Topic: Unexplained client disconnection

[Dave]

I have had SME 5.6 flawlessly serving a small (8 clients, 7 WinXP, 1 W98se) peer to peer network for some time now (months). Recently, we moved location to a new office. Since then, the W98 client is disconnected by SME after only a few minutes and only a re-boot will allow reconnection (another few minutes). There were no config changes made at any point and I'm struggling to track this one down.

Anyone have any suggestions or advice?

Thanks

[dave]

Dave,

I don't have a specific solution to your problem but I have had a similar issue occationally with a Win2K client.  To keep from having to reboot, I will open a command window and issue ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew.  This resets all the network params according to the DHCP settings and I can communicate with the network again.  

On Win98, I think you need to use winipcfg.  That should show you a gui interface with certain options available, click release all and then renew all.

Not a solution but may allow your user to get back into the network without having to reboot.

Dave

[Michael Smith]

Sounds like a cabling problem or loose connection somewhere.

[Dave]

Winipcfg is a little complicated for the user of the problem workstation.
I'll keep trying. Thanks Dave.

Michael, its not a loose connection because I can still ping the server when the mapped drive is no longer available or able to be re-mapped.

[Ray Mitchell]

Dave wrote:
> Michael, its not a loose connection because I can still ping
> the server when the mapped drive is no longer available or
> able to be re-mapped.

But Dave, loose connections are exactly that, loose one moment OK the next, loose the next, OK the next  !!!

Connect your win98 box using a different LAN cable and plug it into a different wall outlet, so that the whole cable run from NIC socket to hub is different, and then see if it still happens.

Regs
Ray

[Michael Smith]

For me, the key phrase here is "Recently, we moved location to a new office ..." because the computers don't care where they physically are but they DO care about good physical connections.  As well as trying a different cable you might also try re-seating the NIC in the problem workstation or temporarily hooking it up at another station that has a known good connection.

I'm not a big believer in coincidence when it comes to moving computers around.  If it worked before, and it doesn't work now -- and the time correlation is exact -- something is wrong at the hardware level.

[Dave]

I'm with you all the way Michael. I realize I may be missing the obvious while looking for something too complex. We DID actually have trouble with the "cable guy"

I'm only there once a fortnight, but will certainly persue this avenue on return

Thanks for the wake up call.

[Dave]

BTW, that was for you too Ray!

Dave