Windows networking

[bratwurst]

This was purchased from this guy in 1986 and it is written in Basic 4... It runs on a Unix based HP server and is accessed via a VPN even if you are located in the same building as the server.

It is accessed through Century's Tiny Term Emulator and has no real modern day functionality. It handles the customer data base, routing and usage tracking, invoicing, parts and counter sales, inventory, pricing and payroll... It does not generate any reports nor can you export any usable information.

With 29 computer assigned employees in 4 locations you it also does not allow for dual access to anyone item or bit of information. If A/R is working on DSO's and working an account the dispatcher cannot access information on that particular customer or any item (inventory and equipment) that is linked to that customer.

If a satelite location is selling an item, none of the other locations can sell that item or do inquiries as it relates to that item. After the item is sold it does not update inventories but rather prints out a dot matrix notification that is then taken and manually removed from inventory or faxed to the corporate office for inventory removal...

I could go on and on and on.... These are just "tip of the iceberg" points...

On a side they paid 40k for this initial program, and were paying him $400 a month in licensing and $100.00 per hour for technical support...

by the way there are actually 4 workgroups set up for the 29 comps, not just one...

OK - ASFN side project! Lets submit a proposal and bid to replace.

 

[CardFan67]

OK - ASFN side project! Lets submit a proposal and bid to replace.

Woo Hoo... that would be awesome... It is a really specific type of program that would be required as it relates to the dispatching needs...

The other items would be pretty standard...

 

[SweetD]

Woo Hoo... that would be awesome... It is a really specific type of program that would be required as it relates to the dispatching needs...

The other items would be pretty standard...

Why not move to Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Dynamics or you may be able to go an even cheaper route of Business Contact Manager and Small Business Accounting 2006. There are limitations on BCM and it is not very customizable like CRM.

 

[CardFan67]

I watched two very long demos on CRM Pro and small business and neither of them address any of the issues that I had stated... there are no routing tools at all... It looks great if I were running a call center with sales or maybe even a service call business such as heating and air conditioning... Guess that is why it is customer relationship manager...

My biz primary concerns are deliveries... product delivery based on an x factor of need... Every customer is a no call customer... we don't or primarily do not get calls for orders of our primary product, but rather automatically keep all customer stocked...

Largest factor that changes scheduled delivery frequency is temperature.. One of the best programs I have seen downloads information from accuweather based on customer zip code and calculated deliveries based on degree day heating and non-heating factors...

 

[Mike Olbinski]

This sucks, I have no idea what happened.

Now when I VPN into work, I can't use names there either...nothing resolves...

I used to be able to VPN in, map drives using names, and that's it.

What the frick is going on...i can ping it...

 

[dreamcastrocks]

what are you using for a router? What brand, or are you using a computer to do your routing?

If you can ping by IP, but not by name, it would definitely seem to suggest a DNS error.

What is your internet connection? Have you tried powercycling everything?

Can you ping to the workstation that is having the problem, can you ping FROM the workstation that is having the problem?
Can you resolve names from the workstation having the problem?

Try to ipconfig /release and
ipconfig /renew

on the bad workstation.

also do a ipconfig /all
on the non working machine, and also on a working machine and see if it resolves the same DNS.

I know you have answered a couple of the questions, just trying to help. Or see if anything has changed since.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Okay, one thing that appears to be the problem:

I have "Enable NetBios over TCP/IP" enabled in my settings for the TCP/IP settings...

yet when I do "ipconfig/ all" it shows up as disabled on both my local area network and my VPN.

What is going on?

 

[bratwurst]

This sucks, I have no idea what happened.

Now when I VPN into work, I can't use names there either...nothing resolves...

I used to be able to VPN in, map drives using names, and that's it.

What the frick is going on...i can ping it...

Did you flush the DNS cache?

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Did you flush the DNS cache?

Yeah, I did that...i think...

 

[Chaz]

This sucks, I have no idea what happened.

Now when I VPN into work, I can't use names there either...nothing resolves...

I used to be able to VPN in, map drives using names, and that's it.

