Help - Software or ISP or Settings wrong??

I just posted history under thread slow startup and internet.....but forgot to say, I have 2 things showing as connected under Network Connections - LAN or High Speed....Broadband connection does not connect.
One of the LAN items is Net Adapter 1394 but (although it says connected) there are no settings showing for this and it says TCP/IP is not enabled for it. I'm not sure if this is the device name for the wireless router and no connection shows because it is not used for systems other than my own pc....connected by ethernet, but I can't get any sense or answers from 'Support / Technical staff at BT. Below is post to other thread...All help gratefully received. Sparks

I'm looking for help too......big time. Have found myself in pc hell since early feb. I have a wireless router BT1800HG and BT Yahoo! Broadband.....only my system currently connected (ethernet used). In Feb I started having problems with messenger (msn) and opening BT Yahoo! from that icon, yet I could be more successful with IE icon. I found that it got harder to sustain internet connection / surf between pages and impossible to change accounts. Once booted I had to completely reboot to have a possibility of getting online again. The email would no longer download......and my IP add became private. LAN came up as limited or no connectivity repeatedly....and when service went down, I lost my Bb Voice telephone 'line' also.
BT couldn't help, all troubleshooting was ineffective or made problem worsen......and then they gave up and sent me to DELL. Dell went thru troubleshooting and within 3 hours my entire system crashed, I had to do a complete reinstallation. From there I had to reinstall Bb disc etc - got access to internet and so downloaded critical updates and SP2 again. I've done virus scans with new antivirus programs, spyware and malware checks......changed firewall......pinged IP addresses and done regsvr32. exe urlmon.dll, checked hosts files and all sorts...because initial success changed again........and now I struggle to open IE....if it does load and open, I seem to have to double click on new instructions but more often than not I get Page Cannot Be Opened, frequently outlook brings up error message - mailserver could not be found and Error message 678......sometimes I can open and use messenger but struggling badly to open hotmail. ISP says it is software (XP not working properly) and contact Vendor......Dell say is it ISP and contact BT....I'm rapidly going nuts! Can anyone help? Pretty please?

 

It's a little difficult to say where your problems really is and it looks like there may be 2 problems - one with your internet connection and the other (possibly related) with your PC. However, let's see if we can eliminate a few things....

This is a Firewire network connection and not the wireless router: http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/22718/22718.html

Does this mean that you have a line fault? If so report to BT both to Broadband help phone number as well as the BT Line rental phone number.

What on Earth did they ask you to do that would have caused this?

Can you explain what you mean here? If I understand this, that you had a working system after you reinstalled XP and downloaded all the updates and then installed Broadband software? Then what happened...?

Where is the "struggle"? In opening the window or displaying the web page?

Is this a description of this problem: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=892896

Note that BT Yahoo! is PPPOA and not PPPOE. Is your router correctly configured?
http://btybb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/btybb.cfg/php/enduser/cci/bty_adp.php?p_sid=XgD*1F2i&p_faqid=6278

http://btybb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/btybb.cfg/php/enduser/cci/bty_adp.php?p_sid=XgD*1F2i&p_faqid=7485

Are your router lights showing a) power on, b) receiving a DSL signal, c) logged into the ISP, d) showing communication between your PC and the exchange?


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With regard to slow startup, I take it you have been to the Malware forum and are perfectly clean? If so and you have sorted your internet connection out, you may want to look at: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showpost.php?p=752826&postcount=5

 

