XP here I come

[Gwizz]

I'm still taking a break from Networking.

I may call Qwest again and see if I can find a tech that is knowagable with the quest network install. Last time they told me to use the red wire from the ME to the Modem. But in the directions on the CD it says I should be using the yellow wire. :?

Looking at the eithernet plugs, I looks like 2 of the 8 internal wires are different colors for a category 6 orange eithernet cable.
The grey, red and yellow cables are each category 5 cables. It says on the grey cable that it is also a cable master. although, I thought the green cable was the cross over cable, But I can't find my green cable. I wonder if my wife used it to tie up the flowers. :?

I could have a problem with qwest network CD. since re-installing the program, I now have some kind of problem with the modem address.

Better yet ,I will again try to hook up Lantech's workgroup hub. I have a DC plugin on the back of it but it does say what volyage it requires.

But I'm still on my break.

[joebandit]

All those colors must be qwests way of keeping them so they can easily tell the customer which ones to use. There are 3 types of network cables.
Rollover, crossover and patch also know as straight-thru.

Rollover is generally used to talk to Routers and what not thru a console port and serial port on the PC, so it would have a db9 adapter with a hole for the big plug.

Crossover is generally used to make 2 PC's or two of any type network talk. EX: 2 PC's with no hub

patch is generally usd to connect a PC to a Hub, or a router, or the modem.

Now you have basic cable knowledge too. The difference in all is the way the wires are connected inside the connectors. By holding the 2 ends side by side, and looking, that is generally how we tell, when they have no markings or labels on them. I still have a DSL modem around here and it had a yellow cable, which was used to program it - rollover.

[Gwizz]

Thanks

I've been trying get a better under standing of ethernet cables. I think it may be the reason my set up is not working correctly

Two sites that were helpful:

http://www.makeitsimple.com/how-to/dyi_crossover.htm

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/ar ... hp/3584081

Also:

http://www.ece.ndsu.nodak.edu/~ceatech/ ... color.html

[joebandit]

That last site has some good pics. Easy way is kind of what they are showing you.Hold the cable in your hands with both connectors side by side and oriented the same, for plain folks, pointed the same way, right side up with the catch or pin down.

If the wires look exactly alike = patch cable

If the wires are different = crossover or roll-over cable

Easy enough? Use those pics on the last site.

[Gwizz]

I just discoverd I had two crossover cables, a gray one and this yellow one.
The wire does look the same in each end of this yellow cable, which would indicate a normal cable. But, it says cat 6 on the cable the same as what it says on the gray cable. The yellow cable then is either mis-marked or not wired correctly.

If the two wire modem automatically switches the wire connections within the case as the Qwest tech said it does, then the yellow crossover cable would switch it back and cancel the wire crossover switching. This may be blocking the networks ability to read correctly.

I'll be putting everything back together today. I will then find out if this was the bottle neck.

[joebandit]

If you did in fact have 2 crossover cables you would not be getting the two systems to talk, but would get them on the internet.Advice would be at this point to go down to the local PC store and get 2 patch cables of the required length.

[Gwizz]

I changed cables but the ME still can't see the network.

If I understand the workings of the crossover cables correctly, The 1st crossover cable would cross the wire connections. My modem would switch the crossover back and the 2nd crossover cable would again switch the wires. Since the 2nd computer requires the wires to be crossed. This hookup should have worked the same as using two normal cables.

I've must have another problem.

Gateway sold their support center to MPC on the 1st of Oct., So I have a new group of people to talk to. They just sent me an update for my graphics card. They feel I may also have a hardware problem.

Last night I downloaded every Update on the ME that I could find at MS.
Looking at the updates on the Gateway site I found the download part of their site was down as they move things around at MPC. They said to try again tonight. I plan to download all the gateway updates as well, although most looked like they predated 2004.

The chase goes on. I'll catch up with this bug yet.

[joebandit]

Biggest thing to remember about PC's and troubleshooting is this. Work on one problem at a time, sometimes one will fix 2 or 3 others. Always start with the easiest one first and work your way thru to the hardest. ANd it is always the easy one that gets you in trouble.

If something did not appear to work go back and make sure you did not skip anything, you will be surprised at the simple things that can get mis-spelled for example or just skipped, and yes, it can make a difference.

On XP, running the network wizard, even if you did the steps manually will make changes that you can not make or thought you did. I have found this out several times myself. One more thing, set passwords on the accounts, even if you are the only one using the systems and if somebody else tells you they are not needed, BS, they are needed.
Example, my wife cannot use my systems, I can use hers, all of my PC's have a password, hers does not, her choice. Use the same login on both systems with the same password, no matter what you have read someplace about it being bad, do choose a good password though.

