network internet problems

allthom · 14-11-2005, 22:11

hi
trying to sort a problem on a domain network all running xp pro sp2 except old server on nt. internet connection comes through a host xp computer, other xp's pick connection through this, not ics. working fine till last thursday 10/11/05, in the afternoon all internet connections to client lost. host xp still has internet connection.
pinged host to clients and server and vice versa, so all computers can see each other ok. isp is bt on broadband connection.
any help much appreciated

ogwalla · 17-11-2005, 06:32

Are you serving out IPs via DHCP? What are the clients ipconfig showing up as? If it is a 169 dhcp # then they are failing to receive a valid # from the dhcp. I've been having these problems with my home network lately. Ugh.

allthom · 17-11-2005, 23:21

hi
problem sorted, though not sure what fixed it.
in the office where i work the internet comes through to one machine, other xp machine are able to connect thro' this machine to connect to the internet but this machine has to be on. problem was the main xp machine with the internet connection was working fine it was the other xp machines that could not connect. checking main comp found that someone had installed a program the day the problem arose, though no one owned up to installing it. so i uninstalled this. i then checked the services which were running to see if some servicee required had been changed to manual start instead of auto. changed some to start , keeping record of what i changed just in case!. i then went to one of the other machines checked it's network settings, changed the 'dns' settings from auto to manual and inserted the 'dns ip addresses. launched ie and with great relief up came my homepage. i then restarted the main xp machine and then checked i could still access the internet on the other, which worked fine. i then went round the remaining machine and set them up the same way. on checking the services on the main comp it looked like most of them had reverted back to how they were originally. so i put it down to the installed program which seemed harmless 'messenger' but all i can say is it is now working fine.

MovedGoalPosts · 17-11-2005, 23:51

Sounds like your network is a bit of a mess.

Get a router to provide the internet connection stright into your network.

Better still get a new server running Small Business Server - that server will do all your fileshares, printer controls, gives you email using exchange so you can properly share diaries and the like, and it'll do the internet controlling bit, provided you get a server with two network cards. That will then leave the server to be a server, and the XP Pro PC to be a workstation. Best of all if you set the server up right, you deny all users local admin rights so they can't stick software on that messes the PC up without you knowing about it!

allthom · 18-11-2005, 18:10

already looking into getting a router as suggested, new server and sbs being looked at, but at present, costs outweigh this option.