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Find Answers in the PracticallyNetworked Forums
Up for discussion this week is a look at how to use port
triggering with a Netgear WGR614 for Xbox Live and troubleshooting multiple PCs
connected using XP sharing on a cable modem. Lastly, we take a look at a forum
discussion that offers some excellent step-by-step trouble shooting advice for
connecting to the Internet using Internet Explorer.
The
Practically Networked Forums Spotlight highlights several of the most
active or interesting topics from the more than 27,000 posts in the
Practically Networked forums. From here you can follow the links to each
discussion of interest to offer your own advice, or to ask your own question to our
forum members if you are in need of a little networking assistance.
Practically Networked Forum Statistics
For
January 07, 2008
Threads: 8,114
Posts: 27,468
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December 10, 2007
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This Week's Highlighted Topics
Practically Networked Forums > Practically
Networked > Routers/Hardware
Thread: I
can't use port triggering! ANSWERED /
UNRESOLVED
Forum member Mp11 says that he has
the Netgear WGR614 v6 and frequently uses the Xbox Live. Port triggering is
supposed to work best with the Xbox Live, but Mp11 says that he gets port
forwarding instead.
mp11
I have a Netgear WGR614 v6 router
and I want to change my NAT to open so I can play with my
friends on Xbox Live. It is at strict right now, how do I change
it? I've can't seem to find it anywhere on my router settings
page.
cszeto
Have you consider enabling uPNP on your
Netgear, if it is uPNP capable? uPNP is specifically designed to
eliminate the need for port forwarding and/or triggering with uPNP
enabled devices. This is a Microsoft standard and the Xbox is
also from Microsoft.
mp11
I did enable universal plug and play a
while ago, and I didn't see any difference. Also, Xbox Live
recommends that NAT should be open and not strict. I'll call Netgear
once I get a chance.
cszeto
Practically all SOHO routers are "open
NAT," which means that they allowa all outgoing connections from the
"inside" network. The bigger question is how effective/correct is
their uPNP implementation, since you are trying to get another
Microsoft product to work from inside a NAT network. Microsoft has
released an online router test tool to help determine various SOHO/NAT
router capabilities/attributes detailed here:
This week in the forums our members
assist Muppettry who has two PCs on a network, with a
router hooked to a cable modem. After a cable modem change, PC#2 can see
the 'net and PC#1 can't; but both PCs can see each other.
muppettry
This one's a bit of a mystery: I can't see
anything similar in other threads but please point me to one if this
has been seen before. This is my first post so please excuse (and
correct) any breach of manners.
Summary: I have two PCs on a network, with a router hooked to a
cable modem. After a cable modem change, PC#2 can see the 'net and
PC#1 can't (the problem), but both can see each other. The router is
set up to mimic PC#1. PC#1 can see the 'net if wired directly.
Deeper background: For a year or so I've had two PCs, both running
XP, on a network wired (Ethernet) up to a NETGEAR FWG114P router. The
router was connected to an NTL (now VirginMedia) cable set-top box
(which had built-in
broadband modem). When I installed that, one of the PCs was
originally wired directly to the set-top box to get the cable
connection registered and so on; then I inserted the router between the
PC and the set-top box, mimicked the MAC address, hooked in the
second PC and both ran fine. I have since changed one of the PCs
but it plugged back into the router fine, instant connectivity. No
problems for a year.
I recently broke the cardinal rule of NTL/Virginmedia, which is DON'T
EVER CHANGE ANYTHING, and got in a V+ set-top box. This (I found on
installation day) comes without an internal broadband modem, so
after a couple of broadband-free weeks I have had a broadband cable
modem installed.
cszeto
Based on all your collective
information, it seems like built-in NIC on PC#1 and the Netgear may
be running into "auto detect" line setting issues. The following
thread may apply if this is the case:
The duff NIC is an NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller; on the
Advanced tab in its properties dialog page it has 14 properties of
which one is 'Speed/Duplex settings.' That was set to 'Full
autonegotiation,' I have since tried 'Autonegotiate for 100FD' and
'Force 100FD', and tried combos of the half duplex and 10Mb/s
settings as well. No signs of life.
