Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero difference WRT problems:
1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time - sometimes "forever".
2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the browser will fix that, but not always.
Sorry about the l*o*n*g reference; that is what was given.
Using a short Google query "software monitors/logs network traffic" gives a LOT more "hits", and it might me a "good idea" (according to Martha Stewart) to avoid that if possible, as there are no "filters".
Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
Te second part is *VERY* important,as the last time i tried a suggested malware "finder", everything was clobbered (would you believe a black screen with a license violation message?).
On a sunny day (Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800) it happened Robert Baer
<robertb...@localnet.com> wrote in <Y7Iis.3389$iq6.1...@newsfe21.iad>:
> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero >difference WRT problems:
>1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change >pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of >time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time - >sometimes "forever".
>2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing >happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i >want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
>3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the >progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the >browser will fix that, but not always.
First thing I always do when shit happens is:
ping 8.8.8.8
if that works, network OK, check computer.
If not:
traceroute IP_ADDRESS
see where it stops.
ping it too.
OS system you use?
If designed by Microsoft it is probably normal.
> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero
> difference WRT problems:
> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change
> pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of
> time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time -
> sometimes "forever".
When you say "network" do you mean ethernet, ADSL or wet string?
If you are still on a dial-up modem then buffer overruns are the most likely cause of trouble on a Winmodem.
ipconfig/all and then ping members of your own network in isolation and only then try external connections and hopcheck them to see where it goes wrong or stalls. DNS faults or routing problems at your ISP can cause stalls but user error is by far the most likely explanation.
> 2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing
> happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i
> want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
> 3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the
> progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the
> browser will fix that, but not always.
> Sorry about the l*o*n*g reference; that is what was given.
> Using a short Google query "software monitors/logs network traffic"
> gives a LOT more "hits", and it might me a "good idea" (according to
> Martha Stewart) to avoid that if possible, as there are no "filters".
> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash
> the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
> Te second part is *VERY* important,as the last time i tried a
> suggested malware "finder", everything was clobbered (would you believe
> a black screen with a license violation message?).
Power tools in the hands of amateurs often result in collateral damage.
I've noticed over the last month or two, on RoadRunner at least, that I often have to repeat a request before it will complete.
Examples:
- Here, on eternal-september.org, after a period of inactivity (say, reading a long post, or writing one), the server times out and I have to reconnect to download another message. Very often, the connection simply hangs. Stop and restart the request, and it connects immediately.
- The first time I view a webpage in some length of time (hours to days perhaps?), the webpage won't load. Refreshing (or re-clicking the link) makes it go.
- Or, when loading a webpage, the design uses a separate "media" server for images, which don't load, or only load partially. Refreshing downloads all images immediately.
A traceroute won't help much because you have to catch it in the act -- if you see something not working and tracert in response, it'll magically work again. Or the first packet to the problem node will be dropped, but all subsequent ones go fine.
I have a sneaking suspicion this kind of behavior has to do with those monitoring and sharing-and-copyright-limiting actions you see in the news, but I don't have a clue how one might prove that.
> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero > difference WRT problems:
> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change > pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of > time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time - > sometimes "forever".
> 2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing > happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i > want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
> 3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the > progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the > browser will fix that, but not always.
> Sorry about the l*o*n*g reference; that is what was given.
> Using a short Google query "software monitors/logs network traffic" > gives a LOT more "hits", and it might me a "good idea" (according to > Martha Stewart) to avoid that if possible, as there are no "filters".
> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash > the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
> Te second part is *VERY* important,as the last time i tried a > suggested malware "finder", everything was clobbered (would you believe > a black screen with a license violation message?).
On Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800, Robert Baer wrote:
> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash > the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
Capturing network packets requires a device driver. If there are any bugs
in that driver, it can crash the OS. So, there are no guarantees, but
that's true for any device driver, including the ones written by
Microsoft, Intel, nVidia et al.
Jan Panteltje wrote:
> On a sunny day (Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800) it happened Robert Baer
> <robertb...@localnet.com> wrote in<Y7Iis.3389$iq6.1...@newsfe21.iad>:
>> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero
>> difference WRT problems:
>> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change
>> pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
>> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of
>> time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time -
>> sometimes "forever".
