Internet connections lost/ not receiving packets

I'm hoping someone can help me with *several* issues I've had in the
last day with our internet connections. Both are Dell laptops, both
running windows xp.

I was trying to install a lexmark print server on our network
yesterday. Long story short, it used to work and I had to reformat, so
I was reinstalling.

I was able to install and get it to work after running the network
wizard. My laptop is docked and has a wired (and wireless) connection
through a linksys router. I was still able to access the internet
through the wired connection. Then the other laptop started having
connection issues. After a router/modem reset, the 2nd laptop was able
to connect to the network, with only a 1mbps speed (it should be 54).
It began getting error messages saying there was an IP conflict on the
network.

I figured it was the print server; so I uninstalled the printer and
disconnected the server. Still had the connection problem. I tried a
DHCP release/renew. Both laptops were able to connect to the network
but no packets were received. I tried changing the WEP encryption to
WPA, no change. I removed everything from the network bridge, no
change. The only way I could connect was through the wired connection
if the wireless was disabled. After looking online, I tried a winsock
fix, removed all encryption and suddenly neither wireless nor wired
connections worked.

I renabled WEP, reset the modem, reset the router and restarted. The
wireless connection was able to connect, but no packets received. I
tried repairing the network bridges again, this time, the wireless
connection gave me an error message that it could not renew the IP
address. I tried another DHCP release/renew, reset and restart. Now
nothing works. No wired connections/no wireless connections -
everything says it's connected, everything is marked "obtain IP
automatically" and I've removed everything from the network bridge and
removed the network entirely. All I get is the windows DNS error
message in explorer when I try to access the internet. I've tried to
ping the IP addresses and all of the packets are lost.

I don't know what else to try but start over from scratch... I'd like
to be able to install the print server again, so I'd like to be able to
network both computers.

Help? I hope I've provided enough detail. I could really use
assistance on this. Thanks.

jhegan@gmail.com

Hi

It is not clear how an installation of a printer server led to this
"Armageddon".

However at the moment I think you should start from scratch.

Put only one computer on the Router, and make sure that it is working with a
Wire connection so that you have a solid access to the Router.

Next put the second computer when the second computer works correctly try
again the Printer server.

As far as the printer server goes configure it with a static IP that is out
(but the same subnet) as the DHCP server of the Router.

As an example, if the DHCP is set to 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.10 put the
printer server on 192.168.1.20

When every thing is working well deal with the Wireless.

To check the Network settings of an individual computer.

Step One. Check the Network parameters in the Computer's Device Manager.
Make sure that the Network Card drivers are installed correctly; i.e. there
is No IRQ conflict, and No Ghost installation.
http://www.ezlan.net/faq#ghost

Step Two. Verify Basic network setting in the OS:
http://www.ezlan.net/Installing#verify If the above two Steps indicates that
every thing looks good but functionally it does not work.

Step Three. Check (and repair if necessary) the Socket Layers, Winsock, and
or refresh the TCP/IP Stack. http://www.ezlan.net/clean#refreshnet

If need to Reinstall; Log to this page it have a lot of links to
instructions for Windows Network
Installation -http://www.ezlan.net/Installing.html

Jack (MVP-Networking).



<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> I'm hoping someone can help me with *several* issues I've had in the
> last day with our internet connections. Both are Dell laptops, both
> running windows xp.
>
> I was trying to install a lexmark print server on our network
> yesterday. Long story short, it used to work and I had to reformat, so
> I was reinstalling.
>
> I was able to install and get it to work after running the network
> wizard. My laptop is docked and has a wired (and wireless) connection
> through a linksys router. I was still able to access the internet
> through the wired connection. Then the other laptop started having
> connection issues. After a router/modem reset, the 2nd laptop was able
> to connect to the network, with only a 1mbps speed (it should be 54).
> It began getting error messages saying there was an IP conflict on the
> network.
>
> I figured it was the print server; so I uninstalled the printer and
> disconnected the server. Still had the connection problem. I tried a
> DHCP release/renew. Both laptops were able to connect to the network
> but no packets were received. I tried changing the WEP encryption to
> WPA, no change. I removed everything from the network bridge, no
> change. The only way I could connect was through the wired connection
> if the wireless was disabled. After looking online, I tried a winsock
> fix, removed all encryption and suddenly neither wireless nor wired
> connections worked.
>
> I renabled WEP, reset the modem, reset the router and restarted. The
> wireless connection was able to connect, but no packets received. I
> tried repairing the network bridges again, this time, the wireless
> connection gave me an error message that it could not renew the IP
> address. I tried another DHCP release/renew, reset and restart. Now
> nothing works. No wired connections/no wireless connections -
> everything says it's connected, everything is marked "obtain IP
> automatically" and I've removed everything from the network bridge and
> removed the network entirely. All I get is the windows DNS error
> message in explorer when I try to access the internet. I've tried to
> ping the IP addresses and all of the packets are lost.
>
> I don't know what else to try but start over from scratch... I'd like
> to be able to install the print server again, so I'd like to be able to
> network both computers.
>
> Help? I hope I've provided enough detail. I could really use
> assistance on this. Thanks.
>

Jack \(MVP-Networking\).