Dial-up Networking Failure

Sometimes a computer will be able to connect physically with no problem, but no data will be transmitted. This may because of corruption of some of the files Windows uses to communicate over the internet. The following article details some steps to go through in an attempt to re-establish normal communications.

1. Is the software you're trying to use functioning properly? If web pages aren't displayed in the web browser, try your email client. If the email client doesn't work, try a chat client or other piece of software. It's safe to assume that if two or three unrelated pieces of software don't work the fault lies in the connection.
2. Remove all unnecessary components from the Network Control Panel. This includes AOL adapters and protocols, VPN adapters, etc. (Be sure you're not using any of the network componets you remove!) Leave any ethernet adapters alone, as they are hardware and will simply reinstall upon reboot. Reboot the computer when you are done. A "clean" set of components includes:
   
   
   1. Microsoft Family Logon
   2. Client for Microsoft Networks
   3. Dial-Up Adapter
   4. TCP/IP   only one!
3. Sometimes removing TCP/IP, rebooting, and then reinstalling TCP/IP will resolve a problem.
   1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel
   2. On the Control Panel, and then double-click the Network icon
   3. On the Configuration tab, click on the first TCP/IP component and then click the Remove button. Repeat this step for each TCP/IP component.
   4. Click OK, and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.
   5. When your computer has restarted, Click Start, Settings, Control Panel
   6. On the Control Panel, and then double-click the Network icon
   7. Click Protocol, click Add, click Microsoft in the Manufacturers box, click TCP/IP, and then click OK
   8. If receive version conflict error messages during this process, click No when you are prompted to keep a newer version of the file.
   9. Restart your computer.
4. Un- and re-install Dial-Up Networking from the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel. Reboot between removing and re-installing DUN. When you are reinstalling, If you are prompted "A file you are copying is older than the one that is already on your computer. Do you want to keep the existing file?" Choose No; the file that appears newer is proabaly a corrupted file and should be overwritten with the known good file.
5. Is DNS working?
   • In a browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, type www.pennswoods.net into the Address/Location box then press [ENTER].
     • Does the Pennswoods.net homepage appear?
     • If not, type 205.247.236.147 into the Address/Location box then press [ENTER]. Does the Pennswoods.net homepage appear?
     • If the homepage does not appear with the name, but does with the number DNS is not functioning.
       A possible way to patch up DNS in Windows 9x:
       1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel
       2. Double-click on the Network icon
       3. Select TCP/IP from the list by clicking on it
       4. Click on the Properties button
       5. Click on the DNS Configuration tab
       6. Click in the circle beside Enable DNS
       7. In the Host box, type anything. Your username isn't a bad idea.
       8. In the Domain box, type pennswoods.net
       9. Below DNS Server Search Order type 205.247.236.148 then click Add
       10. Type 205.247.236.151 then click Add
       11. Click OK
       12. Click OK
       13. Reboot the computer then retest to see if DNS is working. If it still is not, I know of no solution except to re-install windows.

   • If the function of the browser is suspect, try this: Open an MS-DOS window, go online, then at the command prompt type the following commands (Commands are in bold letters):

     C:\WINDOWS>ping www.pennswoods.net Pinging ns0.pennswoods.net [205.247.236.147] with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 235ms TTL=253 Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 221ms TTL=253 Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 217ms TTL=253 Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 223ms TTL=253 Ping statistics for 205.247.236.147: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 217ms, Maximum = 235ms, Average = 224ms C:\WINDOWS>ping 205.247.236.147 Pinging 205.247.236.147 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 235ms TTL=253 Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 221ms TTL=253 Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 217ms TTL=253 Reply from 205.247.236.147: bytes=32 time 223ms TTL=253 Ping statistics for 205.247.236.147: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 217ms, Maximum = 235ms, Average = 224ms

     
     Above are normal responses to the ping command.
     When you ping www.pennswoods.net and get some error such as "host not found", but ping 205.247.236.147 and receive no errors DNS is not working on your computer. Check out the instructions above to attempt to request this.