identify network problem

Having a network problem, the network has been fine for about six months but
has started to play up.

Network is a workgroup consisting of four XP home machines and one win98,
one of the XP machines is used as a file store, which the other PCs
regularly save to and read from (mainly for autocad).
One of the PCs, a winxp machine, but not the machine now holding the shared
files, has a broadband speedtouch modem, this broadband connection is shared
for the rest of the users.

The pcs are connected with cat5 through a simple switch/router.

Recently norton 2005, which was installed on all the machines, has been
removed from all the machines, and an alternative AV installed.

The problems seem intermittant, the PCs would talk for a while, but then get
repeatedly none reponsive windows when browsing through network places.

All the PCs have a mapped network drive to one of the PCs, the computers
seem to be mostly able to access the network drive.


Adding attatchements via oe6 however result in the whole programme freezing
when trying to access the network.

Any suggestions? As i said this network has been working fine, except the
repeated infection of a virus, which norton was not able to cope with, this
has now been sorted though.

All the PCs dont seem to have any problem accessing the net when they want
to.....

Gaz

In article <42becf2c$0$30809$(E-Mail Removed)>, Gaz
says...

> One of the PCs, a winxp machine, but not the machine now holding the shared
> files, has a broadband speedtouch modem, this broadband connection is shared
> for the rest of the users.
>
WHY? Why oh why do people still do this? Why not just get a proper
single port ADSL Modem or a 4 port ADSL Modem router?





--
Conor

-You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room
K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

"Conor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> In article <42becf2c$0$30809$(E-Mail Removed)>, Gaz
> says...
>
>> One of the PCs, a winxp machine, but not the machine now holding the
>> shared
>> files, has a broadband speedtouch modem, this broadband connection is
>> shared
>> for the rest of the users.
>>
> WHY? Why oh why do people still do this? Why not just get a proper
> single port ADSL Modem or a 4 port ADSL Modem router?

Because, that is how the customer wants it, the XP machine sharing the
broadband can only be connected to the internet (and thus the rest of the
staff can connect) at the discretion of the boss.
They dont mind the staff having access, but not keen on unfettered access.

That said, you havent helped with the problem. The sharing of the internet,
impacts the distribution of ip addresses, but it doesnt impact on the
intermittent problems i am observing here, anyone got any troubleshooting
options?

Gaz

>
>
>
>
> --
> Conor
>
> -You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room
> K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

In article <42bf16ae$0$41912$(E-Mail Removed)>, Gaz
says...

> Because, that is how the customer wants it, the XP machine sharing the
> broadband can only be connected to the internet (and thus the rest of the
> staff can connect) at the discretion of the boss.
> They dont mind the staff having access, but not keen on unfettered access.
>
Why didn't you inform him that all half decent ADSL modem routers can
restrict access to the internet for specific PC IP addresses for
specific times as well as completely blocking any application he
doesn't want them to use online and on top of that, also URL filtering
so he can restrict the websites they can access? THus actually
providing him with a one stop method of completely controlling net
access and actually being a FAR BETTER solution than the half assed
attempt provided?

> That said, you havent helped with the problem. The sharing of the internet,
> impacts the distribution of ip addresses, but it doesnt impact on the
> intermittent problems i am observing here, anyone got any troubleshooting
> options?
>
Yes thanks.

The first one below matches the exact problem you're having. I take it
from you not mentioning that you did it that it didn't jump out as an
obvious cause?

1) Disable Automatic Search Function for Network Folders and Printers.

2) Disable automatic adding of shortcuts to "My Network Places"

I'd help you more by holding your hand through how to do it but seeing
as you're doing it for a customer, you can work it out yourself. Just a
hint...second one is a registry hack and if you can't figure out how to
do the first one, you shouldn't be charging people to fix their
computers.



--
Conor

-You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room
K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

"Conor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> In article <42bf16ae$0$41912$(E-Mail Removed)>, Gaz
> says...
>
>> Because, that is how the customer wants it, the XP machine sharing the
>> broadband can only be connected to the internet (and thus the rest of the
>> staff can connect) at the discretion of the boss.
>> They dont mind the staff having access, but not keen on unfettered
>> access.
>>
> Why didn't you inform him that all half decent ADSL modem routers can
> restrict access to the internet for specific PC IP addresses for
> specific times as well as completely blocking any application he
> doesn't want them to use online and on top of that, also URL filtering
> so he can restrict the websites they can access? THus actually
> providing him with a one stop method of completely controlling net
> access and actually being a FAR BETTER solution than the half assed
> attempt provided?

He is happy with his existing setup, i did explain the features of the vigor
dsl router, but he isnt interested.

>> That said, you havent helped with the problem. The sharing of the
>> internet,
>> impacts the distribution of ip addresses, but it doesnt impact on the
>> intermittent problems i am observing here, anyone got any troubleshooting
>> options?
>>
> Yes thanks.
>
> The first one below matches the exact problem you're having. I take it
> from you not mentioning that you did it that it didn't jump out as an
> obvious cause?
>
> 1) Disable Automatic Search Function for Network Folders and Printers.

tried that one, but still gave intermittant problems.

> 2) Disable automatic adding of shortcuts to "My Network Places"

Havent tried that one though......

> I'd help you more by holding your hand through how to do it but seeing
> as you're doing it for a customer, you can work it out yourself. Just a
> hint...second one is a registry hack and if you can't figure out how to
> do the first one, you shouldn't be charging people to fix their
> computers.

Do you think the removal of norton could have had any other impact, it did
temporarily break the network giving us a to many users accessing error, it
was a simple reg fix, but i wonder if anything else has been impacted.....

Gaz

>
>
> --
> Conor
>
> -You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room
> K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

In article <42bfa913$0$41940$(E-Mail Removed)>, Gaz
says...

> Do you think the removal of norton could have had any other impact, it did
> temporarily break the network giving us a to many users accessing error, it
> was a simple reg fix, but i wonder if anything else has been impacted.....
>
Norton is very pervasive and hooks itself into all sorts. Installing an
"uninstaller" app ~(one which monitors changes a program makes when
installing), re-installing Norton and using the uninstaller app to
uninstall it might sort it or at least give you a clue to what Norton
changes.


Hate Norton. Went downhill in the late 90's.


--
Conor

-You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room
K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

"Conor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> In article <42bfa913$0$41940$(E-Mail Removed)>, Gaz
> says...
>
>> Do you think the removal of norton could have had any other impact, it
>> did
>> temporarily break the network giving us a to many users accessing error,
>> it
>> was a simple reg fix, but i wonder if anything else has been
>> impacted.....
>>
> Norton is very pervasive and hooks itself into all sorts. Installing an
> "uninstaller" app ~(one which monitors changes a program makes when
> installing), re-installing Norton and using the uninstaller app to
> uninstall it might sort it or at least give you a clue to what Norton
> changes.

On this we agree. I had a customer running norton 2005 on a penitumIII with
XP, and 128mb of memory.

He wondered why his computer was very slow... I doubled the memory and
replaced norton with AVG, he almost wept with how much better his PC was.

I find up to norton 2002 not to bad, but the rest just truly awful, and they
are the market leaders...
A customer goes into PC world, tells them his old win98 PC has viruses, they
sell him this, and tell him if it doesnt fix it he needs to buy a new
PC.....

Gaz

>
> Hate Norton. Went downhill in the late 90's.
>
>
> --
> Conor
>
> -You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room
> K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)