New unusual networking issue since national server upgrade at work

[EvilHorace]

I'll be surprized if anyone might know a solution to MY new problem here but I'll give it a shot.

The work PCs use Win2000 and "they" (the auto manufacturer) is slowly going from an intranet based network via satelite to an internet based system. The PC I use here (termed a workstation cart) needs to connect through the server in another building to still get info from the satelite intranet system (old system) but I also use a dialup modem on this work PC to go online (internet) as I'm doing now mostly so that I can listen to internet radio as I can't receive radio stations in this metal building.
For years, it's been working fine with both the intranet (using a NIC networked through a server) and the dial-up modem for tunes, browsing, etc at the same time, all connected.
Last weekend they did a remote server upgrade that made a few changes and now, I can't access our intranet info AND be connected using the dial-up modem (both) at the same time anymore. If I'm online, the server intranet can't find and load our info pages unless I disconnect the phone (modem offline), then the intranet pages load fine through the server. I think that they've done this for security reasons so that people can't copy/paste service info online which they wouldn't want people doing.

Anyone here run into anything similar and have any ideas where I could look to possibly try and un-do whatever they did?

[FlyingPenguin]

You never could before either - not via TCP/IP - it's one or the other. If you connect to an ISP then TCP/IP is being provided by the dialup and you lose the network TCP/IP connection.

I suspect that you have some other network protocal running on the workstation (probably NetBEUI) and that until the server upgrade, NetBEUI was running on the server too.

You were probably using NetBEUI to access files on the server, which left TCP/IP free to be provided by your dialup.

Since NetBEUI is no longer supported by MS they probably removed it from the server (or they upgraded the server to Server 2003 which doesn't support NetBEUI by default).

Sorry Evil - you're screwed until you get Internet access through the server, or unless you're good buddies with the server admin.

You CAN install NetBEUI on WinXP Pro and 2003 server, but it's not approved by Microsoft, and to do it you have to manually install the files from the OS CD.


Only other thing I can think of is if someone tampered with your workstation's settings. get into the properties for your dialup connection > Networking >TC/PIP > Advanced. Make sure there's a check mark on "Use default gateway on remote network"

[EvilHorace]

Not sure if NetBEUI was previously installed on that PC before but I might have installed it at some time. As for the "server admin", besides me and whoever I can pawn off the job of never-ending upgrades (which is time consuming, boring and technically not my real job there) so I try getting out of it, I have all the required sysadmin and admin passwords as no one else there ever wants to do it and it has to be done.
The network system, being a cooporate system is also accessed and upgraded remotely from over 1000 miles away in NJ so if it's not as simple as re-adding NetBEUI, then they did something else.
I'll look into it tomorrow. Thanks.....as usual

[EvilHorace]

NetBeui wasn't installed when I checked it today so I added it yet there's still problems. When I dial up the modem, I get an error message: "One or more requested network protocols did not connect. Netbeui CP reported service error 733: your computer and the remote computer could not agree on the PPP control protocols"

It still uses TCP/IP and works as before (for THIS week that is). I assume that I need to now add Netbeui on the server even though the server isn't used to dial out, the modem's physically connected to the shops workstation cart.

[FlyingPenguin]

I can't imagine how you had it working before without NetBeui installed. Not going to guarantee installing it on the sever will work, but it should if you're just sharing files with the server. If you're on your dialup, NetBeui will be the only protocal available for file sharing and the workstation SHOULD automatically use that to communicate with the server.

If you're doing more than file sharing (for instance if the server is running an SQL server for your office application) then this won't work - SQL will almost certainly be configured for TCP/IP.

In the settings for your workstation's dialup make sure the dialup is only using TCP/IP and no other protocals (sounds like you have NetBeui selected from that error you listed). You never want to allow NetBeui access to your dialup - it's a security hole.

Don't get yourself in trouble doing this.

[EvilHorace]

Nah, too many users and no controlers to get in ANY real trouble there. I've had remote network support people see some stuff like various programs, games, etc in years past and they'll tell me that that stuff isn't allowed but they can't prove who installed what there and I pretend to know nothing about how that stuff got there.

I don't think Netbeui was ever installed and I can't explain why everything once worked for me but has now changed BUT.....?

I've been too busy at work in the last couple days to do much with that PC but all I do know is that something has been changed to limit server access with the modem also online. It's very strange.
I can still do what I want to, go online and listen to tunes too but if and when anyone needs to look at service bulletins on the intranet (via server), the modem line must be disconnected so it's then only a temporary annoyance. Not only that but they've re-done our service info to a new format that sucks, it's now poorly arranged and access is slower than ever
Who dreams up BS SW like that? [/rant]

[EvilHorace]

Netbeui is un-installed but oddly, the older and far better intranet (via satelite) is back up and functional WITH my modem dialed up as before. They've had that offline and now it's back and perhaps because I'd have to think they received alot of complaints (I was about to call myself).
So.....just to be sure that nothing more will be messed up remotely by someone elsewhere on our local network, I added ZA Pro to the server too and uninstalled the SW that allowed for their remote acces (PC Anywhere, which might piss them off but I don't care). Everything works and I want it stay that way