Only 1 User Account resident in Memory can access the Internet at one time

[Tom]

I have a problem with at least 5 machines that I
administer, each running Windows XP Pro, regarding "Fast
User Switching" which has plagued me since the around the
beginning of September. I suspect this can be attributed
to an unknown Windows Update (most likely an unfortunate
side effect to a "Critical" or "Security" update).

After boot-up, only the first user account loaded into
memory is able to access the Internet. Any additional user
accounts subsequently loaded into memory can not access the
Internet, just the LAN. If the user of a subsequently
loaded user account wants to access the Internet, they must
first fully log out (NOT "Fast User Switch") the account
currently monopolizing the Internet connection.

Simply put: Only ONE user account resident in system
memory may access the Internet at one time. this problem
is independant of any common software, firewalls,
anti-virus programs, ISPs, internal or external hardware
(such as network cards or routers). The only common
attributes of the afflicted systems are Windows XP Pro, and
keeping up with Windows Updates. Has anyone else had this
issue?? I can't immagine this isn't epidemic by now!! ANY
IDEAS ANYONE????

 

[Bern]

Tom, it is a very common problem. I do not speak from experience, but this
newsgroup sees it frequently. I found some references to problems in Google,
some of which centered on the issue of insufficient memory:
"...keeping multiple user accounts active is a burden to a PC's memory
usage. "
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1155658,00.asp
I would Google around on this topic, and search this newsgroup.

 

[Tom]

I didn't mension this before, but all these systems should
have more than enough memory for Fast-User-Switching.

733 MHz Pentium 3, 320 MB SDRAM
850 MHz Pentium 3, 512 MB SDRAM
1.6 GHz Celeron, 128 MB SDRAM
2.0 GHz Pentium 4, 256 MB DDR-SDRAM

Addittionally, the problem remains even if all applications
such as browsers, email, and streaming media players (which
all use different ports) are shut down from the Task
Manager "Processes" Tab in the innactive accounts. It's
not a question of performance, but one of all Internet
activity being monopolized by one user account at a time.
I have tried and continue to try Google searches, but the
problem is so specific, and requires an entire sentence to
describe, that searches come up with topics that are WAY
off. This is one of my last desperate attepts to find
answers! Bern, I thank you for your suggestion though! I
do visit ExremeTech periodically, and hadn't thought to
look there yet!