Network problem – WinNT

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Old network of WinNT boxes through a hub. One computer was temporarily disconnected from the network, then reattached. Now this computer seems to not be reaching the network.

Cat 5 cable looks fine, even connecting another cable did not help. I opened the box and reseated the internal NIC — it looked fine. I do NOT clearly see lights working on the NIC, although I did not watch it during the entire boot sequence. When restarting the following messages appear:
________

Logon Message
A domain controller for your domain could not be contacted. You have been logged on using cached account information.

C:Program
Cannot find the file ‘C:Program’ (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename…

NetBIOS error 23h!

Service Control Manager
At least one service or driver failed during system startup. Use Event Viewer…
__________

Ping goes nowhere. Tracert goes nowhere. Network properties look fine. IP addresses are normally assigned via DHCP, presently the box has no assignment. Event Viewer shows failure of DHCP.

As best I can tell, the dang thing is just not connecting to the Server — but I don’t know why. My first thought is the NIC, but I don’t see why it would randomly fail after being temporarily unplugged.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated greatly.

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Is the DHCP server still working? It could be that it hasn’t been working for a while but you didn’t notice till you disconnected / reconnected this PC.

StuartR

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Is the DHCP server still working? It could be that it hasn’t been working for a while but you didn’t notice till you disconnected / reconnected this PC.

StuartR

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Because servers are rebooted so infrequently, it’s common for long forgotten system updates to become effective after a reboot, causing unexpected problems. I don’t think there’s any easy way to “roll back” changes on NT, so you’ll just have to struggle forward.

The first message could reflect a TCP/IP problem. The second could relate to almost anything (local Run key, network logon script…). The third is a mystery to me. The fourth sounds all too common.

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All boxes are shut down at night and rebooted in the AM — that includes the server. The DHCP server works on this box, for example, which is on the same network. I can release and renew — and I am given a viable IP address.

The third message (thank you for looking at them all) is issued by the program that is used on all the boxes — and I believe the program uses NetBEUI or NetBIOS to communicate.

Is there a way to interogate the NIC??

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This feels more like a cable, NIC or Hub fault than a software configuration problem, can you swap the NIC, Cable and Port with another system?

You could also try assigning a hard coded IP address and gateway to this system, that will tell us if we have a DHCP problem or a general network problem.

StuartR

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This feels more like a cable, NIC or Hub fault than a software configuration problem, can you swap the NIC, Cable and Port with another system?

You could also try assigning a hard coded IP address and gateway to this system, that will tell us if we have a DHCP problem or a general network problem.

StuartR

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All of the below are without the quotes.
Type in “ipconfig” and see what happens
Next type in “ping 127.0.0.1” what do you get?
Next type in “ping” followed by the ip address from the ipconfig. Information earlier.
Let us know.

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Ping to “local host” works fine. There is no IP address assigned under ipconfig — because there was never any contact with the DHCP server. No address was assigned. Pings and Tracert to anything “outside” come back Destination Host Unreachable (ICMP 3:1 = the router one hop before the desired host could not ARP the host).

Ah… but you made me think. There is also no DHCP server identified!! Neither is the Gateway.
I will try to assign both of these and see what happens. For the record, here is the raw data:
___________

Tracing route to 123.123.123.123 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 Destination host unreachable.
__________

Pinging 123.123.123.123 with 32 bytes of data:

Destination host unreachable.
Destination host unreachable.
Destination host unreachable.
Destination host unreachable.
__________

Pinging 127.0.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
__________

Windows NT IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : user4-nt
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 198.6.1.4, 198.6.1.5, 198.6.1.3
Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : Yes

Ethernet adapter SMCPWRII1:

Description . . . . . . . . : SMC EtherPower II 10/100
Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-E0-29-11-20-95
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . : 192.168.254.2
_________________________________________________

NOTE: from a working computer nearby:

Windows NT IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : user3-nt
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 198.6.1.4, 198.6.1.5, 198.6.1.3
Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

Ethernet adapter El90x2:

Description . . . . . . . . : 3Com 3C90x Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-50-04-AD-4A-60
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.202
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 16, 2004 4:41:27 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 16, 2004 5:41:27 PM
________________________

Thank you for getting me to remember to look at this. Hopefully I am on to something.