>> 2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing
>> happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i
>> want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
>> 3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the
>> progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the
>> browser will fix that, but not always.
> First thing I always do when shit happens is:
> ping 8.8.8.8
> if that works, network OK, check computer.
> If not:
> traceroute IP_ADDRESS
> see where it stops.
> ping it too.
> OS system you use?
> If designed by Microsoft it is probably normal.
I ping Google when system is stalled; results look good but rarrely does the ping "kick" it out of what i call snooze mode.
"traceroute" is not a recognized blahblah.. must be the spelling.
In any case, what do i use for IP_ADDRESS as it may be variable (soi cannot make a batch program).
I now use Win2K, but used to NEVER have these problems.
Martin Brown wrote:
> On 27/10/2012 05:00, Robert Baer wrote:
>> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero
>> difference WRT problems:
>> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change
>> pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
>> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of
>> time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time -
>> sometimes "forever".
> When you say "network" do you mean ethernet, ADSL or wet string?
* Ethernet direcly to Comcast modem.
> If you are still on a dial-up modem then buffer overruns are the most
> likely cause of trouble on a Winmodem.
* Damn! dial-up was many years ago and i have always told people to NEVER use "Winmodem"..a TeleType would be far better..
> ipconfig/all and then ping members of your own network in isolation and
> only then try external connections and hopcheck them to see where it
> goes wrong or stalls. DNS faults or routing problems at your ISP can
> cause stalls but user error is by far the most likely explanation.
* See above, also the infamous and so-called "user error" cannot exist in the modes i described.
>> 2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing
>> happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i
>> want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
>> 3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the
>> progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the
>> browser will fix that, but not always.
>> Sorry about the l*o*n*g reference; that is what was given.
>> Using a short Google query "software monitors/logs network traffic"
>> gives a LOT more "hits", and it might me a "good idea" (according to
>> Martha Stewart) to avoid that if possible, as there are no "filters".
>> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash
>> the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
>> Te second part is *VERY* important,as the last time i tried a
>> suggested malware "finder", everything was clobbered (would you believe
>> a black screen with a license violation message?).
> Power tools in the hands of amateurs often result in collateral damage.
Tim Williams wrote:
> I've noticed over the last month or two, on RoadRunner at least, that I
> often have to repeat a request before it will complete.
> Examples:
> - Here, on eternal-september.org, after a period of inactivity (say,
> reading a long post, or writing one), the server times out and I have to
> reconnect to download another message. Very often, the connection simply
> hangs. Stop and restart the request, and it connects immediately.
> - The first time I view a webpage in some length of time (hours to days
> perhaps?), the webpage won't load. Refreshing (or re-clicking the link)
> makes it go.
> - Or, when loading a webpage, the design uses a separate "media" server
> for images, which don't load, or only load partially. Refreshing
> downloads all images immediately.
> A traceroute won't help much because you have to catch it in the act -- if
> you see something not working and tracert in response, it'll magically
> work again. Or the first packet to the problem node will be dropped, but
> all subsequent ones go fine.
> I have a sneaking suspicion this kind of behavior has to do with those
> monitoring and sharing-and-copyright-limiting actions you see in the news,
> but I don't have a clue how one might prove that.
> Tim
What you describe is rather close to what i see.
Thanks for the correct mispelling for traceroute..
I see that TraceRT Google has significant pauses before completing a number of the lines shown.
As i vaguely remember in the (dim) past, before this problem, there were almost no pauses - about a line per second with no flim-flam.
Do those pauses indicate a "shadow" relating to the problems i see?
Nobody wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800, Robert Baer wrote:
>> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash
>> the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
> Capturing network packets requires a device driver. If there are any bugs
> in that driver, it can crash the OS. So, there are no guarantees, but
> that's true for any device driver, including the ones written by
> Microsoft, Intel, nVidia et al.
> Nobody wrote:
>> On Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800, Robert Baer wrote:
>>> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash
>>> the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
>> Capturing network packets requires a device driver. If there are any bugs
>> in that driver, it can crash the OS. So, there are no guarantees, but
>> that's true for any device driver, including the ones written by
>> Microsoft, Intel, nVidia et al.
>> It works, and it is probably the least likely to crash the OS (by virtue
>> of being mature, actively developed, and widely used).
