Will Stephenson wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I have a client who has a 2 year old Dell with Win2K installed on a peer to
> peer network. This machine has had issues since the day it arrived, but it
> is useable. Here's the latest:
>
> On a reboot (or cold start), the machine boots up fine to the desktop (and
> just before I can see the momentary flash of the connection made to a mapped
> network drive). After maybe 10 seconds at the desktop, the hourglass
> disappears and all seems wonderful. Two anomalies: the network connection
> icon in the system tray is not there, and the Norton AV (2002) auto protect
> is disabled (though in the system tray, it looks fine - no red X through the
> icon). All local programs work fine. However, I cannot access the network -
> more or less. When I click on Network Neighborhood, the status bar shows the
> correct number of objects, but the window is blank and the "program" says it
> is not responding. Attempting to access the *bad* computer from another on
> the network brings up an error message of access denied.  And here's the fun
> part: after around 4 minutes after the desktop comes up, the network icon
> shows up in the system tray, and EVERYTHING works as it is supposed to.
> Norton's? I have to open the program and, poof, auto protect is back on.
>
> This happens whether I jump up and down, change settings, open programs,
> etc. It just takes 4 minutes to get going correctly (maybe it's just
> sleepy?).
>
> I would greatly appreciate any suggestions anyone might have. Please let me
> know if you need more information. Thanks!
>
> Will Stephenson
> Acadia Technologies Inc.
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> The obvious is never obvious until someone tells you.
>
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>
Maybe this info will help - maybe it won't - but have a read. We were
installing our software on a customer's W2K computers and using a
reversed (null-modem type) Cat-5 cable (not a straight-thru) to connect
it to a Digibox port server. We could never 'see' the port server from
the computer. Hooking up our own portables with W2K didn't help. After a
frustrating day of trying to track down the problem, I called Digibox (a
very reputable company). After sever techs tried to help, I was talking
with a chief tech who then asked what OS was the computer using? When I
said W2K, her immediate reply was hook up the computer to the port
server using a hub/switch and straight cables, not null-modem cables.
Seems there is a little bug with W2K that if it senses a problem of any
kind when it has a null-modem cable connected to its NIC connection, it
automatically drops off the interconnect and disables the NIC with no
warning (usually the NIC icon in the system tray disappears). According
to her, this little fact has caused untold problems. So after buying
some cheap switches and straight Cat-5 cables, all of their computers
worked without further problems.

Jean Bourvic

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