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Hmmm… I can modify the registry and assign the DHCP server and even the gateway address. When I try to Release the lease, it correctly points out that I don’t have one (OK, I am at least happy to see that it works correctly!)

But, if I try to Renew a lease, I am told that it cannot connect to the DHCP server. I verified that at least one light is on on the NIC — therefore it is likely working. But, it still seems to me as if there is something wrong with the connection…

Oh, once I assigned a bogus IP address and then I was able to attempt to ping the Gateway and DHCP server — but the request times out. Again, looking like a connection issue. Man, it is time to call in the professionals — I don’t have time for this!!

Reply | Quote

Hmmm… I can modify the registry and assign the DHCP server and even the gateway address. When I try to Release the lease, it correctly points out that I don’t have one (OK, I am at least happy to see that it works correctly!)

But, if I try to Renew a lease, I am told that it cannot connect to the DHCP server. I verified that at least one light is on on the NIC — therefore it is likely working. But, it still seems to me as if there is something wrong with the connection…

Oh, once I assigned a bogus IP address and then I was able to attempt to ping the Gateway and DHCP server — but the request times out. Again, looking like a connection issue. Man, it is time to call in the professionals — I don’t have time for this!!

Reply | Quote

Ping to “local host” works fine. There is no IP address assigned under ipconfig — because there was never any contact with the DHCP server. No address was assigned. Pings and Tracert to anything “outside” come back Destination Host Unreachable (ICMP 3:1 = the router one hop before the desired host could not ARP the host).

Ah… but you made me think. There is also no DHCP server identified!! Neither is the Gateway.
I will try to assign both of these and see what happens. For the record, here is the raw data:
___________

Tracing route to 123.123.123.123 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 Destination host unreachable.
__________

Pinging 123.123.123.123 with 32 bytes of data:

Destination host unreachable.
Destination host unreachable.
Destination host unreachable.
Destination host unreachable.
__________

Pinging 127.0.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
__________

Windows NT IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : user4-nt
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 198.6.1.4, 198.6.1.5, 198.6.1.3
Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : Yes

Ethernet adapter SMCPWRII1:

Description . . . . . . . . : SMC EtherPower II 10/100
Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-E0-29-11-20-95
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . : 192.168.254.2
_________________________________________________

NOTE: from a working computer nearby:

Windows NT IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : user3-nt
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 198.6.1.4, 198.6.1.5, 198.6.1.3
Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

Ethernet adapter El90x2:

Description . . . . . . . . : 3Com 3C90x Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-50-04-AD-4A-60
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.202
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 16, 2004 4:41:27 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 16, 2004 5:41:27 PM
________________________

Thank you for getting me to remember to look at this. Hopefully I am on to something.

Reply | Quote

All of the below are without the quotes.
Type in “ipconfig” and see what happens
Next type in “ping 127.0.0.1” what do you get?
Next type in “ping” followed by the ip address from the ipconfig. Information earlier.
Let us know.

Reply | Quote

All boxes are shut down at night and rebooted in the AM — that includes the server. The DHCP server works on this box, for example, which is on the same network. I can release and renew — and I am given a viable IP address.

The third message (thank you for looking at them all) is issued by the program that is used on all the boxes — and I believe the program uses NetBEUI or NetBIOS to communicate.

Is there a way to interogate the NIC??

Reply | Quote

Because servers are rebooted so infrequently, it’s common for long forgotten system updates to become effective after a reboot, causing unexpected problems. I don’t think there’s any easy way to “roll back” changes on NT, so you’ll just have to struggle forward.

The first message could reflect a TCP/IP problem. The second could relate to almost anything (local Run key, network logon script…). The third is a mystery to me. The fourth sounds all too common.

Reply | Quote

My money would be on the NIC or its driver – that “Cannot find the file ‘C:Program’ “ looks mighty suspicious….

Reply | Quote

My money would be on the NIC or its driver – that “Cannot find the file ‘C:Program’ “ looks mighty suspicious….

Reply | Quote