W98 is breaking me!

R

Rich Grise

Hi. First post to NW NGs, but I'm an old NG fart. I've done
as much of my own homework as I know of that I can, and
have been lurking for a few hours; seen a couple of problems
marginally similar, and tried the solutions, and I'm still
baffled.

The "short-form" Q is, when everything else is working so far,
howcome my W98 gives me a Critical Error message box, with
text=
The network is not accessible.
For more information, look in the Help Index
at the topic: 'Network Troubleshooter.'

I've done everything I can find to try to fix it. Here's
some background.

W2K computer:
AMD Athlon XP 2400+, 512, 80, W2000 5.00.2195 SP 3
Network ID: name entheos-ws1
workgroup WORKGROUP
NIC: SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter, SiS driver, dtd 8/2/2002,
v. 1.16.1.0, resources= no conflicts,power management all unchecked
Network and Dialup Connections/Status-General Connection connected
duration 05:27:26 and counting, speed 10.0 mbps; activity packets
sent 1,529 (so far), rec'd 539 and counting (it increments each time
I ping it)
"Properties" (what's installed)
Client for Microsoft Networks
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
NetBEUI Protocol
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Obtain an IP address automatically
Obtain DNS server address automatically
Advanced TCP/IP Settings
IP Settings tab: "IP addresses" frame: DHCP Enabled
DNS tab: DNS Server addresses: empty
Append primary and connection specific DNS suffixes
Append parent suffixed of the primnary DNS suffix
DNS suffix for this connection: empty
Register this connection's addresses in DNS
WINS tab: WINS add... empty
Enable LMHOSTS lookup
Enable netBIOS over TCP/IP
Options tab
Optional settings
IP security
Do not use IPSEC
TCP/IP filtering: Enable TCP/IP ...: unchecked
all 3 radio buttons: Permit All

and it pings the W98 computer just fine, by name even; and the
W98 computer shows up by name in My Network Neighborhood, albeit
with no contents showing, but I think that'll be my next thing
to do after solving the current problem.

The other computer:
System/general
System:
Microsoft Windows 98
4.10.1998
Registered to
Unknown User
Unknown Organization
Manufactured and supported by:
Compaq Computer corporation
Presario
AuthenticAMD
AMD-K6(tm) 3D processor
Intel MMX(TM) Technology
128.0 MB ram
(about an 8 GB drive, with about 4GB free)
Device Manager:
Network adpters
PCI Fast Ethernet DEC 21143 Based Adapter
Properties/General:
The device is working properly.
Device Usage: Exists in all hardware profiles
/Driver: Microsoft 5-11-1998 (has been reinstalled
by uninstalling the network adapter, then letting W98 find
& install it by PNP).
/Resources: looks quite normal, No conflicts.
Control Panel/Network (what, I think, might be supposed
to be something like "Network Neighborhood"; this might
be the problem, but I don't even know where to look to
fix _that_. Maybe just rename it?)
Configuration:
Client for Microsoft networks Properties: Login Validation, blank
Network logon options: Logon and restore network connections
PCI Fast Ethernet DEC 21143 Based Adapter
Driver type Ehnhanced mode NDIS driver
Bindings:
NetBEUI -> PCI Fast Ethernet...
TCP/IP -> PCI Fast Ethernet...
Advanced:
11 properties, some of which I don't know what they
mean yet, but it's the only thing I haven't stripped down
to bare bones and let W98 reinstall it clean. And, of course,
I'm afraid to start playing with properties that I'm not sure
what its effect will be.
NetBEUI-> PCI Fast Ethernet...
Bindings: Client for Microsoft Network
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
TCP/IP -> PCI Fast Ethernet...
IP Address: Auto
WINS: use DHCP for WINS resolution
Gateway: empty
DNS Configuration: Disable DNS
Bindings: Client for Microsoft Networks
File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks
Advanced: None
NetBIOS: Greyed Out
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks:
Browse Master Automatic
LM Announce No

Primary Network Logon
Client for Microsoft Networks
File and Printer Sharing
I want to be able to give others access to my files.
I want to be able to allow others to print to my printer(s).
Descroption: Blank Grey

Identification
Computer name: ABIFirewall
Workgroup: WORKGROUP
Computer Description: Don's Son-in-Law's old comp
Access Control
Share-level access control

If I've omitted any settings/ID stuff, Please don't hesitate to
enlighten me.

But wait! There's More!

As I say, I've been at this for about 12 hours - I want to
reassure everybody that I've done most of my homework.

I _hate_ when I'm using the book (Que publishing's
"Using Microsoft Windows 2000 professional
Special Edition")
and I'm getting to the really juicy parts, and it says,
"Ask your network manager." Dang it! I'm supposed to _be_
the network manager! I will be, when I fix this one thing.

Anyway, both computers ping each other by name; the W98
comp will ping the world (I'm on it now); but the W2K
comp will ping only itself and the W98 comp, which I'd
expect since I haven't got to the part where I teach the
W98 comp to be a firewall, present a socket to the LAN,
and all that stuff.

I've been to the Windows Update site, and presumably
(supposedly? Hopefully?) installed W98 Service Pack
something or other (something about networks)

Lessee, am I repeating myself yet? The W2k comp. can
see the W98 comp, at least up to the NIC, and it
shows it by name, but when (at the W2K comp) I open
\\ABIFirewall, it shows me no contents.

on the Win98 comp, When I try to open "Entire Network"
in "Network Neighborhood", I get that error messagebox
(see above);

I tried going to the Compaq website to look for fixes,
and after a while of poking around, tried to "email"
them - actually a fill-in form - selected "email me
a copy", and when I hit submit it sent me to a "page
not found" intercept page, and I haven't received
any acknowledgment from them, from about 4 or 6 hours
ago.

Oh, and I took a "spare" RJ-48-type cable (UTP?),
cut it in two, and made a crossover per the Book:
1 -> 3
2 -> 6
3 -> 1
4 -> 4
5 -> 5
6 -> 2
7 -> 7
8 -> 8
I'm quite confident that's right; a couple of the
wires don't match the color code they give in the
book, but I've been doing electronics since 1955;
I think I can track down "pin 1." ;-D

Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Rich Grise

If you want to email me, first respond to the NG, and only
cc me; To do that, use my first and last name concatenated,
followed by the standard yahoo rest-of-the-email. :)
(I hope there isn't really a user (e-mail address removed)! ;-D )

Thanks Again!
Rich
 
R

Rich Grise

Read the post for entertainment, if you want, but it turns
out I've got a whole nother W98 computer to play with, and
it's working fine so far. Apparently Don's Son-in-law's
old computer has a broken component or another. I'm
about to try the two W98 comp's; I'll let you know what
I find.

Sorry. (is there a "blushing" smiley?)

Thanks!
Rich
 
D

DWM

Pretty common, in my experience. If it were me, I'd start looking at the
easy things in this order. I'd say chances are pretty good you'll find it
among these things.

1. Thoroughly check for viruses.

2. Test/Replace network drop cables.

3. Delete and reinstall NIC drivers and protocols. (make absolutely sure
you have the correct NIC drivers here.)

4. Test/Replace NIC's.

5. Take up bridge!

Have a good day!

By the way, I see mention of a firewall in your post. You aren't by chance
blocking your own traffic via the firewall, are you. I'm not sure how you'd
do that...but just checking.

DWM
 

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