> Thanks; will try that on a BACKUP copy. Decided to get ver 1.6 instead of > latest 1.8 (32-bit,natch with hopes Win2K will allow it).
You started out I thiink relatig this problem to News Groups.
Does your local ISP use a service from GigaNews as mine (IInet) here in Aus does?
For the last week or more it has been very eratic much like you describe with no apparent problems for Internet or Email.
Whatever the problem it seems to have been fixed now.
<robertb...@localnet.com> wrote:
> Thanks; will try that on a BACKUP copy. Decided to get ver 1.6 >instead of latest 1.8 (32-bit,natch with hopes Win2K will allow it).
Thanks for disclosing that you're using Windoze 2000. It really does
help to know what OS version you're using.
There's not enough info (i.e. numbers) to make a good guess as to the
culprit. However, my bad guess(tm) would be that you have a DNS
problem. Your primary DNS server probably is mistyped into your
router configuration, or mistyped into the W2K network configuration.
With the primary DNS lookup failing, the secondary DNS server takes
over. However, it does take about 15 seconds for the OS to give up on
the primary and switch to the secondary, resulting in the delays
you're seeing. (Yes, I've screwed up and done this to myself a few
times).
Try:
Power cycle your router to clear its DNS cache.
Start -> run -> cmd <enter>
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /all (look for the IP address of the DNS servers)
If they point to the IP address of your router, login to your router,
and check that you either have the DNS servers set automatically by
PPPoE or DHCP from the ISP, or that you have the correct static DNS
server IP addresses scribbled into the boxes.
I love when people run copies of windows that no longer have support. That way they can become bots for hackers and screw up the internet for the rest of us.
I've tried a few DNS evaluation schemes, but I like Steve Gibson's the best. Note that some modems (cable/DSL) have a placeholder for the DNS, but you don't want to use it if you have a router. Rather plug the DNS addresses in the router.
If opendns turns out to be the best, I would use something else. I don't like how opendns takes it upon itself to fire up a search engine if the request can't be serviced. I rather have it fail because I probably mistyped something. I can correct it faster than their search.
On Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:02:41 -0800, Robert Baer <robertb...@localnet.com> wrote:
>Jan Panteltje wrote:
>> On a sunny day (Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800) it happened Robert Baer
>> <robertb...@localnet.com> wrote in<Y7Iis.3389$iq6.1...@newsfe21.iad>:
>>> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero
>>> difference WRT problems:
>>> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change
>>> pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
>>> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of
>>> time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time -
>>> sometimes "forever".
>>> 2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing
>>> happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i
>>> want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
>>> 3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the
>>> progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the
>>> browser will fix that, but not always.
>> First thing I always do when shit happens is:
>> ping 8.8.8.8
>> if that works, network OK, check computer.
>> If not:
>> traceroute IP_ADDRESS
>> see where it stops.
>> ping it too.
>> OS system you use?
>> If designed by Microsoft it is probably normal.
> I ping Google when system is stalled; results look good but rarrely >does the ping "kick" it out of what i call snooze mode.
> "traceroute" is not a recognized blahblah.. must be the spelling.
> In any case, what do i use for IP_ADDRESS as it may be variable (soi >cannot make a batch program).
> I now use Win2K, but used to NEVER have these problems.
>Jan Panteltje wrote:
>> On a sunny day (Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800) it happened Robert Baer
>> <robertb...@localnet.com> wrote in<Y7Iis.3389$iq6.1...@newsfe21.iad>:
>>> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero
>>> difference WRT problems:
>>> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change
>>> pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
>>> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of
>>> time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time -
>>> sometimes "forever".
>>> 2) In NGs, say i click on a posting to view it and not a damn thing
>>> happens; must then click on a different posting and re-try the one i
>>> want - doing that almost always selects and shows what i wanted.
>>> 3) In NGs, say i write a response and click on send; sometimes the
>>> progress bar runs essentially forever. Most of the time closing down the
>>> browser will fix that, but not always.
>> First thing I always do when shit happens is:
>> ping 8.8.8.8
>> if that works, network OK, check computer.
>> If not:
>> traceroute IP_ADDRESS
>> see where it stops.
>> ping it too.
>> OS system you use?
>> If designed by Microsoft it is probably normal.