What the frick is going on...i can ping it...

Is this the same computer that doesn't show up on your home network anymore?



This is not really a DNS issue Mike. It is a NetBIOS issue.

On the affected computer try at the command line: Nbtstat -n

It should list the local computer name.
If not it could be the NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on that computer.

Make sure the Computer Browser service is running on that computer.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Okay, one thing that appears to be the problem:

I have "Enable NetBios over TCP/IP" enabled in my settings for the TCP/IP settings...

yet when I do "ipconfig/ all" it shows up as disabled on both my local area network and my VPN.

What is going on?

Is this from the computer that is having the problem? Have you tried repairing the network connection? Are you receiving a DNS address from the non working computer? If so, do you receive the same DNS address as a working machine on the network?

 

[Chaz]

Okay, one thing that appears to be the problem:

I have "Enable NetBios over TCP/IP" enabled in my settings for the TCP/IP settings...

yet when I do "ipconfig/ all" it shows up as disabled on both my local area network and my VPN.

What is going on?

Hmmm

In addition to checking the service. Dbl check that File and printer sharing is installed for that adapter.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Is this the same computer that doesn't show up on your home network anymore?



This is not really a DNS issue Mike. It is a NetBIOS issue.

On the affected computer try at the command line: Nbtstat -n

It should list the local computer name.
If not it could be the NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on that computer.

Make sure the Computer Browser service is running on that computer.

Not necessarily. He should still be able to VPN into the computer, as long as the DNS is functioning.

 

[Chaz]

Not necessarily. He should still be able to VPN into the computer, as long as the DNS is functioning.

It sounds like he can complete the VPN he just can get NetBIOS name resolution.

i.e. \\computername\sharename

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Is this the same computer that doesn't show up on your home network anymore?



This is not really a DNS issue Mike. It is a NetBIOS issue.

On the affected computer try at the command line: Nbtstat -n

It should list the local computer name.
If not it could be the NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on that computer.

Make sure the Computer Browser service is running on that computer.

I run the Nbtstat -n:

"Failed to access NetBT driver - NetBT may not be loaded"

I think we've narrowed down my problem. Now, how do I load it?

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Is this from the computer that is having the problem? Have you tried repairing the network connection? Are you receiving a DNS address from the non working computer? If so, do you receive the same DNS address as a working machine on the network?

All being done on the problem computer.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=888373

 

[Mike Olbinski]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=888373

Yeah, that's not working because I'm the only user on this computer and I'm the Administrator on it.

 

[Chaz]

I run the Nbtstat -n:

"Failed to access NetBT driver - NetBT may not be loaded"

I think we've narrowed down my problem. Now, how do I load it?

Check:

Network properties: Enable NETBIOS over TCP/IP is selected

Services: Computer Browser service is running.

Event log: Check for errors or NetBT messages.



Reboot.

Try nbtstat again

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Check:

Event log: Check for errors or NetBT messages.

Initialization failed because the driver device could not be created.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

un and reinstalling netbios?
extra network card that you could swap out, so netbios tries to bind to an additional adapter.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Trying this

Failed to access NetBT driver -- NetBT may not be loaded

causes: 1. No rights to run NBTSTAT.
2. Missing NetBT parameters in registry.
3. NetBIOS is not enabled.
How can I install NetBEUI on WinXP?
A: NetBEUI is not included on XP by default. To install NetBEUI, 1) Copy Nbf.sys to the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\Drivers
directory from Windows XP CD - Valueadd\MSFT\Net\NetBEUI folder. 2) Copy Netnbf.inf to the %SYSTEMROOT%\Inf hidden
directory. 3) Go to Control Panel>Network Connections, right-click the adapter you want to add NetBEUI to, and then click Properties>General>Install>Protocol>Add>NetBEUI Protocol.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Argh none of this is helping...

Also set the Registry entry for NetBT > Start to a 2, which I read somewhere, that did nothing.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

This is a freaking joke...

I even tried to start it up via runas at the command line...i get nothing!

 

[SweetD]

Have you tried running a repair with your XP CD?