Hi Maxwell, thx for reply....hopefully I'll be able to get reply thru to you now. Re line - about month ago, one BT check agreed there was an intermittent line fault. Engineer came to house and said BB internally was A.ok....problems continued, I've brought it up many times and been told nothing - as of yesterday they are saying my line is fine though I've lost BB voice (fault on line) at least x2 over past 48 hrs. ARGH. Someone is to call this pm from 'lines dept) though I'm not holding my breath. It does bother me greatly that there is so much inconsistency with BT depts, never speak to the same person twice. Broadband Voice can only work when there is the bb connection in to the house....it is linked directly and operates through a 10V BT Voyager Telephone adapter - all ethernet interconnected.
As for PPPoE - it says that in properties of Bband connection in Network Connections, but on router's page and set up it says PPPoA. Key code and username all entered etc.
I have 3 steady green lights on my router now....this has varied but now they are on all the time and router is not placed on floor - it is 3-4 feet away from the tower.
I cannot find anything in device manager that says BT or 2wiregateway or 1800HG so I don't know what the router is supposed to appear as.
I've asked repeatedly what properties should show under all these network connections, never got an answer to that even once from BT bb 'experts'. I'm feeling as though my brains are totally scrambled now.....
I've scanned machine with ewido, ad-aware, BT antispyware and CCleaner...I've used AVG, BT's preferred antivirus and Hi-Jack. Ccleaner and Hijack scans have been done from safe mode also. Nothing showed up bar tracing cookies and those were all cleared from malware and spyware scans. I empty my browser cache quite regularly, but daughter hasn't been....however I cleared every user account from Administrator mode. Right now I want to run a fresh AVG virus check from Safe mode but can't get into safe mode!
Dell - well, I am at a loss there....3 hours on tel and at the end of it, instead of an intermittent problem with internet I could not even get thru the user page or boot up. They had me do IP ping etc then in thru safe mode to check and test parts of system - all worked well, then I began to struggle badly to open any page etc - everything took an eternity to open or move even make one instruction from desktop.....they had me do 'Repair' from disk - and after that - nightmare, struggled to even boot up to get to user page and my disk is 3 yrs old, so it meant no SP2 etc which I need to operate my keyboard and mouse (bluetooth).
I find that when problems start, they seem to increase in intensity. When I got data recovered then went through system being re-installed with Dell....each part went through, then I loaded ISP install disk again...re-connecting all equipment and intially, full internet access. I downloaded critical updates again, to get me to SP2 and got that.....and then have slowly continued with bits and pieces....(keyboard / mouse etc). Had a few problems downloading email but generally much improved....I just had to open up the firewall to accept some things which was new to me as I had used BlackIce for the 3 yrs previously and not the router firewall.
Then.....couple of days after re-install, I went back to having problems opening up web browser. If it opened, surfing between pages was nigh impossible. Very slow responses....that was when downloaded ewido. Have no antivirus operating at moment, which is very unnerving. Firewall now through ZoneAlert with Router firewall set to allow all (I couldn't get any answers re what was important to allow and what wasn't).
When trying to open Msn messenger now I have frequently to troubleshoot, not always successfully. Opening anything under IE or BT Yahoo! Broadband browsers is taking very long time generally and frequently shows as page cannot be found, or hangs on 'loading'. Sometimes when typing (eg here) it freezes or hangs and nothing responds.....mouse curser becomes a hand, or screen jumps and text is lost.
When ping is done to IP or default gateway it is successful now - 0% loss.
BT said to reinstall windows xp again....but disk is 'rejected' by system in sense warning comes up noting that I run on a later system and files or data would be lost...so I haven't done that again.
I've tried to open the links you've suggested, but so far....'loading' appears and pages have not. I will keep trying as best I can throughout day....

Sparks....(whose spark is definately diminishing and has to cope with 14 8 & 9 yr olds here for party later!)

 

Congratulations and well done for even getting a reply through! I'm digesting what you are saying...

The problems with your PC unfortunately don't help with your problem with the Broadband connection.

Did the problem(s) manifest themselves or not whilst the Engineer was at your house? Did the Engineer test your line with their own equipment, i.e., modem and laptop? Do you know if any of your neighbours are experiencing any line faults or broadband faults?

This coupled with the fact that your router lights are fully working seems to suggest that the "Telephone adapter" may be faulty.

The fact that you have an "intermittent fault" seems to reinforce that there is something not quite right about the physical devices connected to your landline. Have you removed everything and only just had the router connected? Have you changed the DSL filter and cables?

Yes, I'm very familiar with the scenarios - won't bore you with my experiences.

This suggests to me that your router is correctly configured. Ok you maybe expereincing intermittent connections but that maybe physical device fault - see above. I had a similar situation whereby a ringer in an upstairs extension was working OK but caused a short circuit on the line affecting the router, possibly causing the death of the router - had to get a new router and new ringer.