> I ping Google when system is stalled; results look good but rarrely >does the ping "kick" it out of what i call snooze mode.
> "traceroute" is not a recognized blahblah.. must be the spelling.
panteltje: ~ # traceroute google.com
traceroute to google.com (74.125.136.101), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
1 router (192.168.178.1) 0.249 ms 0.215 ms 0.233 ms
2 10.212.192.1 (10.212.192.1) 7.129 ms 7.179 ms 7.172 ms
3 sk-rc0001-ds102-vl202.core.as9143.net (213.51.138.129) 9.766 ms 14.201 ms 14.175 ms
4 gn-rc0002-cr102-ae12-0.core.as9143.net (213.51.157.10) 15.035 ms 15.034 ms 15.027 ms
5 asd-tr0409-cr102-ae2-0.core.as9143.net (213.51.158.36) 18.159 ms 18.051 ms 18.125 ms
6 72.14.211.107 (72.14.211.107) 18.132 ms 19.822 ms 18.035 ms
7 209.85.254.90 (209.85.254.90) 16.252 ms 209.85.254.95 (209.85.254.95) 13.671 ms 209.85.254.90 (209.85.254.90) 17.580 ms
8 209.85.255.70 (209.85.255.70) 18.385 ms 16.397 ms 209.85.255.72 (209.85.255.72) 14.461 ms
9 216.239.49.28 (216.239.49.28) 19.364 ms 216.239.49.36 (216.239.49.36) 19.399 ms 216.239.49.28 (216.239.49.28) 18.872 ms^C
If it gets stuck at say pint 5, then do a whois asd-tr0409-cr102-ae2-0.core.as9143.net, or ip_to_country -i 213.51.158.36
I wrote ip_to_country, its on my site (C code) is uses a database maintained by others.
> In any case, what do i use for IP_ADDRESS as it may be variable (soi >cannot make a batch program).
> I now use Win2K, but used to NEVER have these problems.
OK, cannot help there..
You would not be sending a zillion spam emails and your computers used by some botnet?
I use 'snort' utility for network monitoring.
Not sure if it has a MS windows version.
> Martin Brown wrote:
> > On 27/10/2012 05:00, Robert Baer wrote:
> >> Have NIC card replacing on-board Ethernet support now; made zero
> >> difference WRT problems:
> >> 1) Say i attempt to login to my Google e-mail or other account OR change
> >> pages while browsing (say looking for parts on Mouser website).
> >> Data transmission and reception STOPS for an indeterminate amount of
> >> time and may or may not continue for an indeterminate amount of time -
> >> sometimes "forever".
> > When you say "network" do you mean ethernet, ADSL or wet string?
> * Ethernet direcly to Comcast modem.
> Robert Baer has brought this to us :
> > Nobody wrote:
> >> On Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800, Robert Baer wrote:
> >>> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash
> >>> the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
> >> Capturing network packets requires a device driver. If there are any bugs
> >> in that driver, it can crash the OS. So, there are no guarantees, but
> >> that's true for any device driver, including the ones written by
> >> Microsoft, Intel, nVidia et al.
> >> It works, and it is probably the least likely to crash the OS (by virtue
> >> of being mature, actively developed, and widely used).
> > Thanks; will try that on a BACKUP copy. Decided to get ver 1.6 instead of
> > latest 1.8 (32-bit,natch with hopes Win2K will allow it).
> You started out I thiink relatig this problem to News Groups.
> Does your local ISP use a service from GigaNews as mine (IInet) here in
> Aus does?
> For the last week or more it has been very eratic much like you
> describe with no apparent problems for Internet or Email.
> Whatever the problem it seems to have been fixed now.
Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:23:55 -0800, Robert Baer
> <robertb...@localnet.com> wrote:
>> Thanks; will try that on a BACKUP copy. Decided to get ver 1.6 >>instead of latest 1.8 (32-bit,natch with hopes Win2K will allow it).
> Thanks for disclosing that you're using Windoze 2000. It really does
> help to know what OS version you're using.
> There's not enough info (i.e. numbers) to make a good guess as to the
> culprit. However, my bad guess(tm) would be that you have a DNS
> problem. Your primary DNS server probably is mistyped into your
> router configuration, or mistyped into the W2K network configuration.
