Network Connection Problem

I have a 3com 11g firewall router from which I have a desktop and a laptop connected wirelessly. I use the Windows Wireless Zero Configuration instead of the router software supplied.
Both are machines are running XP Home and all the recommended free spyware.

Problem is the desktop has been acting erratically with system crashes. Error messsages were never the same twice, such as IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, PFN_LIST_CORRUPT,BAD_POOL_ERROR. These stopped appearing and the blue screens then just said closing to save the system from damage. I put this down to a game not uninstalling properly and did a system restore, which seemed to clear it up.

After a couple of days working OK the desktop started dropping it's connection to the internet and will not connect at all now, although the laptop will. I guess this means it is not a router problem. The internet status message says that the problem is that the network did not assign a network address to the computer. An attempt at a repair failed as the IP address could not be renewed.

A check of the router security log, which if I'm honest I don't understand, showed that there had been a lot "ADSL Media Down" and "Up" occurring about 20 times per second. Then the message changed to:

2007.05.10 15:20:21 **Smurf** 169.254.255.255->> 169.254.43.130, Type:3, Code:3 (from ATM1 Outbound), I've attached a copy of the log.

Which I have no idea the meaning of.

Can someone please try to make some sense of what has happened and perhaps explain the router security log

 

firstly ensure that dhcp is enabled on the machine with issues, to do this click assign ip automatically where you'd normally type an ip in the connections configuration, this is only if your router has a dhcp server built in, it proberly will have, the first messages the blue screens of death are nothing to do with the connection, a paged area is a part of your hard drive used to store ram data when not in use, a page fault isnt actually a fault, it means the os has attemped to get data from memory, but its not there so it has to get it from the hard drives page file, that is the fault, but its not actually a fault, the error is because its had a page fault, i.e attempted to get data and had to get it from the hard disk, but the data isnt there, or its corrupt, if this happens in future, then run chkdsk, it will scan and repair hdd errors and these problems will stop, hit the windows key and press r, type cmd, the type chkdsk into the command prompt, if it runs and finds error, which it will, run it again with the /f switch, i.e chkdsk /f, then hit y for yes and reboot, after this has run that issue will be gone, but try the dhcp thing with your connection, if thats already enabled let me know and we'll take it from there, ok, hope that helps! :major i-CONICA :major

 

The DHCP is checked, and there is a range entered for the machines on the network.

I ran sfc /scannow when it was at its worst withh the os disc in and that seemed to help. I will try the chkdsk tonight.

Any ideas on the logs?

Thanks

 

is 192.168.1.2 the ip of the machine with issues? considering the ip of the router will be 192.168.1.1 unless youve changed it, which you havent, if so, i can only assume the "sending offer to 192.168.1.2 is the dhcp server in the router suggesting an ip for that machine, that suggests it keeps on requesting one, meaning its not holding it there for some reason, enter your routers settings there should be a setting to change the ip of the router i suggest you change it to 193.169.2.2 or similar, then the computers on your network will all get given completely new ips (next time they are rebooted), ranging from above the routers new ip, this could possible solve the issue, if not then it gets a whole lot more complicated, would it be convenient to re-install windows? it sounds extreme, but it will cirtainatly fix the issue, and a fresh install of windows every year or so is advisable anyway, for a number of reasons, try the above and if that doesnt help then consider your options, if thats not an option then get back on here and we'll ponder some more! :major i-CONICA :major