However — possibly helpful peculiarity — at the moment (in a working
configuration) my 'Network Connections' window shows only two LANs —
the (duff, and now disconnected one, which I'm going to re-disable)
and the new working one; there is no 'Internet Connection' icon.
When I moved my Ethernet cable back across to the duff card for
these tests, the 'Network Connections' window then showed an
'Internet Connection' icon (in the row above the two LAN
connections). Odd that it shows that there's an internet connection
present when there in fact isn't, but when it is actually connected
there is no icon to say so. Does this make any sense?
cszeto
Not sure where you are getting the
"Internet Connection" icon with XP. It typically does not show any
icon of that nature on a "stock" XP system, maybe it's from
something else you have installed (e.g., software from your cable
modem ISP service/package). If the original installation required
any kind of software from your ISP, then it may be what you are
facing.
muppettry
Beats me — it was a fresh installation
as I backed everything up and wiped the hard disk; reinstalled back
from XP basic, up through Service Pack 2 and a hundred minor
updates. Nothing else on there, haven't reinstall any antispyware at
this time and the only firewall is Windows Firewall.
This icon seems to appear as a tease to suggest the connection might
be working 'a bit.' As per one of my early notes, when the
connection wasn't working, "if I go into that connection and disable
Windows Firewall, then the Internet Connection suddenly reappears.
It doesn't seem to make any difference to the lack of connectivity".
I'm still mystified. But thanks for the suggestions — I am now all
working fine so solving the problem is more out of interest than out
of need. Cheers!
In this PracticallyNetworked discussion several
of our forum members discuss the new Windows Home Server (WHS), its benefits,
online reviews, some issues they have encountered, plus add-ins for WHS.
y2ken
I have a rather strange problem. I
cannot connect to the Internet using Internet Explorer. My hardware
is fine as shown in device manager, and my network connection shows
I'm connected. I can receive virus updates and connect to my AIM IM
and I can connect using IE if I boot into 'safe mode with
networking.' Since I can connect using IE in safe mode I assume it's
a driver problem. But how do I isolate it? I've uninstalled every
non essential program I could but still no luck. Any ideas?
JPnyc
What about firewall? Is iexplore.exe
listed as safe? Did you check proxy settings?
y2ken
I checked Windows Firewall and there
wasn't an 'exception' listed for Internet Explorer so I added one.
Still doesn't work. I installed FireFox just to see if it would
connect and it works fine. I'm in the process of downloading (using
Firefox)/reinstalling IE7 now.
slashrose
I guess if you are able to go online in
safe mode with networking, it surely is some third-party software.
Rarely, I've seen issues with Windows Firewall causing the problem.
My suggestion would be to check msconfig for the running
services.
Run --> msconfig --> select "hide all microsoft services"
A list of all 3rd party services will be listed. Disable all of
them, restart and check if you are able to go online in normal mode.
If it works, then disable service one by one to find the culprit,
kill it or configure it properly.
meorah
Repair IE if you're using IE7 by
resetting all Internet settings.
Method to follow if you have Internet Explorer 7:
If you have Internet Explorer 7, you can repair damaged files or
missing registration information in Internet Explorer 7. To do this,
follow these steps:1. Start Internet Explorer 7.
2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
3. On the Advanced tab, click Reset.
4. In the Rest Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, click Reset to
confirm.
Reinstall IE if you're using IE6 by installing the ie.inf file
Method 4: Reinstall Internet Explorer 6 by using the Ie.inf file:
If you already have Windows XP Service
Pack 2 installed, and you do not want to install Internet Explorer
7, you may be able to resolve problems with Internet Explorer 6 by
using the Ie.inf file to reinstall Internet Explorer 6. To do this,
follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%\inf,
and then press Enter.
2. Find the Ie.inf file that is located in Windows\Inf folder.
3. Right-click the Ie.inf file, and then click Install.
4. Restart the computer when the file copy process is complete.
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