> With the primary DNS lookup failing, the secondary DNS server takes
> over. However, it does take about 15 seconds for the OS to give up on
> the primary and switch to the secondary, resulting in the delays
> you're seeing. (Yes, I've screwed up and done this to myself a few
> times).
> Try:
> Power cycle your router to clear its DNS cache.
> Start -> run -> cmd <enter>
> ipconfig /flushdns
> ipconfig /all (look for the IP address of the DNS servers)
> If they point to the IP address of your router, login to your router,
> and check that you either have the DNS servers set automatically by
> PPPoE or DHCP from the ISP, or that you have the correct static DNS
> server IP addresses scribbled into the boxes.
This is interesting, I too run W2k for something's and this here is one of them. I have been getting random network blank outs too.
But I got thinking of something however, I have an old, real old switch on the network that this computer goes through. With the
use of the V6/V5 socket system, I wonder if there is an issue going on for allocation of the 4 digit 8 bit network address to be translated
for those that are not using the newer network addresses?
It's just a thought and most likely has nothing to do with the problem,
but it's an interesting hypothesis and most likely has nothing to do with it.
I support a few remote mountaintop weather stations and camera servers
currently running W2K. These are slowly being moved to XP or Linux
(currently undecided). No virus scanner and no problems with W2K for
many years. Biggest headache is getting the application vendors to
continue W2K support. 2nd biggest headache is that changing from
small footprint W2K to either XP or Linux requires a hardware upgrade.
>I've tried a few DNS evaluation schemes, but I like Steve Gibson's the >best.
I prefer Googles DNS benchmark program:
<http://code.google.com/p/namebench/>
Both programs should show any time delay for a new (non-cached) DNS
lookup, thus either proving or disproving my wild guess(tm).
>Note that some modems (cable/DSL) have a placeholder for the DNS, >but you don't want to use it if you have a router. Rather plug the DNS >addresses in the router.
Far too many consumer routers have unsufficient RAM to cache a large
number of DNS lookups. When the router DNS cache gets corrupted,
everyone on the network has problems. I try NOT to have the
workstations point to the router for DNS lookups, but rather have them
point directly to their favorite DNS server.
>If opendns turns out to be the best, I would use something else. I don't >like how opendns takes it upon itself to fire up a search engine if the >request can't be serviced. I rather have it fail because I probably >mistyped something. I can correct it faster than their search.
Some of my customer use OpenDNS Family Shield DNS filtering service to
keep the kids out of known bad sites. Other than ocassional
weirdness, no problems.
<jamie_ka1lpa_not_valid_after_ka1l...@charter.net> wrote:
>This is interesting, I too run W2k for something's and this here is one >of them. I have been getting random network blank outs too.
Sigh. It's contagious.
Dumb story: One day at work, I declared a problem that I was having
with a transmitter was "parasitic oscillations". Within a week, every
tech on the production line and some of the engineers were declaring
that their problems were due to parasitic oscillations, even though
they didn't have a clue what it was or how to fix it. A great
demonstration of the power of magic buzzwords and suggestions.
> But I got thinking of something however, I have an old, real old >switch on the network that this computer goes through. With the
>use of the V6/V5 socket system, I wonder if there is an issue going on >for allocation of the 4 digit 8 bit network address to be translated
>for those that are not using the newer network addresses?
Long ago, with a customer best forgotten, I had to deal with some
ancient 10baseT managed switches. The problem was that RAM was
expensive at the time, and the switch manufacturer didn't include
enough. For an ethernet switch to work, it needs to store a table of
MAC address to ethernet port numbers, so it knows where to shovel the
packets. If the table is too small, the switch should discard old
addresses to make room for new addresses. The process is quite fast,
and rarely causes a problem. Not with this switch. Instead of
clearing one entry, it would flush the entire table and start over.
Repopulating the table didn't take very long, but when faced with
another deluge of MAC addresses, it would almost continuously be
flushing the table. The result was with a few machines, it worked
just fine. However, once it crossed some threshold that caused the
table to be flushed, traffic through the switch was erratic, tended to
stall for anywhere between a few seconds to several minutes, or
created huge packet losses. It would work on my bench and at the
manufacturers test lab, but not at the customers. I found a MAC
address generator (originally used in a DoS denial of service attack)
to generate enough random MAC addresses to make it fall over, and
convince the manufacturer that it was their problem.
