Nortel VPN Client Crashes Computer

[Jerry Niznik]

My employer has just switched to a Nortel VPN network using "Contivity"
client software for the remote connection. The installation process was
trouble free until the final step: connecting to the company network through
the tunnel. At this step, every time, my computer crashes with the blue
screen of death, with a message about a possible driver conflict.
I am using a Dell C-840 running XP Pro, and using a TrueMobile mini-PCI
wireless card. Same problem if I attempt to connect using wired ethernet.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Our IS department is no help
in this matter.
Jerry

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Check with Dell's support site, using your machine Service Tag, and see
whether there are updated drivers--particularly for the network card.

Is the machine patched up to date via WindowsUpdate--at least the critical
patches?

Do you get any indication of a driver name on the blue-screen? It won't
hurt to check the system event log to see whether that information is
recorded as an event log entry, as well.

Its worriesome that you get what appears to be the same crash from two
completely different nics--so maybe the conflict is something
unrelated--video, perhaps.

Hmm--googling on "nortel contivity vpn dell crash" I'm getting some hits
that may be useful:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110929,00.asp

http://www.at.vcu.edu/faq/connect/contivity.html#d600

http://www.wi-fitechnology.com/displayarticle146.html

I'm not familiar enough with the Dell models to know if you've got a
Centrino?