Router woes

[123456789]

Would anyone know how to map a router?
I've had several problems with it since purchasing it.
1- The home network I set up worked in one direction (main computer --> out) for a few hours and then nothing worked. I'm supposed to be able to transfer files from one to the other, right?
2- Ever since I was forced to upgrade to WinXP SP2, my router has stopped working altogether. The IP address and default gateway show the same IP no#. I've un-installed SP2 but still no luck finding whatever it was that the program knocked out of commision.
3- I've tried release/renew, deleted winsock files, gone to *msconfig**regedit**cmd**ipconfig* in the start menu under > run, pinged (with varied results,) cleared cookies and temp files, and just about everything else me and the tech help at my ISP, microsoft, and router manufacturer could think to have me do and have restarted about a bazillion times and none of it helped at all.
Has this happened to anyone else? Short of doing a full restore on my system, is there anything else anyone can think of?

ps- ever since I un-installed SP2 (and even though I have multiple firewalls,) my anti-virus has caught (and blocked-thankfully) dozens of attacks on my system. Could these just be pings from elsewhere (Microsoft intimidation team, maybe?)

Anyhow, Mac is starting to look good right about now.

-*edit*-
I've just found out that my system no longer has a TCP port or a UDP port.
That could be a problem, now if only I knew what the **** those were, and how to restore them...
Anyone, anyone, Beueller, Beueller, ...

[123456789]

Well, I found out that MS XP SP2 has corrupted some files on my computer. The technician at Microsoft said that the same thing happened to him at home and that he's not running SP2 on his system. He said he would send me an XP home edition disc (my computer didn't come with one) and that I should be able to call him back and re-format my computer when it arrives (7-10 days.) That SHOULD fix my problem. So if you have a firewall and a pop-up blocker, I recommend that you not install SP2 because it may corrupt files which you may never find out about, until you need them for something important. Keep back-ups on a cd of everything you have which you don't want to lose. If you have installed it, cross your fingers and hope for the best. But if you notice a marked slow-down on your system speed, SP2 'MIGHT' be the problem.
1-888-SP2-HELP would be the number to call.

[Scott]

Oh man... what a nightmare 1-9. Hope it all works out okay.

[Silky]

Oh man, that SP2 deal was terrifying for me before I got my Mac. I never upgraded to it, simply because of all the horror stories I heard about it from everyone I talked to. That's a lot of the reason I migrated to Firefox while I was still on my PC, and why the Mac was even that more attractive to me...no damn SP2!

I hope you get it all sorted out 1-9! Computer issues are the pits!

[down2earth2]

I know nothing about routers, but I do know about banging my head against a wall trying to figure out WTF something won't work. I have a new scanner I tried using for the first time yesterday, and after hours of reinstalliing software, deleting old software, trying it on my old computer, running disk warrior because, possibly coincidently, other problems started up, I FINALLY discovered the I had the safety lock on the scanner. Of course the error message just said the computer was unable to find the scanner.

Good grief. Three hours of head-banging. :bang:

[D Rock]

routers def arent fun ive hooked up a few before and NEVER did it all work on the first try or the 2nd for that matter lol

[123456789]

The funny thing is that my router worked fine out of the box (once I checked the 'never dial a connection' option in my browser tools.) But then things started to stop working. SP2 was the 'coup de grace'.
I find that Firefox is a better browser than IE, BUT I also find it much slower as far as downloading pictures goes (especially big ones.) The options are better though, so I tend to use IE for certain things and Firefox for others; variety being the spice of life and all. :)

Thanks for the well-wishes, I hope it all gets sorted-out, too.

As I was typing this, XP tried to sneak an SP2 download in on me. I stopped it and reset my automatic update settings (which seem to have reset themselves back to download mode.) Hmmm... the icons are SP2 icons as well. I thought I had un-installed it. It's like a bad dream that you can't wake up out of. Time for a class-action law suit, who wants in? ;)

[Physics_Guru]

Hi 1-9.

I have XP SP2, router, all the goodies, and everything works fine here. Lets see if we can't get you up to speed.

What router do you have? Brand & model type please. Each router is a little different so that would help.