However, if "newer" means the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, there
should not be any problem at the switch level, which only works at ISO
Layer 2 with MAC addresses and not Layer 3 with IP addresses. At the
MAC address layer, IPv4 and IPv6 both look the same. If your LAN is
running a VLAN, you might have other problems if the switch can't
handle VLAN packets.
On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 05:07:58 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
<mike.terr...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Have you unplugged the cable modem to reset it?
Some (Arris) cable routers have a built in backup battery for the VoIP
part of the puzzle. Power cycling doesn't work. You have to take a
paper clip and punch the reset button in back.
If you suspect that the CMTS part of the puzzle is having a bad day,
that side can be "reset" by simply unplugging the coax cable, waiting
about 15 minutes, and plugging it back in. I'm not sure exactly how
long it really takes, but when I need a break, it's a convenient
excuse.
On Saturday morning, we have a local power outage that pulled the plug
on 17,000 customers. It's now Monday morning and my phones are
ringing furiously. UPS's with dead batteries, routers that reset
themselves to defaults, data corruption, blown LCD monitor, hung
computers, comatose switches and modems, etc. Life is good. Remind
me to send a thank you card to PG&E.
I used that google DNS benchmarker originally, which is how i ended up on opendns. Have you tried Steve Gibson's benchmarker? It took 37 minutes, but really flogged all the DNS servers thoroughly. In addition, I pinged them to see if the timing is stable. Yes, I know pinging a DNS is not the same as using one, but it is indicative of the connection. I ended up using Level 3's DNS.
Gibson is Mr. Lean Code. The program is 164kbytes. He must program in freakin' assembler.
Win2k is probably fine if you don't put email on the system, which is unlikely on a remote system. It is the people with outdated windows on their desktops that are a problem.
I limit email to one desktop and a Blackberry. Good luck hacking a FIPS 140-2 qualified device. I should do email on the linux box, but all the old mail is on windows, and I like to look at the archive.
I don't know about Android, but you can buy quite a bit of software to put on an iphone that in theory makes it as secure as a FIPS 140-2 device, but it doesn't get the actual rating. Some, but sadly not many, enterprise iphone users go through that hassle. Still, it is just a bandage for a device with poor native security.
And the address book is the prime target for any phone hacker. You get control of email, you got it all these days.
> On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 05:07:58 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
> <mike.terr...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Have you unplugged the cable modem to reset it?
> Some (Arris) cable routers have a built in backup battery for the VoIP
> part of the puzzle. Power cycling doesn't work. You have to take a
> paper clip and punch the reset button in back.
> If you suspect that the CMTS part of the puzzle is having a bad day,
> that side can be "reset" by simply unplugging the coax cable, waiting
> about 15 minutes, and plugging it back in. I'm not sure exactly how
> long it really takes, but when I need a break, it's a convenient
> excuse.
'Blighthouse' uses cheap Scientific Atlanta modems that need powered
down every couple months when they are new, and as often as once a week,
when they are old.
> On Saturday morning, we have a local power outage that pulled the plug
> on 17,000 customers. It's now Monday morning and my phones are
> ringing furiously. UPS's with dead batteries, routers that reset
> themselves to defaults, data corruption, blown LCD monitor, hung
> computers, comatose switches and modems, etc. Life is good. Remind
> me to send a thank you card to PG&E.
> On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:51:28 -0500, Jamie
> <jamie_ka1lpa_not_valid_after_ka1l...@charter.net> wrote:
> >This is interesting, I too run W2k for something's and this here is one
> >of them. I have been getting random network blank outs too.
> Sigh. It's contagious.
> Dumb story: One day at work, I declared a problem that I was having
> with a transmitter was "parasitic oscillations". Within a week, every
> tech on the production line and some of the engineers were declaring
> that their problems were due to parasitic oscillations, even though
> they didn't have a clue what it was or how to fix it. A great
> demonstration of the power of magic buzzwords and suggestions.
> > But I got thinking of something however, I have an old, real old
> >switch on the network that this computer goes through. With the
> >use of the V6/V5 socket system, I wonder if there is an issue going on
> >for allocation of the 4 digit 8 bit network address to be translated
> >for those that are not using the newer network addresses?
