XP Pro will not connect to network

[Spiggsy]

We have been trying, for the second day now, to replace a windows 98 machine on our domain.
The W98 machine connects perfectly fine to the MS SBS2000 server.
When installing a Windows XP machine it either fails at 'acquiring network address' or shows 'Cable Disconnected'.
These XP Machines are currently attached to the network at different locations, and the cable tests okay, along with network cards.

Any ideas ?

All XP are SP2 also.

 

[JFBouchard]

Hi, any firewall enable? Try to disable it (including windows firewall)

Jeff

 

[bcastner]

Cable disconnected is pretty definitive. I honestly think you have a physical plant issue, whether it is the cabling, router port (they do go bad), or the network adapter and drivers.

If the workstations are XP Service Pack 2, you can try this modification or "fix":

. Download and apply this Hotfix. Ignore the fact that it does not sound relevant:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...d2-5034-4bbb-b74d-ad8430a1f7c8&DisplayLang=en

. Now open notepad and copy/paste the below as tcpip_fix.reg :

*** start copy/paste below this line
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\IPSec]
"AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule"=dword:00000002

*** end copy/pasete above this line

Double click tcpip_fix.reg to add to your registry. Reboot, test.

This is not a firewall or OS issue, it is a physical plant issue in all likeliehood.

 

[scpbrock]

Look at the little lights where you plug in your E-thernet cable on the computer. Even without any software installed the LED should be on showing a hardware connection. If no LED then you have a hardware connection problem. Make sure the cable is not a cross-over. Some switches will auto sense other's will not.

 

[rbax]

The newer conputers may be trying to negotiate a network connection starting at 1G or 100 meg and if the wiring does not support it it may not connect you may try setting the connection speed manually to 10 meg or 100 meg and see if it works, I had this a a location that had older wiring cat 4 and the machine would not auto neg a 10 meg connection to a 10/100 hub.
Rick

 

[haga147]

have you look at the NIC in device manager?

 

[Spiggsy]

Rbax, you are spot on. The older Windows 98 machine, however, will connect at 100mps on autosense, however all the XP machines I tried there only work when 10mbps is forced.
The cable is CAT5, and the entire building was done at the same time. Why it chooses not to work 100 on XP is a little mystifying, but at least we have it working now.
Actually ... I say that but the cable does run parallel to a number of 2phase power cables, and is actually zip-tied to them for a run of about 20 feet. I think that's it, but it's staying like that for now as it works.