Q104322: How to Troubleshoot WFWG Network Connection Problems
Article: Q104322
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s): 3.1,3.11
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 22-FEB-2002
3.10
WINDOWS
kbnetwork kb3rdparty kbtshoot kbsetup
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11
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SUMMARY
=======
In a Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or 3.11 network, hardware- and
software-related problems can cause one or more computers to lose the ability to
browse or communicate with other computers. These problems range from no network
functionality at all to random errors when transmitting data across the
network.
This article provides troubleshooting steps that you can use to diagnose and
resolve workstation communication problems in a Windows for Workgroups network.
Note that troubleshooting communication problems is not always a
straight-forward process. If one of the procedures outlined below doesn't work,
go on to the next until the problem is fixed. To increase your knowledge of the
major issues, you may want to read this entire article before you proceed. (This
may also reduce the time needed to solve the problem.)
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
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Before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps, consider the following:
- Has this configuration ever worked before, or did this just start happening?
If it just started, what has changed between the time this configuration was
working and the time it stopped working?
- Has new hardware, cabling, or software been added? If this new addition is
removed, does the problem go away?
- Is this problem occurring on one computer, several, or all of them? If the
problem is happening on all computers, it may be cabling or connector
related. If the problem is happening on only one or a few computers, it may
be software or hardware related.
- Is the connection to the computer active? (If the card has transmit/ receive
data lights, are they blinking?)
IMPORTANT: Make backup copies of the following system configuration files before
doing any troubleshooting:
CONFIG.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT
PROTOCOL.INI
SYSTEM.INI
WIN.INI
TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS
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Check Setup and Startup:
1. Check for any error messages while the computer is booting. To prevent error
messages from scrolling off the screen, place a PAUSE statement at the
beginning and the end of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
2. Verify that the computer you are trying to view is in 386 enhanced mode and
has sharing enabled. To check this, open Control Panel, choose Network, and
make sure the Sharing Enabled box is selected.
3. If this is a new network (that is, another network was NOT previously used),
verify that the network card settings in the Network dialog box of Control
Panel are correct.
If Windows for Workgroups was installed over Windows 3.1 and another network
(such as Novell NetWare), it is possible that the Windows for Workgroups
Setup program did not detect the previous network, which may be conflicting
with Windows for Workgroups. You probably need to remove changes the previous
network made to Windows configuration files (primarily the SYSTEM.INI file).
4. Run CHKDSK on the drive where Windows is installed. If Windows system files
are corrupted, Windows is unstable and may need to be reinstalled. If CHKDSK
shows errors, repair the errors by running CHKDSK with the /F parameter or by
using a disk utility to repair the files on the hard disk drive. If there is
data corruption, it may be necessary to reinstall Windows for Workgroups.
5. Clean boot each computer (that is, load only those drivers necessary to start
the computer). For more information about performing a clean boot, query on
the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
wfwg and clean boot
Browse Other Machines:
Attempt to view other computers on the network in File Manager. Choose the
Connect Net Drive button or choose Connect Net Drive from the Disk menu, and
type the computer name preceded by two backslashes, for example
\\<computername>
in the Path box, and then press ENTER.
If you can view other computers on the network by manually entering computer
names but you cannot view these computers during normal operations, consider the
following possible causes:
- A "browse server" may not have been selected on the network. In Windows for
Workgroups, a computer that maintains a list of Workgroups servers is
selected. Sometimes this takes from 5 to 15 minutes to establish. If no
browse server exists, you cannot browse servers on the network. Wait a few
minutes and try again.
If the local workstation name (but no other computer name) appears in the Show
Shared Directories On dialog box, the network card is probably configured
correctly, but the problem may be in the network cabling or the other
computer's network card configuration.
