clicking on the network adaptor, go to properties and then double
click on TCP/IP. Put in the IP address of 192.168.0.1 and subnet mask
255.255.255.0 and see if it works.

Its not a solution as when you activate ICS it should do that automatically
but it might get it working.

What antivirus/firewall do you use as that could something to do with the
problem.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your help Tony. No immediate results but I have to go now - back
in action next week. Really appreciate your help - should I then go back into
this thread which will be rather old by then or start a new one?

 

[Tony]

Best if you continue this thread otherwise no one will no what you have
already tried unless you want to start a new thread and summarise what you
have done so far.

 

[Guest]

Back online after a break. - just to confirm position so far:

I am now trying to set things up with main desktop connected, no Ethernet
switch or wireless access point connected at all. I set up s/w for modem to
ICS (allow other comps to connect through this system), and the Ethernet
adaptor to auto DNS. All OK so far. Then I plug in the Ethernet cable to the
switch (only - again no other computers or access point attached) and it says
acquiring network address, long wait then "Limited or no connectivity".

Then setup desktop for manual IP 192.168.0.1 as you suggest, still ICS on,
and address for laptop set as desktop but 192.168.0.4 . This time no errors
and both lights flashing on switch, and can explore files on the desktop from
the laptop (not the other way, but I've never been able to do that). However,
loading IE on laptop, which used to connect to modem via desktop when all was
working in the past, now tries to dial the laptop modem (IE setting is "dial
whenever a network connection is not present"). I have disabled Windows
firewall for the Ethernet connection on both computers.

I'm using Norton Antivirus v 11.09.16.2 which is up to date. I have tried
disabling and re-running above sequence, but no difference.

Any further thoughts pls?

 

[Tony]

Back online after a break. - just to confirm position so far:

I'm using Norton Antivirus v 11.09.16.2 which is up to date. I have tried
disabling and re-running above sequence, but no difference.

Any further thoughts pls?

Uninstall Norton. Turning it off won't make any difference. You will
probably find your PC will run faster and have less problems without it.

Once you have uninstalled it, run a cleanup program to remove the bits the
uninstaller left behind http://www.mrtech.com/news/messages/4767.html .

Then download CCleaner (free from http://www.ccleaner.com/) and select the
Issues icon and run that and select "fix selected issues".

Install AVG or Avast for antivirus (both free). Use the built in firewall
for now (assuming you have XP with SP2).

Your problem is a common problem caused by Norton.

 

[Guest]

OK all done except I am running without antivirus for now. Certainly much
faster but that's all. No change in problem. Since last post I have:
- removed Norton Systemworks, reloaded system
- ran Norton removal tool
- run ccleaner as suggested
- uninstalled both network adapters again, and Windows reinstalled (drivers
were up to date at last week)
- when system reloaded I reset DNS to auto and ICS was already on; network
switch was unplugged
- symptoms as before, when switch connected "acquiring address" for long
time, then limited/no connectivity message
- then tried unticking ICS, but when clicked OK it hangs each time - have to
solve by ctrl/alt/del end task. when it reloads ICS still enabled
- when I specify fixed DNS addresses, I can still connect to laptop locally
(tho can only see the desktop files from notebook not vice versa) but not
through to broadband from network