Lost identity?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CJ
  • Start date Start date
C

CJ

Hi,

We have four machines (all running Win98SE) connected via a Netgear
DG834 modem router. All worked flawlessly until a week ago, when
computer 4 became inaccessible to computer 1.

While computer 4 boots it is correctly identified by the router, but
when it logs on to the network, it then becomes "unknown" as a connected
device. Computer 4 still has access to the shared printer on computer1.

So far as I can see, no changes have been made to the "network" settings
on any machine, and the identity of the "unknown" machine as seen by the
router is what it should be (I'm using reserved addresses), both IP and
MAC address.

Any ideas what's gone wrong?

Many thanks,

Chris
 
CJ said:
Hi,

We have four machines (all running Win98SE) connected via a Netgear
DG834 modem router. All worked flawlessly until a week ago, when
computer 4 became inaccessible to computer 1.

While computer 4 boots it is correctly identified by the router, but
when it logs on to the network, it then becomes "unknown" as a
connected device. Computer 4 still has access to the shared printer
on computer1.

So far as I can see, no changes have been made to the "network"
settings on any machine, and the identity of the "unknown" machine as
seen by the router is what it should be (I'm using reserved
addresses), both IP and MAC address.
Click to expand...

Forgot to add that Computer 4 appears correctly in both "network
neighbohood" and "entire network" in the correct workgroup - but trying
to access it gives an error message that "the computer or sharename
could not be found".

Thanks again,

Chris
 
Hi,

We have four machines (all running Win98SE) connected via a Netgear
DG834 modem router. All worked flawlessly until a week ago, when
computer 4 became inaccessible to computer 1.

While computer 4 boots it is correctly identified by the router, but
when it logs on to the network, it then becomes "unknown" as a connected
device. Computer 4 still has access to the shared printer on computer1.

So far as I can see, no changes have been made to the "network" settings
on any machine, and the identity of the "unknown" machine as seen by the
router is what it should be (I'm using reserved addresses), both IP and
MAC address.

Any ideas what's gone wrong?

Many thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...

Chris,

Did you install any software on any of the computers?

What are you looking at when you observe:
While computer 4 boots it is correctly identified by the router.
When it logs on to the network, it then becomes "unknown" as a connected
device.
Click to expand...

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in
Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Chuck said:
Chris,

Did you install any software on any of the computers?

What are you looking at when you observe:

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" - Open c:\ipconfig.txt
in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
Click to expand...

Hi Chuck,

Sorry to be so late replying. I generated the "ipconfig" texts - the
result was all the expected figures.

I've no need to send it, because I traced the problem.

Why I don't know - I don't think my 9 year old daughter had tweaked
anything - the software FIREWALL on her machine had been changed to
disable her "share" on the network.............. Obvious, but it didn't
occur to me until I figured out that it had to be a program loading on
startup.

Thanks for the help anyway!

Chris
 
Hi Chuck,

Sorry to be so late replying. I generated the "ipconfig" texts - the
result was all the expected figures.

I've no need to send it, because I traced the problem.

Why I don't know - I don't think my 9 year old daughter had tweaked
anything - the software FIREWALL on her machine had been changed to
disable her "share" on the network.............. Obvious, but it didn't
occur to me until I figured out that it had to be a program loading on
startup.

Thanks for the help anyway!

Chris
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

Glad to help. Congrats on figuring it out. The firewall is a common resolution
to this type of problem, though the circumstances are certainly mysterious in
your case. Thanks for updating us.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Chuck said:
Hi Chris,

Glad to help. Congrats on figuring it out. The firewall is a common
resolution to this type of problem, though the circumstances are
certainly mysterious in your case. Thanks for updating us.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
Click to expand...

Hi Chuck,

Well, then it did at all again, after a couple of re-boots of computer
4.

In the end it was still firewall related. I had to write a couple of
"enabling" rules into the firewall on that machine.

Weird as we all use the same ("Sygate Personal") firewall and the other
three computers have never given any trouble.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Chris
 
Hi Chuck,

Well, then it did at all again, after a couple of re-boots of computer
4.

In the end it was still firewall related. I had to write a couple of
"enabling" rules into the firewall on that machine.

Weird as we all use the same ("Sygate Personal") firewall and the other
three computers have never given any trouble.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Chris
Click to expand...

Chris,

Very mysterious indeed. Please let us know if you find out anything further, or
need more analysis - I'll keep watching this thread for a few days.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Chuck said:
On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 23:22:47 +0100, "CJ"



Chris,

Very mysterious indeed. Please let us know if you find out anything
further, or need more analysis - I'll keep watching this thread for a
few days.

Cheers,
Chuck
Click to expand...

Chuck,

Immediately after that the same machine blocked me again. No problem
now, but I had to write a new rule into that PCs firewall allowing my
machine access!

Has anyone out here ever had this sort of problem? .

Cheers,

Chris
 
Chuck,

Immediately after that the same machine blocked me again. No problem
now, but I had to write a new rule into that PCs firewall allowing my
machine access!

Has anyone out here ever had this sort of problem? .

Cheers,

Chris
Click to expand...

Chris,

What is this "unknown" condition shown by Computer4? What are the enabling
rules that you are writing (repeatedly?)? Maybe we will see a clue there.

Have you checked event viewer on Computer4?

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
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