What is the cause of error 678?

Hi all,

I am currently working as technical support for an ISP providing ADSL
broadband connection and would like to know the ACTUAL CAUSE contributing to
'error 678 - The Computer You Are Dialing Into Is Not Answering'

When it comes to troubleshooting this error, sometimes I am able to help
customers to solve it and at other times I am not.
The most puzzling thing is ... there are no faults over at our network
backend, and it still says 'error 678 - The Computer You Are Dialing Into Is
Not Answering'.

I have come across an article on WIRED.COM saying that this error originates
from WINDOWS XP itself. Check out the link below.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology...ory_page_prev2.

Can someone tell me whether is this true?
This is because, I frequently encounter situations whereby two different
customers, having the same problem (error 678), having the same network
settings and all variables being equal ... I am able to solve the issue for
one of them and when I use the same solution for the other customer based on
the fact that their whole IT infrastructure is set up the same way, it does
not work!

Same problem, same IT infrastructure setup, same solution ... works for one
but not the other!!! What is going on?!
Are there any definitive solution(s) tho this problem?

Thanks in advance for the help.

You probably will have better results posting to the
microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web newsgroup. This newsgroup supports
Microsoft's Broadband Networking hardware and software only.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"tsiuweng" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:32126D09-FDAA-42F0-8B1F-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> I am currently working as technical support for an ISP providing ADSL
> broadband connection and would like to know the ACTUAL CAUSE contributing
> to
> 'error 678 - The Computer You Are Dialing Into Is Not Answering'
>
> When it comes to troubleshooting this error, sometimes I am able to help
> customers to solve it and at other times I am not.
> The most puzzling thing is ... there are no faults over at our network
> backend, and it still says 'error 678 - The Computer You Are Dialing Into
> Is
> Not Answering'.
>
> I have come across an article on WIRED.COM saying that this error
> originates
> from WINDOWS XP itself. Check out the link below.
> http://www.wired.com/news/technology...ory_page_prev2.
>
> Can someone tell me whether is this true?
> This is because, I frequently encounter situations whereby two different
> customers, having the same problem (error 678), having the same network
> settings and all variables being equal ... I am able to solve the issue
> for
> one of them and when I use the same solution for the other customer based
> on
> the fact that their whole IT infrastructure is set up the same way, it
> does
> not work!
>
> Same problem, same IT infrastructure setup, same solution ... works for
> one
> but not the other!!! What is going on?!
> Are there any definitive solution(s) tho this problem?
>
> Thanks in advance for the help.