You won't find such a thing for a wireless router as the router is a separate piece of equipment not physically connected or installed on your PC. What you will find is your wireless network card in the device manager. Can you provide details of this?

If you can provide details of your network card then hopefully we can help here.

I have a Belkin network card which seems to require is own network management software rather than the one provided by Windows XP. In order for it to do so it must disable the Wireless Zero Configuration service. However, due to a "bug" or "feature" with this software (Belkin utility) it does not correctly disable the service and consequently the two services (Windows and Belkins network managers) fight each other causing system performance problems, similar to that you have. The solution there is to disable the Windows one and ensure that the Belkin utility that supposed to switch the Windows service off is also not running but allowing the Belkin utility to control the wireless network card.

Can you check your PC CPU performance via the task manager (Control-Alt-Delete and select the performance tab). If it is at 50% or higher then look to see which process is hogging the system.

OK, it looks like you have a reasonably clean machine but...

Oh dear, looks like you have to may have to reinstall - simplest way of fixing or restoring your system.

I agree.

Not to worry if you can't.

You have some hope since it did appear that you had some semblance of system that worked. See your earlier paragraph:

You have to systematically build up your system and eliminate the step the causes the subsequent problems.

and your partner who all complain of withdrawal symptoms when you have no Internet access.

 

well.......Network card, nothing new installed at time of Bband being installed, prior to that I was on ISDN....only use one pc currently with router and an ethernet connection, so do you mean this? Sorry to sound unsure, but I am! lol
I got into safe mode tonight.....but had to use wired keyboard - and ran virus cleaner, all clear.....so that was a plus.
Engineer used laptop to check my bband line.....and then checked extension also. Said all was really good, at the time the pc was not in use, but he felt the equipment should be investigated. I haven't got BT tech dept to agree that this is wise or necessary to check. I hope to get access to another router soon and try that out, but may be a couple of weeks before that can happen. I don't have another ethernet cable sadly, or would have tried that by now. I did try bypassing the telephone adapter with no difference to problems. The lights were all up and green on router when engineer called, but hadn't been 20 mins earlier nor were they all up later in day when I got back from work.
Checking CPU at moment shows, Usage between 1-13%. (When checked some time ago it was 100% at times....that may have been before re-installation)
The link re limited connectivity describes very well what seemed to be the case before system crashed, but not since re-installation.
I'm still trying to work on other links, but there is def. an intermittent line fault going on too as callers have heard the little clue.......THERE IS A FAULT ON THIS LINE. BT denying this!
As for friends and neighbours, have heard of others with problems but not by me, will try asking around, but engineer said no-one else around me reported problems around the time he came out.
Happy St Patrick's Day .....Sparks

 

Are you saying that you have both wireless and wired connections to your router? An Ethernet cable connects from your network card to your router as a wired connection. There is a modem cable that connects your router to the phone line. However, you can also connect to your router via a wireless connection from your PC. Which network configuration are you using – wired or wireless?

Installed on your PC is a network card of some sort – look at the device manager under Network Adapters and list exactly what is there. Was the network card already installed with the PC or installed later? Also, does the device manager show any problem devices?

Once we know more about the network configuration we can begin to see if there are issues there with the configuration. Note, if the network card was installed later, then the procedure that was used to install it after reinstalling Windows needs to be followed. Typically, you would install the network card drivers before installing the card.

Can you confirm that it is not just the browser (Internet Explorer or whatever you are using) that is having problems in opening up to display a window? In other words, problems exist with other applications that may or may not require internet connectivity. If it is just the browser, have you tried another browser, e.g., Firefox?

Good news on being clean.

What investigation was suggested here?

If nothing else this would eliminate your router as the point of failure but as you say later that there is an intermittent voice line fault. I’m not expecting that problems with your router or land line are affecting the performance on your PC, especially if you experience line faults without your router connected.

What type of DSL filter(s) do you have? Is it an active filter (larger box with short cables) or a passive filter (smaller plug adapter)? If you are relatively far from your exchange you may need the active filter to filter out more of the line noise.

