Network problem: "Could not start DB server: socket() failed for UDP socket"

[Antti Heiskanen]

My Windows XP Pro setup has a weird problem with the network
connection. Usually everything works, but sometimes when I power on
the system I get the following message after WinXP has loaded: "Error:
Could not start DB server: socket() failed for UDP socket". Whenever I
get this message, I can not connect to the network. My only solution
is to power off and restart the system: sometimes the net connection
works after the restart, sometimes even 5-6 restarts are needed,
before I get the connection to network. Needless to say, the problem
is making me nuts and any help would be appreciated!

-Antti

PS: My network-related HW setup is: Asus P4P800-Deluxe MB with
integrated 3Com gigabit LON, additional 3Com 905TX network card, 3Com
HomeConnect Cable modem ("Tailfin", supplied by the ISP). I'm having
the same problem with both network cards. I have not made any changes
to my HW setup lately, nor any major SW upgrades. The problem appeared
for the first time perhaps two months ago and occurred rarely, but now
it occurs almost daily.

 

[DaveDeFeet]

1.* If you are turning the Cable Modem Off when you are not using it then
you MUST turn it on at least 5 minutes before starting up the PC, or you
will get these problems, If I remmeber rightly the TailFin takes ages to
lock-on at power-up

2. Do you have a router? if so look no further.... I had a Belkin F5 Router
(2 in fact) which was faulty and caused this.. You could try resetting the
router back to Factory Defaults etc..

3. If not, check in contol panel> network connections (while you are having
the problem) if your LAN connection is disconnected then it's
cabling/connectors/Cable Modem. Try another NIC cable.

4. Or click on your LAN connection and then the "support" tab.. what's the
IP?

5. If it's 169.254.*.* (or similar) then your ISP IP address is being
blocked (Firewall) or there is a Windows; or other installed program;
issue.. Run Adaware/Spybot or turn off any P2P programs that start with
windows etc.. In rare cases the Cable Modem or ISP may be at fault but see
1.*

6. If the IP is 0.0.0.0 or "not available" then try going to Cotrol Panel>
administrative tools> Services> DHCP (client) ... if the "Service status"
says STOPPED then click the START button.. Check the IP in Network
connections again..

7. If it says STARTED then click STOP, once it's stopped, click START, Check
the IP in Network connections again..

8. If the items 6. or 7. apply and it is a persistent problem it's time to
take a look at what is causing it! DHCP is used by Most ISP's so you need it
to be always working on your PC, try these links
http://www.winnetmag.com/Article/ArticleID/38031/38031.html
http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/5/lev3/60/pid/581/qid/337688

If nothing else works try a system restore or reinstall windows and
carefully think about which firewall/AV/P2P programs you are going to
install! Obviously NOT the ones you had before..

Hmm this is a BIG reply, before it becomes a Novel I'm off to bed..

Cheers

Dave

 

[Antti Heiskanen]

1.* If you are turning the Cable Modem Off when you are not using it then
you MUST turn it on at least 5 minutes before starting up the PC, or you
will get these problems, If I remmeber rightly the TailFin takes ages to
lock-on at power-up

The cable modem is usually always on, I have also reseted it but it
does not seem to be the problem.

2. Do you have a router? if so look no further.... I had a Belkin F5 Router
(2 in fact) which was faulty and caused this.. You could try resetting the
router back to Factory Defaults etc..

No, I do not have a router.

3. If not, check in contol panel> network connections (while you are having
the problem) if your LAN connection is disconnected then it's
cabling/connectors/Cable Modem. Try another NIC cable.

Well, this starts to be interesting: I booted up my computer this
morning and could not get network connection (instead, I got the error
message I explained earlier). I opened control panel and tried to open
network connections, but this time nothing happened - I could not open
the window containing my connections! (I have been able to open them
before). After that I opened command promt and tried ipconfig
-command, but it didn't open either.

6. If the IP is 0.0.0.0 or "not available" then try going to Cotrol Panel>
administrative tools> Services> DHCP (client) ... if the "Service status"
says STOPPED then click the START button.. Check the IP in Network
connections again..

I opened services, and noticed that DHCP client was not started. When
I tried to start it manually, I got the following error: "Could not
start DHCP client on local computer" and "Error 1114: a Dynamic link
library (dll) initialization routine failed."

On the services list there was also few other services, which should
have started automatically but did not. Among those was Kerio Pernosal
Firewall, a service that should be started before DHCP client service
(srarting kerio did not help either). I think I have to check if
changing/reinstalling the firewall would help...

As starting services manually did not help, I booted the computer. On
the first try the problem persisted, but on the second try everything
worked and I got my connection.

If nothing else works try a system restore or reinstall windows and
carefully think about which firewall/AV/P2P programs you are going to
install! Obviously NOT the ones you had before..

I try to avoid system reinstall as long as possible: reinstalling
system and applications, and configuring them, and restoring data from
backups is a process that takes at least a day...

-Antti

 

[Antti Heiskanen]

I opened services, and noticed that DHCP client was not started. When
I tried to start it manually, I got the following error: "Could not
start DHCP client on local computer" and "Error 1114: a Dynamic link
library (dll) initialization routine failed."

On the services list there was also few other services, which should
have started automatically but did not. Among those was Kerio Pernosal
Firewall, a service that should be started before DHCP client service
(srarting kerio did not help either). I think I have to check if
changing/reinstalling the firewall would help...

I inspected the services list in more detail: it seems that Kerio
Personal Firewall was the first service that did not start correctly
and that resulted in few other services failing as well (DHCP client
etc.). When I started the Kerio firewall service manually, I got the
already familiar error message "Error: Could not start DB server:
socket() failed for UDP socket". I uninstalled Kerio, and then
reinstalled the newest version - which has been operating correctly
and without any problems ever since. Thanks Dave, your help solved the
problem!

-Antti