When you hooked up the router, did you run the networking tool that reconfigures Win XP for your network type? Control Panel - Network - Setup or Change Internet Connection

If you havent, run the network wizard above. This is important as it configures your network cards and such to work with the router. If it is the type of router that you plug all the computers into and the cable / DSL model plugs into it as well (into a WAN port on the router) then you need to go to the second page and select the "My computer connects to the internet and other computers via a router" or something to that effect.

***** THEORY SIMPLIFIED *****

TCP/IP and UDP/IP is how data gets to and from computers. Without it, anything on the network has no clue where to go or how to get there and just stops dead in its tracks. It is the road and the road map for network traffic.

TCP is reliable because when you send someone data, their system replies to let yours know that it got the data ok. If it doesnt get the dataa, or there is a gap in the data, it will tell your system to send it again. All of your web browsers, email clients, newsgroup programs, ect. all run on TCP/IP.

UDP is a 'fire and forget' protocal. Basically, my comptuer says HERE and doesn't care whether you got it or not. It doesnt even listen for a response. This is good for some engineering type applications where massive amounts of the same data is sent every second so error correction is not needed.

OK, your computer has one IP but every program you use on the network needs to have a seperate 'channel' to get data. Imagine 10 people in your house trying to use the same phone at the same time. Not going to happen. :) So, we have PORTS. It is like a seperate phone line frrom the same house..... well... now every program has the same IP but has a different port. So you can be checking email on port 113 and surfing the web on port 80 at the same time. If you ever see IP notation, it looks like this: IPADDRESS:PORT or 123.456.789.123:5555 (IP of 123.456.789.123 on port 5555).

As for the firewall and all that getting pings... there are thousands of reasons for that and most of them are harmless. Routers pinging your connection speed, network providers sending queries to see if your still connected, tcp/ip packets with a currupt header (wrong phone number basically) coming to you that should be going to someone else, ect. But there are the viruses that try to find a way in and of course any bad guys trying to break in... but if you are a home user that is HIGHLY unlikely as who would waste their time trying to get into someones home computer?

*******

If you have any questions or want the more indepth explanation, let me know. :)

[123456789]

Thanks for the help PG.
I ran the wizard and like I said, got it up and running. I think the router was fine, I just hadn't (and still don't know how to map it.) I had the drag and drop capability from one computer to the other, but that just vanished one day. (?)
When I tried to connect to WinMX to find a song for my Father-in-law, it said that I couldn't set up a primary connection because I didn't have a TCP port, nor did I have a UDP port. That's when I realized that SP2 had corrupted something and called Microsoft help. After over 40 hrs on the phone with (several) technical assistants (from my ISP, Router manufacturer - D-Link 604 wired, and microsoft - top level help here) a tech told me that I would have to re-format, because he had to do the same thing 'several' times until he got fed up and took SP2 off of his own system.
I got flooded with 'attacks' on my system twice. Once when I installed SP2, and once when I un-installed it.
I can't wait to see what 'Longhorn' will do, and how much it'll cost to replace all the software it won't accept. Maybe this might tip the financial scales in favour of the Mac, once and for all.

[Physics_Guru]

1-9:

I will got shot on this forum for saying this but Mac will never surpass Windows. Nor will Linux. I am not a mac user and havent touched an Apple since my Jr. High programming class (many moons ago). It is not that I do not like them.... everything I do is Windows based. All of my flight sims, games, ect are all on Windows. It is also what I know about (lots of knowledge) and I dont feel like stepping back into the shoes of a beginner when I am already an expert on my platform and enjoy it. That being said, I will probably be buying my wife a mac at the end of this year since she will be closer to graduating with her graphic design degree. That and I am interested in it as well... but will never give up my 'Blue Screen Special'. :)

I was real leary about upgrading to SP2 myself. I waited 6 months until all the 'oh crapola' patches were released and things were mostly smooth again. I did not like it at first but now I love it. Just different experiances between the two of us. If it broke my computer I would be cursing it too! :)

Longhorn is going to be awesome. It will have bugs and there will be problems. There always is. But the first true 64 bit OS.... Oh baby it is going to cook!!! That and it looks cool as you know what!

[jmayo]

I have SP2 on my desktop and my laptop, I have had 0, nada, NOTHING in the line of problems with either of my comps, nor any that I installed sp2 on (except my step sons laptop which slowed down alot).
what router are you using?
I had some issues when I went from a hub to a router (linksys) but I know that it is/was a router config problem.