The following possible cause applies to only Windows for Workgroup version 3.1
(all previous and following information applies to Windows for Workgroup version
3.1 and 3.11):
- The entry for VBROWSE.386 may not be on the network= line in the [386Enh]
section of the SYSTEM.INI file, or VBROWSE.386 may be missing from the
Windows SYSTEM directory, or VBROWSE.386 may be corrupted. If the network=
line is missing, use a text editor (such as Windows Notepad) to add the
following to the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI:
network=VBROWSE.386
If necessary, reinstall the VBROWSE.386 file in the Windows SYSTEM
subdirectory.
Check Cabling:
Make sure the network cabling is connected to both the computer you are using AND
the computer you are trying to communicate with. Most network problems are
caused by faulty cabling and/or connectors.
Check the cabling and connectors on each workstation. If the network is using
Thin Ethernet, connect two computers with a single cable, T- connectors, and
terminators that are known to work properly. If the network is using
twisted-pair (RJ-45) cable, you must use a HUB or concentrator. Windows for
Workgroups does not support direct connections of RJ-45 cable between computers.
This check isolates possible cabling and/or connector problems that may not be
clearly visible.
NOTE: It may also be necessary to reroute network cabling away from sources of
electrical interference (such as fluorescent lights).
If the network topology is 10Base2 (Thin Ethernet or Thinwire), place a 50 Ohm
terminator on the network card. If the local computer name now appears in the
Show Shared Directories On dialog box (but not when the regular cabling is
attached), some type of cabling and/or connector problem exists.
Examples include an electrical short in the cabling, improper termination, and
using the wrong type of cabling. Check to ensure that each computer's T-
connector is secured on each network card, that 50 Ohm terminators are at each
end of the network, and that RG-58 cabling (not RG-59 or RG-62) is being used.
If the local computer name does not appear in the Show Shared Directories On
dialog box, the problem is with the local network card's configuration (either
hardware or software). (Refer to "Test the Network Card," later in this
article.)
If your wiring is 10Base2 (Thin Ethernet), a quick test to see if the cabling is
the problem is to remove the T-connector and place a terminator directly on the
BNC connector on the network card. If doing so causes the machine to be able to
"see itself" in File Manager, the problem is most likely with the existing
cabling.
If placing a terminator on the network card doesn't identify the problem (or your
cabling is other than 10Base2), try the following steps:
1. Change the IRQ and/or I/O address that the network card is using.
To do so with software-configurable network cards:
a. Open Control Panel, then choose the Network icon.
b. Choose Adapters, then choose Setup.
c. Select a different IRQ and/or I/O address. You may need to try several
selections if you do not know what your other hardware is configured to
use.
2. Reinstall the network card drivers as follows:
a. Clean boot your system. To do this, remove the Windows for Workgroups
network drivers and any unnecessary entries from the CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT files. For more information about a clean boot, query on the
following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
wfwg and clean boot
b. Rename the PROTOCOL.INI file, which is usually in the Windows directory
unless you are using disk-compression software. If disk- compression
software (such as SuperStor) is used, the PROTOCOL.INI file should be in
the root directory.
c. Restart the computer and start Windows for Workgroups. You will receive at
least one error message about the network drivers being loaded; this is to
be expected.
d. In Control Panel, choose Network, then choose Adapters. The list of
Currently Installed Adapters should be blank. Choose Add and select your
network card from the list that appears.
NOTE: If the network card is hardware-configurable (with jumpers or DIP
switches), the settings on this screen need to match the actual settings
of the jumpers or switches on the card, unless they say "Automatic or
unused."
If the card is software-configurable, you may need to select a different
IRQ, I/O Address, or RAM Address to resolve a connectivity problem. For
example, some disk controllers come configured using I/O 300h, which is
also the default for some network cards.
e. Restart the computer and attempt to communicate with other computers on
the network as described in "Browse Other Machines" above.
3. Check the SYSTEM.INI file for the following lines and remark them out if they
exist. To remark out a line from the SYSTEM.INI file, place a semicolon (;)
at the beginning of the line.