Do you have Sky or other devices connecting via your land line?

That was bad timing. Things never fail or do the right thing when you want it to.

Contact the landline faults department (not the broadband department) to fix this if possible refer to the previous call from BT that claimed that there was a fault (did you have a call reference number?). Don’t confuse BT with the information regarding Broadband if the fault is there without Broadband equipment attached, unless the intermittent fault is only present when your Broadband equipment is attached. In which case, call Broadband faults department as well.

Overall I still think you have two problems (as I ‘ve stated before): one with the fault on the land line or connectivity via the landline and the other with the configuration or conflict on your PC.

 

Wired connection only.....I invested in the router to have the option and possibility of connecting kids pc and laptop eventually, but haven't gone down this line yet.

The network card is part of the motherboard according to Dell, Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection. Device Manager shows no problems.

The only card added to system after delivery (3 yrs ago) was ISDN one, but that is no longer in use. I got broadband installed last Aug, problems didn't start til Feb.

I don't have any browser other than IE installed, as BT Yahoo! Broadband is just a customised version of IE. Both icons appear on my desktop. I have been able to get into websites a few times today, but frequently the page has been incomplete or very slow to load.

According to BT my connection is good.....and no problem, yet again I had a report of someone not getting through to me on my Broadband Voice line. I am not aware of this happening on the main line though, and the problems with bringing up websites has continued.

I can sometimes get into Msn messenger by troubleshooting....though not always! The checks run fine (following repair option being used several times) until it get to Key Ports section. Different error numbers then appear.

I have the microfilter connected that came supplied with rest of equipment and I have changed the microfilter for another one. I live very close to the exchange, so get good levels here, confirmed by engineer when installing Bb and again when he came to house couple of wks ago. No noise problem.

I don't have Sky, we only have Freeview....which isn't new to household - been here longer than Bb, lol.

I can't check the home 'line' without Broadband equipment as it is a Broadband Voice number....-:S. The Router was reset again today (3rd time) and checked at master telephone socket....it brought up lights.....I also tried missing out the telephone adapter too and having ethernet go direct from router to tower.

Any more help would be great.......oh, and the description of problem re limited connectivity etc sounds exactly like the problem I had pre system crash and re-install.

Sparks

I have asked BT several times about

 

OK, a lot of information here and apologies if I’m restating questions that you may have already answered…

OK the wired connection eliminates wireless signal interference.

Good that there appear to be no other device problems. What are the Network adapter properties and driver version number for the PRO/100 VE Network Connection? I presume that Dell had you go through the following: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?DN=1073964 and http://support.dell.com/support/top...ument?dn=1085847&l=en&langid=1&c=us&cs=&s=gen

Has this been completely removed from your system – both hardware and software? Was the ISDN package pre-installed or added later?

Was there anything that happened around Feb that may have changed your configuration? For example, a Microsoft Windows XP SP2 update for which your Network adapter is not necessarily compatible with? For example, since 3 years ago there appear to be many driver updates on Dell’s website. You need to know “what is the make of your DELL machine” to download the correct one. What is the make of your DELL machine?

Earlier in the thread I think you were indicating that your applications were slow to load up. Is this still the case or is it just that once your browser window is open, it is slow to load a web page?

If browser is quick to fire up but your page is slow to load then we can look at that differently but I think you are saying that there are other applications that you have problems with and for which the root cause is possibly related, i.e., network configuration or communication.

For Internet connections so long as your router lights are fully on you could eliminate all problems from your router on out to the world.

The Broadband Voice line seems to be a separate issue. This could have problems and I would disconnect or uninstall that while you are resolving Internet connection problems from your PC to your router. Once your PC communicating OK then resolve your voice adapter problem.

Can you confirm that your “main line” has no faults? If so and your router is communicating via DSL then the likelihood of broadband problems from your router to the outside is minimal.

I note that for BB Voice: “Call quality using your Broadband Talk phone should be better than
on a mobile phone, but it can be affected by general congestion on the internet or by heavy loads on the broadband link to your home (e.g. if someone is playing games online). For this reason we cannot guarantee call quality.”

