Interesting wireless problem

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

I have been working this problem for a week. I decided to start WPA2 on my office wireless and this all started. I run a Gateway GX, XP home, non centrino with a built in wireless G. After setting encryption up I lost internet on both home a office. But only wireless, Cat5 works fine.I use a Belkin G MIMO a t work and a Linksys WG at home. I have changed, reset, rerouted everything with no help. DHCP is on. When I set up the home system on alternate private IP it says I am connected and online but I can't browse or even ping the router. Looking at ipconfig is the most interesting. The ip address is in what looks like Hex or binary. I went so far as to get a PCMCIA card and install it. It did exactly the same thing. Even more interesting,I can use this wireless on some other unsecured wireless systems I frequent. BTW,I am writing this on my wifes Gateway platinum with fuctioning wireless. My instincts tell me this is an OS problem,but I don't have the origanal XP disc thanks to gateway to do a repair. I really miss my wireless. Regards, tr

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Hello Gonzotr, I had exactly the same issue, changed wireless security to wpa2, and had lots of connection problems. had to keep disconnecting and reconnecting to wireless connection.Very frustrating. Checked the Microsoft knowledge base and found there is a hotfix for wpa2. it was Hotfix 983357, you can find it here.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=662BB74D-E7C1...D6-95EE

There is also an update to that hotfix, you can find more about it and download it here

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2726F32F-D52B...84-ACE8

This worked for me, hope it does for you too,Techdunce Smile

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

Thanks for the tip Techdunce. I will do this tommorow. I hope I am not dealing with a bigger problem, my system has now become unstable and will only run for half an hour or so before begining to freeze up. I have to do a hard restart to get it going. can't even bring up task manager. ran Spybot and Adaware. I am thinkng of upgrading to XP Pro, wonder if hat will restart some of these issues. regards, tr

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Hello again Gonzotr, have to say,The issues I was having,and used this hotfix for, werent as drastic as the ones you say in your second post.The issues I was experiencing were just related to my connection, with no system freezes,to be more precise, I wasnt acqurinig a network address after upgrading to wpa2,had to keep rebooting router and disconnecting/reconnecting to network, the hotfix posted sorted this,but you can give it a try,(make suitable backups first).Im no tech Gonzotr, but are you sure there was no problems before wpa2 change.maybe more knowledgeable folks have seen this before.Techdunce Smile

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

I agree, I just uninstalled Zonelab and my PC came back to life, now I can just work on the network issue with Windows firewall on. (vsmon.exe was sucking up all the oxygen.) thanks. tr

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Glad to see you making progress, as for the vsmon.exe thing, another microsoft knowledge base article here you might find interesting.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321434/en-us

It involves editing the registry,so maybe backup the registry key first.Hope this helps,Techdunce Smile

p.s. This article refers to the installation of another application,(microsoft visual studio), but a couple of threads in other forums point to this article as a fix for vsmon.exe eating up cpu.

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

Interesting update. uninstalling Zonealarm gave me Wireless at work. That is great! now I will try it at home tonight. If this is all that is wrong, then I paid for ZA but I feel like I can't trust to install it again! Arrrggg.! regards, tr

PS, I don't think I have Visual Studio. I do have the .net framework, so will that article apply? hmmm.

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Not sure if it will, I dont have visual studio either,or zone alarm, but done a google search on vsmon.exe using high cpu, and quite a few forum threads pointed to the knowledge base fix,with no mention of visual studio. Ultimately its your call, if it were me,and I wanted to keep zone alarm, Id back up the registry key and give it a go.Wish I could be more positive, but am not a tech, hence the name.Techdunce Smile

Ooops, where`s my manners,you probably already know how to do this.As you drill down into the registry,

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vsmon

when you get to vsmon, in the left hand pane, single click vsmon to highlight, then go to File,from the dropdown menu, select export,(this will export a copy of that registry key), and place the backup somewhere handy, if you need to restore, double click the saved file.

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

I have been writing ZA on this and they just sent me a link with a new version that has some fixes for these things. I think I will try it first. I had good success for nearly a year with them before this happened. Only hoping my wireless at home works tonight, then I will install ZA. regards, tr

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Yep,that may be a more direct option, all the best, Techdunce Smile

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

After carefully reading the Microsoft article I think I will add the registry key as well. I just updated the IIS for another program and it may have something to do with it.

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Hello again Gonzotr,hope it works out for you, I personally dont have a plan B, but let us know how you get on,is the original problem sorted,wpa2, and does the microsoft hotfix calm down vsmon.exe.Techdunce Smile

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

Will do, it may take a day or two, now that most of it is running I have catch up to do. I still cannot reach the internet on my Home Linksys wireless.....? tr

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Hello again, Im just about out of ideas but, have you checked the driver on your (home) network adapter, control panel\administrative tools\computer management\device manager,might be worth having a look.Another thing to check (but I think Im clutching at straws now) might be your network configuration.Go to control panel,click on network connections, right click wireless network connections,and choose properties.In the properties box in the "this connection uses the following items" box, scroll down to INERNET PROTOCOL TCP/IP, click to highlight, and select properties from the tabs underneath.Is the "obtain an ip address automatically" radio button selected,assuming you use dynamic ip addressing.which is most likely,(youd know if you didnt)also the "obtain DNS server address automatically" button.
As said,kinda clutching at straws, but you never know. Techdunce Smile

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Ive just been reading through this thread again, does the home pc connect without ZoneAlarm? just a thought, Techdunce Smile

vant · Joined: Jul 09, 2004 Posts: 2

Hi;
Don't give up on Zone Alarm just yet.

In Zone Alarm, go to "FireWall" > "Zones" then enter the IP addresses of all components (on your network) into the "Safe" or "Internet" zone.

Regards
vant

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

Thanks for the interest to both of you. I uninstalled ZA and have been running on just windows fire wall. I can connect to the other wireless networks I use no problem now but the Linksys at home, no go. i have to put an alternate IP conf. in to get it to acquire IP address. I does so and says I am on line. I just cannot browse. I cant even browse to the Linksys settings page. I have tried multple default gateway and IP numbers but I am sure my ignorance on networks is showing too!. I do know that when i do ipconfig it has ??? on some addresses. Almost ready to buy another router, but it works fine on my wifes Plat. Gateway. Scratching my head in WA.! tr

techdunce · Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 140

Well, the header on this post "interesting wireless problem" certainly lives up to its name, I think it might be time to reset the linksy router and start again. (Im pretty sure you said you`ve done this aleady)but as it works on another machine I wouldnt give up on it yet.Have another try, check documentation on linksy cd,if any, might be missing a step somewhere.Im a bit stumped right now, wish I knew more on the subject, but someone else might, Techdunce Smile

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2422

gonzotr · Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 16

I use a WRT54G at home as well. I have tried multiple times and different processes (including the WPA patch on MS). I have taken the battery out of the laptop overnight even. I will try again tonight and I will try to get the ipconfig copied and post it. It's interesting how one little thing can change your lifestyle! thanks, tr