InDOSPolling=True
TimerCriticalSection=<any value>
V86ModeLanas=<any value>
4. Rebuild the Windows startup files (WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI). For more
information about rebuilding the SYSTEM.INI file, query on the following
words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
system.sr_ and wfw
To rebuild the default WIN.INI file, expand WIN.SR_ from Windows for
Workgroups Disk 3. To do this, place Disk 3 in a floppy disk drive, type the
following, and press ENTER:
c:\windows>expand x:win.sr_ -r
If Windows for Workgroups is still not working after you complete the steps
above, and it has worked previously, the next step is to reinstall Windows for
Workgroups in another directory.
Reinstalling Windows for Workgroups in a clean directory should restore the
configuration to the point at which it was working when first installed. When
you start the Windows for Workgroups Setup program, choose Custom Setup, and
enter a new directory name, such as C:\WFWTEST.
If Windows for Workgroups still is not working correctly, it is most likely that
some type of problem with your cabling, connectors, or network card exists.
Test the Real Mode Redirector:
The following test uses the Windows for Workgroups network components to generate
a NetBIOS name conflict on the network (each computer must have a unique
computer name on the network). To do this test, set two computers to the same
computer name and check to see if an error message is generated. If an error
message is displayed, the computers are communicating. If no error occurs, a
hardware problem exists on the network.
1. To change the computer name, do one of the following:
- Change the value for Computername in the Network dialog box of Control
Panel.
-or-
- Edit the SYSTEM.INI file and change the setting for ComputerName= in the
[Network] section to the name of another computer.
2. Reboot the computer, then start the real mode redirector by typing the
following at the MS-DOS command prompt:
net start workstation
3. The following error should appear:
LANA 0 reported error 52: A duplicate workgroup or computer name exists on
the network.
For information about LANA numbers, type NET HELP 3280.
If the error message is displayed, the two computers are communicating.
If the error message is not displayed, a hardware problem exists with one or
more of the following:
- The network card configuration is incorrect on one or more of the
computers (hardware, input/output, IRQ, UMB conflict, and so on).
- One or more of the network cards is malfunctioning.
- There is some problem with the cabling or connectors. This could be an
electrical short; interference; or a cable, connector, or terminator that
is not the correct specification for your network.
To troubleshoot shorts and interference problems, either test the cabling with
a testing device, or replace it with cables and connectors that are known to
work correctly.
For more information about cable and connector specifications, query on the
following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
wfw and lan and cable and specifications
4. Change the computer name back to its original, unique name.
5. Restart the computer. Start the real mode redirector by typing the following
at the MS-DOS command prompt:
net start workstation
6. Try to view another computer (which must be in Windows for Workgroups 386
enhanced mode) by typing the following:
net view \\<computername>
If you can communicate with other computers using the real mode redirector,
the problem may be related to an upper memory block (UMB) conflict, a
hardware conflict, or a virtual device driver (VxD) that is interfering with
Windows for Workgroups.
7. If you can view another computer's shared resources using the real mode
redirector, type the following to stop the real mode redirector:
net stop
If the problem still occurs, use the WIN /D:X switch, as described in the next
section.
Use the WIN /D:X Switch:
1. Start Windows for Workgroups by typing the following at the MS-DOS command
prompt:
win /d:x
2. Try to view other computers in File Manager.
If using the WIN /D:X switch corrects the problem, the network card's memory
address needs to be excluded with a UMB provider (such as EMM386.EXE) or by
adding an "EMMEXCLUDE=memoryaddress" (without the quotation marks) to the
[386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file. For example, if your network uses a
UMA address from C800-CFFF, add the following line to the [386Enh] section of
your SYSTEM.INI file:
EMMExclude=C800-CFFF
If using WIN /D:X doesn't allow you to view any other computers in File
Manager, but you could view other computers when you quit Windows and started
the real mode redirector, the problem may be caused by one of the following:
- An IRQ, DMA channel, I/O, or RAM address conflict exists between the
network card and another hardware device.
-or-
- The settings in the Network dialog box of Control Panel do not match the
actual hardware settings on the network card.
