wierd - Internet ok, network inaccessible?

[fishmahn]

The last couple days have been... interesting... (as in the curse - may you live in interesting times).

One of our PCs keeps loosing the network. Internet works fine, I can ping the router, server, other PC's, DNS servers, websites, etc., AOL (Hissss) works fine, IE too. But it can't see the domain or any server shares. It could Wed., but not Thurs or today. Unattach and reattach cables, repair connections, reboot, reassign to the domain, etc., all to no avail. Also tried both DHCP and manual addressing. System Restore to Wed AM's restore point and its fine (McAffee needed updating, but that's ok) for the day. Get in the next AM, same problem. Restore to Wed's restore point and update McAffee, and its ok. Came back later, same problem again.

Since I'm going on vacation next week, I created a new restore point (while it was working) for the user to use in case it happens while I'm gone, and that restore point doesn't work, but Wed's still does.

When it's not working, the basic error message is the same 'Incorrect Function'. The rest depends on whether I'm clicking a link to the share, joining the domain, mapping a drive letter, etc. "Domain is not accessible. You might not have permission to... Incorrect function" "The mapped network drive could not be created because the following error has occurred: The network location cannot be reached" "Your computer could not be joined to the domain because the following error has occurred: Incorrect function"

After I come back, I will probably reformat/reinstall XP, but if anyone has any ideas before then, I'd love to hear them.

Mike.

Edit: Topology: NT4 domain, mostly XP clients. This one is a P4/3.0ghz Prescott, 512MB, 80gig SATA, onboard graphics, XP/SP2, McAffee AV/Firewall. 100mbit switch to all PC's & server, Linksys router to ADSL. DHCP enabled on the linksys for visitors, but all office PCs are manually configured (no address overlap). Still using WINS for server resolution (NT4 has been installed for many years, too lazy to change while it still works).

<font color=blue>Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside the dog its too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx</font color=blue><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by fishmahn on 09/23/05 12:02 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[riser]

Delete the WINS entry and let it recreate, might be your problem there. If the entry isn't being recreated in WINS, it'll keep giving the same problem.

That's my only guess as to your problem since that's the only thing that might be static in puling off the domain and getting put back on.

 

[fishmahn]

Tried that this AM, and it was recreated at the server, but it still can't connect to shares. :frown:

Office is closed Tue & Wed this week (Rosh Hashanah), but Thu AM I'm going to reformat/reinstall and hope that fixes it. I can't see it being anything other than a software/configuration issue, so that should fix it. (I hope)

Mike.

<font color=blue>Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside the dog its too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx</font color=blue>

 

[riser]

Didn't realize you were using DNS also. You'll want to delete it out of WINS and DNS.

You can ping the server but you can't connect to a share? Usename/password is correct and has right ACL rights?

 

[fishmahn]

Hmmm, I don't think I'm using DNS too... (DNS settings point to the ISP DNS server). I tried the user's login, my login and the administrator login, all with the same results. I assume the ACL records are good since all 3 logins work from other workstations. It also couldn't log into the domain. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting to the domain (change to workgroup "Workgroup", then back to the domain, and it couldn't connect.

Anyways... I reformatted/reinstalled and its working, but I'm still corn-fused as to why it stopped.

<font color=blue>Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside the dog its too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx</font color=blue>