Rare, strange and mysterious network problem

[Alexion]

I'm having a darn strange network problem on the last months. You can install the adapter, configure the network, and even share files between the computers on a completely normal fashion. but EVERYTHING ELSE - Internet sharing programs, Multiplayer LAN games, network monitors, etc. simply don't work, each program giving a different error message. Some of them are "Socket operation on non-socket" or "failed to bind UDP port for UDP check", different kinds of illegal operations when creating rooms on multiplayer games, etc. I tried everything to solve this problem, with absolutely no results. I even exchanged the network card and formatted the HD (at the same time AND separately)! I REALLY don't know what to do anymore... and I thank heavens I found this forum... please, help me with this...

my system specs:
- AMD Atlhon XP 1.8 processor on a ECS K7SEM Motherboard
- 256 MB RAM
- Windows 98 SE Op. System

[omendata]

Really sounds like a networking module causing problems but if youve doen a clean install - are you sure you fully formatted and reinstalled all the required components and dont have a firewall running.

What is you network connection to the outside world?
Could be a virus - have you checked all your install disks / cd's etc.
Have you tried an XP install - loads of things you can try but more info is necessary - An XP install would rule out hardware faults - if it fails then you may have dodgy motherboard etc

Need more info - IP settings , NIC type
Was it working originally and failed or is this a new system.
Pertinent info.

[Alexion]

Yes, I'm sure I don't have a firewall running... my connection to the outside world is on another computer, and I tought, yes, of the possibility of it being a virus. I checked all the disks and they were clean...

my IP setting on this computer is 192.168.0.2 (192.168.0.1 is the computer with the internet access), and I'm using the NIC with come onboard with the motherboard (Realtek 86139c), but the problem persisted when I exchanged to a SiS 900 NIC.

Yes, this is a new system, I just bought a this computer. The network never worked fully.

[Midknyte]

are you sure the problem isn't with the other computer? sounds like you're running ics, by looking at your IPs. did you try connecting the new computer directly to the internet connection? it might be that your ics computer is on the fritz.

[Alexion]

No, I'm not running ICS. I can't use any form of internet sharing, as I said, the ONLY thing that works is file and printer sharing. any internet sharing software would return me an error.

Edit: And no, there's no possibility the problem would be with my 01 computer, since all network software WORKS on that computer. I even made a test connecting it with a third computer, with absolutely no erros. the problem persists only on the 02 machine. and the errors are IN THE COMPUTER, seen that the errors are exactly the same whether the other machine is turned on or not.

[rraehal]

Did you install the Win98 updates - security fixes and the like?

Maybe the problem is with DirectPlay part of DirectX. Try updating DirectX on the messed up PC.

[Alexion]

Yes, I installed all W98 updates, but the problem isn't only with games, but with everything else other than file sharing...

[Midknyte]

what are you using to share the internet? you said your connection to the internet is on another computer, so it sounded like you were using ICS. what does it say when you run winipcfg on your computer?

[Alexion]

I tried Winroute Pro, Sygate Home network and Office network, and the ICS. All with errors. Like I said, anything other than file sharing doesn't work... ANYTHING.

And when I execute winipcfg it gives me the name of the computer on the network, its node type (broadcast), the adapter's adress, the IP adress (192.168.0.2), and the subnet mask (255.255.255.0). all the other fields are blank.

Edit: oh yeah, and another thing: the 2 machines can ping each other sucessfully

[Midknyte]

you should be setting the client system to obtain ip automatically. did you set a static IP? if so, you also need to put in the dns information. it's easier to just let dhcp do its job.

[Alexion]

Uh... I don't HAVE a dhcp server on my home LAN... again, the problem has absolutely nothing to do with my internet...

[Midknyte]

when you set up a proxy or ics host, it acts as a dhcp server. that's why you configure the other systems to obtain ip automatically.

[Alexion]

Like I said, the problem has nothing to do with my internet connection, nothing!... it's no use for me to set my IP dinamically if the network doesn't respond!!!!!!! I don't wanna sole the problem with the internet sharing, I want to solve the problem with the network!!!!!!! Anyway, the problem is already solved. It was a corrupted file in the windows networking core, previously damaged by a past virus. Since windows never lets system files to be replaced, that's why nothing ever work to solve the problem. but once I formatted the HD clean, everything worked fine.

Like I said, nothing to do with ICS or the 01 machine

[slam]

do you have microsoft networking installed?
can you browse network neighborhood?