Re: Alternate network connection is NOT working

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Grand_Poobah wrote:

See my comments inline:

1. How do you connect to the Internet? Cable? DSL?
DSL. Other computer connect just fine - even after I switched cables
with the nearest one.

2. Is the cable/DSL modem a combination modem/router or do you have a
router plugged into the modem's WAN port?
DSL modem -> Linksys Router -> patch panel in basement -> computer room
upstairs -> local hub -> four computers

3. If you have a separate router, what is it?
Linksys

Linksys what? Have you checked with Linksys to see if this router supports
Vista? If it is very old it may not. Does it have the latest firmware?
Routers doing DHCP do not normally assign duplicate IP addresses and this
points to something being wrong. Or if the router is elderly it may just be
dying. Are you really using a hub or a switch? If a hub, replace it with a
switch. Hubs are very old technology and can cause issues on a LAN.
Switches are inexpensive.

4. Are you plugging the ethernet cable into the router? If yes, have you
tried plugging the ethernet cable directly to the modem, bypassing the
router
See #2

I don't see where you answered this so I take it that no, you haven't
plugged the Vista machine directly into the modem with ethernet. I would do
so. Successful troubleshooting must be systematic and not scattershot.

5. Have you power-cycled both the modem and the router and then tried
again?
Not part of the problem. Other computers running fine.

You don't know if this is part of the problem or not unless you've tested
it. Again, when troubleshooting you must be systematic. But leave it for
now.

6. Can other computers on the LAN access the Internet?
Yes

7. The Alternate Configuration is for when you want to have two unrelated
setups for Internet access on one adapter, not for "forcing" wired
access. Example - if you need a static IP address at work and a dynamic
IP address at home.
I can find no alternate configuration setup anywhere. I use static IP
address on my LAN. I used to have DHCP but the router kept
double-assigning addresses at times. On the laptop, I have tried
several times to create a completely new connection using the wired
adapter but cannot find out how to start any sort of wizard to do that.
When my wireless A/P is working, I can connect wireless just fine, but
when I turn the wireless adapter off and plug in the cable SOMETIMES it
will connect, but it uses the name of my wireless setup on the info
pop-up over the notification icon for my LAN. This doesn't sound right
to me. There should be some way of setting up a wired connection from
scratch.

You don't need the Alternate Configuration if you've assigned static IP
addresses and turned off the Linksys's doing DHCP.

8. What have you already tried?
A load of IPCONFIG commands. rebooting, several times. plugging and
unplugging the cable (connect LED goes on and off + port LED on hub goes
on and off also).

9. Did this ever work? If yes, what changed?
Yes; nothing. Worked last night, but not this AM when turned on (and
rebooted three times)

Possible hardware failure then rather than software. What happens when you
connect the Vista laptop directly to your modem? If nothing, then there may
be a problem with the laptop's NIC.

10. Is the ethernet adapter enabled? Look in Device Manager to be sure.
(Actually this is the first thing you should check but I don't feel like
renumbering my entire reply.)
Device manager shows all is fine - even with "show hidden devices"
enabled. No flags.

There are a couple of things in the Event Viewer, but I'm not sure if
they relate. They are COM+ events though:

QUOTE
The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Launch
permission for the COM Server application with CLSID
{C97FCC79-E628-407D-AE68-A06AD6D8B4D1}
to the user NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM SID (S-1-5-18) from address LocalHost
(Using LRPC). This security permission can be modified using the
Component Services administrative tool.
/QUOTE

I looked up the ClassID and it turns out to be "local launch permission"
for an IPDevice. This could possibly be the culprit. I ran the
Component Services applet and took a look at all the COM items (big
list) but couldn't find any security issues out of order. If there is a
connection between the CLSID and a particular device (without searching
each and every COM device in order) I sure wish I could find it.
Searching the Registry is my only recourse.

If you do a Google search using this search term, "permission settings do
not grant Local Launch permission for the COM Server application" you will
get a lot of links about that error message. I would not go chasing after
it at this point but rather would do the troubleshooting I suggest above
first. If your Vista machine's NIC has died or you are using an old hub or
your router has a problem, solving that will probably resolve the error in
Event Viewer.

Malke

I uninstalled the computer's adapter (NVIDIAnForce 10/100/1000 Adapter) rebooted and re-installed the adapter. Through three reboots now it has connected every time. Each reboot was checked with an online site for access. I intend to see if NVIDIA has any updated or newer drivers for this adapter.

The 'hub' I mentioned is actually a D-Link 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch. It may be two years old, if that.

The router is a Linksys BEFSX41 Firewall Router (with firewall activated). The DSL modem is a SpeedStream 5100 (5-LED model). According to the Linksys site, I have the latest firmware for my router and, I point out, it works just fine with all my other computers (which, in itself, is not a completely valid argument that it is working for the laptop).

I took the laptop downstairs and (with a lot of plugging and unplugging) got it hooked directly to the modem - no connection showing on the laptop. The laptop still claimed that there were no networks available.

Next step: email NVIDIA tech support and see if there are any updated drivers higher than 67.7.6.1 for my network adapter. Their web site is set up totally for video drivers and doesn't show any network adapters in their product list (strange?). I will also check with HP to see if they have any.

GP
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