Change the Network Card Settings:
To change the IRQ, DMA, I/O, and/or RAM address settings, proceed as follows:
1. Open Control Panel, and choose the Network icon.
2. Choose Adapters, then choose Setup.
3. Select a different setting (or the actual hardware setting) for your network
card.
4. With some network cards, you must also change jumpers or switch settings on
the card to match the settings in Control Panel. For information about
configuring jumpers and switches on your network card, check the
documentation that came with the card, or contact your network card
manufacturer.
5. Save your changes and exit Control Panel.
NOTE: If you cannot start Windows to open Control Panel, edit the PROTOCOL.INI
file and change the settings for Interrupt=, RamAddress=, DMAChannel=, and
IOBase= to unused values (for software-configurable cards) or to the actual
hardware settings (for hardware-configurable cards).
When you change hardware settings (such as IRQ and I/O addresses) on
software-configurable network cards (such as the Intel EtherExpress 16), you
must either quit Windows, turn the computer completely off, and then restart it,
or select the Restart Computer option in Windows for the new settings to take
effect.
Test the Network Card Drivers:
Run the Maintenance Mode of Windows for Workgroups Setup program to reinstall the
network card drivers.
If reinstalling the network card drivers does not enable the local computer to
"see itself" in File Manager or view other computers on the network using the
real mode redirector, there are several other possible causes:
- The correct Media Access Control (MAC) network card driver is not being used.
If the card is emulating another card (such as the NE2000), it may be
necessary to change jumpers or switches on the card to allow the driver to
work properly. For more information about configuring the network card and
obtaining updated drivers, contact your network card manufacturer.
- The card may be in a slot that is functioning incorrectly. To verify this,
try putting the network card in another slot in the computer or install the
network card in another computer to determine if the card itself is
defective.
- The network card may be malfunctioning. Try using a different network card or
run diagnostic tests that may have come with the card.
- The bus speed on the computer may be too fast for the network card. Most
network cards are designed to work at ISA (8.33 mHz) bus speed; setting the
bus speed any faster may cause unreliable performance.
The bus speed setting is usually changed in the computer's CMOS setup. Try
lowering the computer's bus speed if intermittent problems occur.
- There may be a bad or missing connection. Some network cards, such as the
Intel EtherExpress 16, come with a utility that checks the integrity of
wiring and connectors between two computers. If one of these utilities is
available, use it to determine whether or not the two computers are
physically connected. (Refer to the "Use a Network Card Diagnostic Test"
section below.)
Use a Network Card Diagnostic Test:
You can run a diagnostic test on the network card to ensure it is functioning
correctly. Some network card diagnostic programs can also test communication
between computers and the network (this tests the card and the cabling). If this
test works, then Windows for Workgroups should also work, provided the correct
drivers are being used. If this low-level test does not allow two network cards
to communicate, some type of hardware problem exists with a network card, the
cabling, or the connectors. Contact your hardware vendor if either the network
card diagnostic test or the network test fails.
NOTE: If you have the Windows for Workgroups Resource Kit, you can use the
NETSTAT program included with the kit. This program tests (from MS-DOS or
Windows) the status of a remote network card. This requires that the correct
network card drivers be loaded on each network card and (at least) the real mode
redirector be started on each computer.
If you have Intel EtherExpress network cards (which come with the Windows for
Workgroups Starter and User Kits), you can use the SOFTSET utility available
from the Intel bulletin board service [BBS]) to troubleshoot both the network
card, as well as test the integrity of the network cabling (with the Test
Network option).
If your network card is not on the supported network card list, you may want to
contact the network card manufacturer for information on the correct emulation
or for an updated Media Access Control (MAC) network card driver. The
manufacturer may also have information on jumpers and switches that may need to
be reconfigured for a particular emulation mode, for example NE2000 emulation.
For more information about diagnosing problems with your network card or cabling,
contact your hardware vendor.
Additional query words: tshoot 3.10
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Keywords :
Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWFWSearch kbWFW310 kbWFW311
Version : :3.1,3.11
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