When the “repair option is being used several times”, what does it attempt to repair? Is it the same files each time? What error numbers have you seen?

As with your browser, I think you are saying that only Internet enabled applications are having problems (because they require “good” network communication) rather than any other application. Can you re-confirm the applications that are having problems?

Good, this reinforces the statement that there is a minimal likelihood of broadband problems from your router to the outside.

Can you confirm that there are no other telephony devices attached to your wall sockets or if there are, that they have DSL filters. Of course this doesn’t preclude your neighbours having such a device that may be sending signals down the line to interfere with yours. When you are operational is this during “off-peak” hours?

Does this mean that you don’t have a home ‘line’ at all? Hence my asking if “your “main line” has no faults” is redundant. I expect that this would be one of the things that BT would have checked.

Are you still getting this message displayed: “Limited or no connectivity: The connection has limited or no connectivity. You might not be able to access the Internet or some network resources“?

What happened here, we got cut off!?

 

yep - I got cut off! lol....I will work back the way...

I no longer get the message Limited or no connectivity, but that is what I got prior to re-installation of windows.....so frustrating to see it so clearly set out now!

I have a main line to the house (used for work) which is the one used to identify Broadband and tel service. To date I haven't been aware of losing telephone use on that line, but the Bb voice is the one that all friends and family use so we are far more aware of that being temp out of service.

I can be operational peak or off-peak, same problems regardless of time, but I don't think many of my neighbours would be online during the day (close to me) and I don't share walls with anyone if that makes sense, lol.

I only have two 'landline' telephones in the house. The work one and a cordless phone with 2 handsets which works on the Broadband Voice. I could try disconnecting the telephone adapter again and just leave router directly to pc tower, but at the moment I'm using the fact I know there is a problem on that service to back up push to BT to chase problem and not bury it.

The Bband Voice line has always been fine and we don't download / play games on internet. Most active time is when eldest is online talking on messi with the world at large and checking her hotmail or surfing - she is probably going to need therapy to cope with her withdrawal symptoms because of having so little chat time lately!

Websites loading can take an eternity or just go nowhere. Outlook is back to saying that mail server could not be found more often than not...it had been working brilliantly for a few days. Most of the time the pc seems to run fine I think, but I have done very little but try to work through internet problems for weeks now.....My Docs opens okay when not trying to do something internet based. I may just be getting impatient, but I feel as though it is taking longer to boot up when first switched on and sometimes (this past week) the screen seems to jump once when opening outlook or webpages or a little later - I've lost 3 sets of text from different emails I was writing under yahoo addy - starting typing, screen flicked off momentarily and then text had gone. Once the browser is activated, everything seems to slow down.

Messenger....I can't find note of both the error nos, 2 different ones appear generally. - the current one is 80048820. Option to troubleshoot goes to 'basic internet connectivity test'. I've never been able to open webpage with error messages described though. Frequently I get to point of all green ticks (except "Wireless") but still can't sign in. other times it works after clicking on repair.

At the beginning of Feb I did update to SP2 as needed it for new keyboard / mouse. I told this to BT and Dell....I did it from the Windows update site...along with the necessary 'critical updates'. First attempt to download failed...and I had to uninstall, then re-install. I'd say my first issues I was aware with through BT Bb icon happened around a week later. I was really suspicious that the downloads had caused a problem, but BT didn't even listen really.

My Dell is a Dimension 4550. Dell said the ISDN card was not a problem for system to run, nor was software. I have no ISDN service to the house now, it was replaced by Bband.....I did ask if card needed to be removed etc, but they said no. I take it you are more skeptical. That said, there was no problem from Aug to Feb. I think the software is BT Speedway and the card is AVM ISDN-ControllerFRITZ!CardPCI. The ISDN card was installed on the night the pc was set up by Dell's approved agent and software ran that night. (Feb. 03)

The Intel (R) card Driver is - Intel, Date 19/09/02, Version: 6.1.3.11
I'm not sure what 'properties' I need to tell you - sorry for being a real dolt, but there were lots of tabs...

