SP2 network problem (XP Pro and Home)

**peterg** · 2004-09-06 06:23

I have installed SP2 on two laptops, and one of those twice (the second as part of a clean install). The clean install works perfectly, and the two installations over installed versions both appeared to be perfect with one exception: I lost the ability to communicate online. I was able to to get online (both dial-up and DSL), but no significant data could be exchanged (with the firewall off), and there was an icon in the notification area to say that I wouldn't be able to transfer data.

**jscher2000** · 2004-09-06 21:31

Does the notification icon open a window with a helpful explanation? (I guess not, or you wouldn't have asked.) What do you mean by "no significant data could be exchanged"? Can you send and receive e-mail? Instant messages? Get to Google?

**peterg** · 2004-09-07 05:02

Sorry I didn

**bigaldoc** · 2004-09-07 10:15

It looks to me like you were NOT online. Let's take a closer look at your Network Properties, 'cause you don't seem to be getting an IP address from your DSL ISP. If you have the icon onscreen called My Network Places (not the error thingie in the tray) or open Windows Explorer - do a right-click on My Network and select Properties. Then do another right-click on Local Area Connection and select Properties. You should get a screen like my attachment, top part, with THREE tabs. Make sure your network card is shown like in the first red box. Next, be sure TCP/IP is checked (2nd red box) and then click the properties box for TCP/IP (3rd red box) and you should get another screen like the bottom half of my attachment. See if the two buttons for "...Obtain Automatically..." are checked.

If all these things are true on your machine, close the windows. Go to Start, Run and enter: CMD to open a command prompt window. Enter the following command: IPCONFIG /ALL and press enter. It would help if you can make a screenshot of the results and post it here.

If you need help with posting a screenshot, see the screenshot tutorial here..

**jscher2000** · 2004-09-07 21:30

Do you have a home network and, if so, how do you assign addresses to the computers? For example, your router often will obtain a valid IP address from your ISP, and then assign private addresses (e.g., 192.168.0.2) to the individual computers that seek to connect. Address negotiation is done through the DHCP protocol. Your computer starts by sending a broadcast to all machines that are listening asking where the DHCP server is. Then the server starts sending you information. The Windows Firewall should let that kind of traffic through, and since you turned off the firewall, that probably doesn't explain the problem.

What I suggest is that you use the Network Connections wizard to create a new connection. You may or may not have software from your ISP that manages your connection. You probably do not need it in order to do this. The main thing, as noted in Dave's screen shot, is to let Windows try to automatically get the correct settings from your router or your ISP, whichever is supplying the information. Hope this helps.

**peterg** · 2004-09-08 03:21

The values I gave were copied when I was offline because the symbol only appeared some of the time, and I wanted to transcribe them while I had the chance.
If I want support from my ISP I can't have a router or anything else between the modem and the computer, so I have experimented with arrangements with and without. I now use a workgroup switch but I previously used a router (which I can return to). I have always been able to successfully connect modem-to-computer directly and get online, which is no longer the case. The ISP has its own software for both dial-up and for DSL, and in both cases the address is set automatically. I'm using the workgroup switch with three computers, the other two of which are both online (as a test

**peterg** · 2004-09-10 13:58

It took forever but I got it. Not personally, but I found someone at my ISP

Thread: SP2 network problem (XP Pro and Home)

Thread Tools