tcp/ip spontaneoulsy gone in win98 and needs to be re-installed

[acr123]

I have a netgear mr314 router attached to my win98se computer using a netgear network card that works fine. The upstairs computer is Win98 with a wirelss usb netgear card. Every couple of days the tcp/ip is spontaneously gone. I mean I go to control panel- network icon - configuration and the tcp/ip is not assoc with the netgear card. I have to add -- protocol -- microsoft - tcp/ip and then everything works fine. Has anyone ever heard about this. The netgear tech support said it is a win98 tcp/ip stack problem, but did not know how to correct the porblem. Any ideas???

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'd try a couple of things:

1) Install the latest drivers for your network card

2) Download and install DUN 1.4 (dial up networking...which includes a newer TCP stack)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q285189&
Note...get the appropriate one...Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition.

3) Run all WindowsUpdates.

Do you run a new anti-virus software, with the latest definition updates? Some .kak virus variants played with the winsock, which has a relation to TCP.

[acr123]

Thanks for the info. I have run a virus scan between times that the problem has occured so I do not think there is a virus. I have kept up with the windows updates, but i did redownload and install the DUN 1.4 upgrade. I won't know if this works for now since it is an intermittent problem I have.
Are you aware of a Win98 problem that is somehow directly related to this tcp/ip stacks issue that the Netgear tech was referring to.

Thanks,

Al

[RGromlich]

I can't think of any way the router could be causing the disconnect - the router operates on a totally different level in the TCP/IP stack, so you could possibly lose the connection to the ROUTER nut not to the network card.

Another possibility is that something is interfering with the connection (binding) at boot-up. Any new software or hardware installed BEFORE this started happening? Also, Windows can be somewhat "flakey" this way - sometimes ( 1 in 10 times ) the sound chip driver process does not start, or starts in some strange state, so that sound is totally absent or very distorted. This is on my wife's conputer, and sometimes it takes 2 or 3 re-starts to get it right.

The virus thing still sounds most likely, but you might also look at the old thermal intermittant problem - card not totally seated in socket, or some such stupid thing.

DOn't know what else to suggest - I'll think about it.

Roy

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by acr123

Are you aware of a Win98 problem that is somehow directly related to this tcp/ip stacks issue that the Netgear tech was referring to.

Nope...sometimes Windows can act flakey....that happens in general..over time installing drivers, software in and out, etc etc....Windows can get a bit scrambled...that can be in any aspect, networking, sound, video, whatever. Sometimes due to the history of a computer, you're better off doing a format C and re-installing Windows.

Other times upgrading a component can help "heal" a problem...IE downloading and installing the latest DUN for your computer.

Other times yet...completely uninstalling a component...(your NIC, and all networking services such as Client, Adapters, Protocols, and Services)...rebooting....and re-installing a component (which loads it fresh from the cabs files)..can heal a problem.

But some "official problem with Win98 like losing it's TCP stack" like the Netgear guy said....I've never heard of that, and networking is what I do for a living.

[Norm]

Originally posted by YeOldeStonecat
Other times yet...completely uninstalling a component...(your NIC, and all networking services such as Client, Adapters, Protocols, and Services)...rebooting....and re-installing a component (which loads it fresh from the cabs files)..can heal a problem. I agree and use this method quite often on clients PC's.

Remove the nic from device manager, shutdown, remove the nic phiysically, reboot to safe mode and remove anything in device manager related to the nic.
Reboot normally, then shutdown and reinstall the nic (physically)
Then setup the network again from scratch.

Sounds like a lot of work, but it works better than anything else I've tried.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by Norm
I agree and use this method quite often on clients PC's.

Remove the nic from device manager, shutdown, remove the nic phiysically, reboot to safe mode and remove anything in device manager related to the nic.


Good point...I didn't mention the "safe mode Device Manager" trick...to remove any old "ghost" drivers.

Such a good rule of thumb that quite often works for some troublesome problems.