When I did the re-install of XP, the Dell technician simply 'talked me through' putting the original discs in. I don't really find the links you posted for me familiar, sorry. I don't think I was asked to extract files etc.

Thanks so much for your patience.....I made it to the end of another novel, lol. Sparks

 

Excellent novel by the way and a lot of information here and in your other posts to digest and piece together to find out where the real problem is.

When you disconnect this, do you have a good Internet connection? If I understand correctly, in order for BB voice to work you have software installed. As a low priority task or option, have you tried uninstalling this (as well as the hardware) to see if the Internet connection is good or bad?

We want to be sure that BB voice is not compounding the problems. I don’t want to suggest that this be removed completely else you will be without a BB voice phone.

Yes, know the feeling well.

So basically, you are saying that only Internet dependent applications are having problems. Correct?

OK, we’ll deal with boot up problems later but not ruling out the possibility of something not being correct about the boot process causing network communication problems.

This doesn’t sound too good, my initial reaction is a hardware fault. Check that your cables are fully and firmly connected and that there are no cuts or crimps in the cables. Also check (making sure that you are earthed and the mains power is unplugged) that all your internal cards (graphics, etc.) are fully seated. Yet another problem there, and if it persists to try to sort that as well but first sort out the network communication. Again, not ruling out the possibility of this event being related.

Looking at the MSN Messenger site this error code can be caused by a number of things: a) MSN Server has a problem, b) Your computer clock is wrong, c) Your network connection is not configured correctly, d) Your router is not configured correctly, e) Firewall configuration, etc., etc.. Which version of MSN Messenger are you using – look at Help/About?

OK, can you rule out b)? Both c) and d) look likely candidates. For d) check that the router settings are as stated in http://btybb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/bt...i&p_faqid=6278 with an MTU value of 1500 since BT Yahoo! Broadband is a PPPOA connection.

However, since then you’ve wiped your system and reinstalled everything including the SP2 updates? Do you know if the problem exists after you reinstall everything BUT before updating to SP2?

This may well explain why you were unable to get into safe mode since a) your keyboard drivers needed to be installed and running and b) they depend upon SP2 being installed.

One thing, do you have a connection problem when you do not use your new keyboard and mouse installed? In other words, do you have connection problems with just using your original set-up with your old keyboard and mouse?

Overall, if none of your network configuration parameters and router parameters have changed then the update to SP2 has changed how these function, in other words a compatibility problem. It was known when SP2 came that compatibility problems would become present and Microsoft allowed users a grace period whereby users and vendors can test for compatibility and update any dependent software, the grace period has now expired. The solution to this is to update software and drivers to a version that is compatible with SP2 assuming, of course, the compatibility issue isn’t preventing you from downloading the updates (a Catch 22 problem)!

I’m only sceptical unless proven otherwise for IT problems. However, the hardware is there and although may not be necessarily configured it may interfere with your current network connectivity. Since you don’t need it I would suggest removing it and the associated software and thus removing any “features” that this may contribute to any possible network connectivity problems, e.g., hardware interrupt request conflicts.

OK, I understand that it may have operated in parallel with your current system from Aug to Feb but as the system configuration has change it may not now be compatible or consistent since your update to SP2.

Again, the ISDN card is a possibility or probability and by removing it make it an impossibility –see my signature.

This looks like the latest version. There is also a diagnostic utility provided by Dell for this as well: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...D=DIM_PNT_P4_4550&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=2834 The latest set of software for a Dell 4550 can be found at http://support.dell.com/support/dow...&s=dhs&SystemID=DIM_PNT_P4_4550&os=WW1&osl=EN

For now, on your Network Adapter properties just check to see if there are any problems or resource conflicts.

Can you also look at your Network Connection (Start/Control Panel/Network Connections) status and properties (right click on your network card and select these options) to see what the status is and what protocols are there and if any errors are present.

This could have done one of a few things a) Wiped your system and a recovered to the condition when bought the machine, b) Install XP on top of your configuration c) Attempt to “repair” your current XP configuration. Do you know which “reinstall” or “recovery” that you did?