> Long ago, with a customer best forgotten, I had to deal with some
> ancient 10baseT managed switches. The problem was that RAM was
> expensive at the time, and the switch manufacturer didn't include
> enough. For an ethernet switch to work, it needs to store a table of
> MAC address to ethernet port numbers, so it knows where to shovel the
> packets. If the table is too small, the switch should discard old
> addresses to make room for new addresses. The process is quite fast,
> and rarely causes a problem. Not with this switch. Instead of
> clearing one entry, it would flush the entire table and start over.
> Repopulating the table didn't take very long, but when faced with
> another deluge of MAC addresses, it would almost continuously be
> flushing the table. The result was with a few machines, it worked
> just fine. However, once it crossed some threshold that caused the
> table to be flushed, traffic through the switch was erratic, tended to
> stall for anywhere between a few seconds to several minutes, or
> created huge packet losses. It would work on my bench and at the
> manufacturers test lab, but not at the customers. I found a MAC
> address generator (originally used in a DoS denial of service attack)
> to generate enough random MAC addresses to make it fall over, and
> convince the manufacturer that it was their problem.
> However, if "newer" means the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, there
> should not be any problem at the switch level, which only works at ISO
> Layer 2 with MAC addresses and not Layer 3 with IP addresses. At the
> MAC address layer, IPv4 and IPv6 both look the same. If your LAN is
> running a VLAN, you might have other problems if the switch can't
> handle VLAN packets.
Someone managed to hack a Linksys WRG54T wireless router I had, and
had it running port scans on computers. The firewall was blocking the
attempts, but it stopped the network when it would kick in.
John G wrote:
> Robert Baer has brought this to us :
>> Nobody wrote:
>>> On Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:00:49 -0800, Robert Baer wrote:
>>>> Does anyone KNOW which ones (a) work, (b) does NOT and CANNOT crash
>>>> the computer - most especially does NOT and CANNOT crash the OS?
>>> Capturing network packets requires a device driver. If there are any
>>> bugs
>>> in that driver, it can crash the OS. So, there are no guarantees, but
>>> that's true for any device driver, including the ones written by
>>> Microsoft, Intel, nVidia et al.
>>> It works, and it is probably the least likely to crash the OS (by virtue
>>> of being mature, actively developed, and widely used).
>> Thanks; will try that on a BACKUP copy. Decided to get ver 1.6 instead
>> of latest 1.8 (32-bit,natch with hopes Win2K will allow it).
> You started out I thiink relatig this problem to News Groups.
> Does your local ISP use a service from GigaNews as mine (IInet) here in
> Aus does?
> For the last week or more it has been very eratic much like you describe
> with no apparent problems for Internet or Email.
> Whatever the problem it seems to have been fixed now.
Maybe the basic from: to: etc does not say; i use teranews as my ISP seems to have decided to abandon NGs.
BUT.
The packet send/receive "burps" of inaction happen when i switch pages / URLs.
Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:23:55 -0800, Robert Baer
> <robertb...@localnet.com> wrote:
>> Thanks; will try that on a BACKUP copy. Decided to get ver 1.6
>> instead of latest 1.8 (32-bit,natch with hopes Win2K will allow it).
> Thanks for disclosing that you're using Windoze 2000. It really does
> help to know what OS version you're using.
> There's not enough info (i.e. numbers) to make a good guess as to the
> culprit. However, my bad guess(tm) would be that you have a DNS
> problem. Your primary DNS server probably is mistyped into your
> router configuration, or mistyped into the W2K network configuration.
> With the primary DNS lookup failing, the secondary DNS server takes
> over. However, it does take about 15 seconds for the OS to give up on
> the primary and switch to the secondary, resulting in the delays
> you're seeing. (Yes, I've screwed up and done this to myself a few
> times).
> Try:
> Power cycle your router to clear its DNS cache.
> Start -> run -> cmd<enter>
> ipconfig /flushdns
> ipconfig /all (look for the IP address of the DNS servers)
> If they point to the IP address of your router, login to your router,
> and check that you either have the DNS servers set automatically by
> PPPoE or DHCP from the ISP, or that you have the correct static DNS
> server IP addresses scribbled into the boxes.
I have no eXplicit router; the NIC card (used to use motherboard built-in Ethernet) goes directly to my Comcast modem; no way to change or mis-type any address.
