IT Queries: Computer problems answered

My operating system is Windows XP and my ISP is Chariot/Picknowl dialup. When I try to use dial-up connection I receive “Error 720″ message.

A friend of mine said it could be something to do with loss of a registry key? It seems to have occurred since I turned on Windows Update to automatically download updates.

Do I have to re format drive by saving my files and inserting Windows XP disc, or is there an easier way.

Any suggestions?

Your problem has come from a moden driver upgrade that’s messed up your network settings. Thankfully you won’t have to reinstall anything.

To fix it, click Start, Run and type CMD.

At the command box type netsh winsock reset catalog

This will reset your network settings back to normal and your dial up connection should work.

Note if you have a firewall or all in one security program this command might cause some problems and if that’s the case, you should call for some IT assistance.

I have been transferred from mumbai to kochi. In mumbai i was using a broadband connection on LAN which was perfectly fine.

On shifting to kochi i got a new connection of Asianet on LAN. But LAN is not getting connected although USB from modem is connecting.

I am suspecting some problem with IP Adress set up- as the data is going in through LAN port but not sent back(showing in status).please help…

This question’s a bit confusing as you mention a LAN and USB connection. You need to be using one or the other, not both for your Internet connection. So the first step is to unplug the USB and restart your computer.

If the LAN still isn’t connecting. You may need to force the IP address to change, do this by clicking Start, Run and type ipconfig /renew then click OK.

There are some other settings you can change on your network card which we describe in our Slow Copying to a Vista Computer article. You may want to try setting the LAN connection to 100/duplex rather than Automatic.

Can I connect a computer with windows XP home to a small business server network?

You can however you won’t be able to use the Active Directory features. The practical consequence of this is you’ll be prompted for passwords whenever you want to use network resources like shared drives, Exchange mailboxes and printers.

There are many more reasons than that to use an XP Professional system on a business network as taking advantage of Active Directory gives you a vast range of mainentance and security features.

Connecting an XP Home system is fine for one off or occasional  use, however its not recommended if you’re intending to use the computer as an office system.

To set it up, just enter the domain name of the network as the workgroup name and choose a name for the system that doesn’t conflict with anything already on the network and it should work fine.

Remember the user name you log in as needs to be listed in the Windows Server account manager or you won’t be able to connect.

I want to buy a router so I can access internet on my laptop at home while my wife is on main computer. There are so many out there and I am so confused as to which one to buy?  What about security?

Generally the best thing to do is to buy a router through your Internet provider. While you will pay more than from your local computer store, you will get the specific set up for your connection and you should get support from the provider.

Security normally isn’t a problem if you are connecting the computers using an Ethernet cable. If you are planning on using the laptop wirelessly then you should use WPA security. We have more on this on our Securing a Network page.

Most of the ISP provided wireless routers come with WPA already activated.

If you decide to buy a router yourself most brands are fine although we like the Linksys range. Keep in mind the effectiveness of a wireless network can vary depending upon your location.

I have DSl modem it works great. If I hook either of my computers to the DSl modem they works fine. If I hook up my 4 port D-Link or Linksys router the computer which is 25′ away will work but the other which is 150′ away will not connect. I have ran a new line, replaced the router ,and talked to someone for an hour at D-link that did everthing but fix my problem. Dell wants to charge me $50.00 just to tell me the problem please HELP?????????????

Normally the first thing I would look at with this problem is the cable running to the computer 150′ away. However you say that you “ran a new line” so I’m assuming you’ve replaced the cable.

The most likely cause of the problem is the network card in the remote computer has a problem with detecting the connection to the routers.

Modern Ethenet cards automatically detect the speed of the device at the other end of the cable and adjust their settings accordingly.

Most modems have compartively slow, and older, 10 Mbit Ethernet connections while most routers have 100 or 1,000 Mbit ports and sometimes defective Ethernet ports struggle to detect the faster ports properly.

The simplest solution is to replace the network card. You can do this yourself with a cheap USB adaptor or you can get your local computer tech to install a new internal card.

I am attempting to home network by ethernet cable my two desktop PCs – one running Vista and the other, XP.

The Vista PC has an existing broadband internet connection and a new DLink modem/router, both operational. The driver for the modem is installed only on the Vista PC.

I clicked through various prompts on both PCs to set up a network, and each PC now displays the twin computers icon at the right hand side of the taskbar. But when I view the network, neither PC shows an icon of the other. They are invisible to one another.

I haven’t acquired any internal or external NICs because I thought that an ethernet port is a NIC – perhaps I’m wrong? I’ve read the relevant section in PCs For Dummies, but obviously I have overlooked something essential.

I hope you can advise me.

Kind regards, Elizabeth.

Hi Elizabeth.

You’re absolutely right about the Ethernet port being an NIC, or Network Interface Card, all new computers come with them so you don’t need to buy another.

There’s a number of differences in the way XP and Vista handle networks and this can cause problems. 

The most common one is Vista’s use of the Link-Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) protocol which allows Vista computers to find each other on a network but isn’t part of Windows XP. 

If you want to get XP machines talking to Vista, the simplest way is to download and install the XP LLTD software from Microsoft.

Should this not work, Microsoft have futher troubleshooting tips, but you may need to call on the services of a computer tech to help you with what can be a complex and obscure problem.

NAT Connection error

Eric had a problem playing a multiuser game with a “nat connection error” appearing on the game. NAT, or Network Address Translation, allows Internet traffic to be get through a router to the computer it is intended for.

The simplest solution for this is to turn the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) on in the router settings. Another option is to enable port forwarding however to do the the latter, it requires knowing the technical features of the specific game.

 This answer originally appeared as an answer on PC Rescue’s ABC program on 15 August 2008.

I would like to network my laptop to my pc both have xp So i can get internet on my laptop – Julie

Network detals XP to Vista – Lawrence

We’ve covered the issues with networking previously. Check out this post.

I wish to connect two PC’s to one laser printer. Is it possible to achieve this by just using cables or do I need to go to wireless?

You can do either. Wired is faster and more reliable but wireless doesn’t require stringing cables around your home or office.

To network any device you need a network adapter. A wired one has a plug where the ethernet cable plugs in while a wireless one will have a radio built into it and may or may not have a aerial.

If your printer has either, or both, of these connections it’s a matter of either just plugging it into the network or entering the wireless network’s name and security details.

Should you not have either of these, you’ll need to buy an adapter that plugs into the printer which may be available from your printer manufacturer or you’ll need a print server.

Print servers plug into your printer’s USB port at one end and the network at the other. Note that a lot of multifunction printers don’t like this setup.

The final way is to just plug the printer into one of the computers and just share it across the network.

How can i find the conflicting IP address on the LAN? there is a message appearing in on the lower right corner of my screen “Windows error there is a comflicting address”.

The problem is you have a device with the same address on your local network. Either one of the devices is set manually or your router is giving out the wrong addresses.

The first thing to do is reset all the devices on your network. We have instructions for resetting the Windows computers on a previous page. You’ll have to do this with everything connected to your network; X-boxes, Air Ports, DVR, etc.

If that doesn’t work, turn off all your devices and restart your router. Wait a few minutes then start turning your devices back on. That should force the router to give out addresses in an orderly fashion.

Should one of the devices have a fixed IP address, the router may need to be set to exclude that address. You’ll have to read your router’s manual for  instructions on doing this.