[Gwizz]

I stopped at Fry's coming back from the doctor. I took back printer ink that HP had marked wrong on their chart. One of their customer service people found the correct carton number off the net. I asked a lot of questions. Cat 6 is 10 times faster then Cat 5 cable. But, it would be hard for me to max out Cat 5 cable. Maybe if I had a T-1 line.
So I won't worry about cable speed. They said cable color has no meaning. But most of the sales people gave slightly different answers.

I'm planning to re-format the ME hard drive again. I found the problem with the new backup drive connection problem with the ME. The new cable was bad or the computer connecting is not working. I found a old cable. It is a USB cable and not a firewire cable and the backup hard drive fired right up. I haven't tried plugging the XP back into the drive yet. First I want to backup the ME again before I clean it.

Well heck, I made some headway today and played some RRT2 on the XP while the ME was uploading.

[joebandit]

You just found out what I have known all along, computer sales people are not smart, I always tell them I am just browsing anyway. Cables, you are looking for will say "Patch cable"

Old saying in computer stores,

Difference between computer sales people and car salesman is car salesmen know when they are lying.

[Hawk]

Difference between computer sales people and car salesman is car salesmen know when they are lying.

I love it Joe. I gotta' remember that one. :D

[Gwizz]

Out of 20 or 30 cables I looked at, none said on the cable or the price tag that they were patch cables. I'm assuming that a normal eithernet cable is a patch cable?

I have found that a few of the kids (sales people at Fry's) do know a lot about computers. I try to listen to them with another customer first to see what they know. I pick and choose and ask more than one sales person.

What I didn't find out is: why is the Cat 6 cable faster than Cat 5. They both seem to have the same copper wires inside.

[Silverback]

What I didn't find out is: why is the Cat 6 cable faster than Cat 5. They both seem to have the same copper wires inside.

its down to how the cables are twisted inside and insulated etc. to give less interference from external sources and better performance. Cat 6 gives less crosstalk than cat 5 or 5e

[Gwizz]

Thanks Silverback

Gateway gave me a link to their analysis program and I used it to check my computer. The results were I had a problem with my network and I had a email bug. I could not understand the long report it produced. So I'm not sure if it found a back door or a real bug. I had just done a re-format of the hard drive short of wiping off my data files. So a bug could be inside these data files.

The program didn't seem to finish analysising so there may be something else for me to check.

[Hawk]

What bug did this analysis program say you had?

[Gwizz]

I would think what the bug is, should be in the report. The report looks like source code. No place does it say this is the bug you have or how to fix it.

Since I backed up my data files, I plan to delete them one at a time until the analizer no longer finds the e-mail bug it found.

I have lifetime tech support on this computer; But so far it is not too good.

Niether did it say what the problem is with my network. Darn

[Hawk]

Since you say the tech support is not so good that source code about the bug is like-wise not much help.

[Gwizz]

Turns out the Rundll32 file is the trouble maker MS back door. If it opens more than once in the running programs list, it is being controlled by a gremlin that hides behind the Rundll32 program. Rundll32 is needed as it runs programs that are not backed by MS.

After starting this time, I used the Ctrl Alt Delete keys and found 3 running. I closed all three and so far no errors. The computer is lightning fast now. If Rundll32 is deleted the control panel may stop working plus a fwew other programs.

If more than one Rundll32 is running it consumes most of the ram time.
Greatly slows shut down and start up times as well.

Read more here.

http://www.liutilities.com/products/win ... ry/rundll/

[Hawk]

Just out of curiosity I ran msconfig and it showed a couple of instances of rundll32 but I have them turned off so they don't run at start up. I think they are part of the NVidea systray utility, which I don't need running all the time.



I then ran a utility called 'Autoruns', mentioned by JSS in another thread and it didn't show any instances of that exe running, although it showed a gaggle of others running.

[Gwizz]

I did use MSconfig as well as Ctrl+ALT+Delete to check for running programs. I wonder if hidden programs show up.

I just checked the XP machine. Only one rundll32 listed used in my sign-in management program. The back door works for ME 98 & 95 but not XP.

Last night using the ME machine, I restarted the ME from the menu. No rundll32 command was running.

NVidea does use the rundll32 file and I could see a major drop in screen quality. So a complete start will be necessary to reload the NVidea program.

From what I read, a knowledge of qualified MS programs may be needed to really know if Rundll32 is used as a door for a good or bad bug.

Your method of turning off what is not needed is a good idea.

I also used the scan on the MS site to find problems and errors. It found 441 items. Then said it would fix 15 of them and the rest after I bought the program. I looking over the list and some were downloaded maps not connected to a program. There were other downloads that I had yet to install. I guess the scan counts these as problems. No way will I buy this program.