Help please!!!! XP networking

[opetero]

Before I go into specifics of the network I want to outline what is happening.

I have had this problem for almost 2 years, I get the network working for a period of time then something crashes it and I spend days trying to get it working again. I pray everytime
I do any changes that it won't go down as I have not found the cause or cure for the problems. Just trying the same things over and over eventually gets the network functioning again.

To get the network working originally took about 2 weeks and it started functioning only after I found out about a very sparsely documented registry key, "IrpStackSize". None of the documentation clearly explains what this key controls, but my take is that it is some kind of cache that keeps a list of the resources on the network.

I have 1 machine on the network that has about 400gb of HD with extensive directory structure and I believe this HD is what is causing the problem. Something causes an overflow and a datafile gets corrupted so the machines on the network cannot get the list of resources.

The network was originally connected to the internet through a cable modem so it is networked through a linksys router / switch / access point. I no longer have access to cable and am now using Direcway 2 way satellite for internet. It connects through a USB modem which needs to be connected directly to a computer.

The current crash happened while trying to share this internet connection on the network.

Adding any computer to the network, especially a non XP machine will bring down the whole network. I was using an older 1 way sat connection that wouldn't run in XP and gave up trying to share it on the network after trying for about 2 weeks to share it on an ME machine.

Details:

The network does not use DHCP as some machines are dual boot and it got crazy trying to keep track of assigned addressing. The addressing on the network is set manually and does not change while it is working or crashed.

DEVICE - Linksys router/switch/ap

DHCP server is disabled and the IP address is changed as the default address gets defaulted to as a gateway on a lot of devices.

MShome is the network name used on all machines.

I have enabled netbios over TCP/IP on all machines.

Zone Alarm was installed on all computers but is uninstalled on all machines but the host. I have tried it with & without ZA with no change.

4 computers -

M1) XP pro P4 - 1.7ghz - 1gb ram - 400gb hd
1 NIC - 10/100

M2) Dual boot- XP pro&2k P3 - 900mhz - 256mb ram - 60gbhd
2 NIC - 10/100
this computer is a RIP for a large format printer and one NIC which runs an encrypted TCP/IP is used to access the printer. Dual boot because the videonet TCP/IP does not support XP.

M3) XP home - P3 - 1.2ghz 512mb ram - 60gb
1 NIC 10/100
1 NIC USB satellite modem

M4) Dual boot XP home & ME P3 - 700mhz 256mb ram 40gb
1 Wireless NIC
The ME is to run the 1-way sat.

SYMPTOMS

Randomly machines cannot ping each other or can ping each other but cannot share resources.

example: right now M3 can ping M1, in dos M3 will give me a directory of M1 by nameing the resource (dir \\desktop\c\.). In network places or explorer it doesn't show M1 or any other computers.

A few minutes later trying the same command will cause the computer to access the hard drive intensively for about 3 minutes and then return. "network path not found"

M1 will not ping M3 (returns error 65) but shows M3 in the list of network resources. If you try to access it in network places the computer hangs for 1 to 2 minutes and then returns.

"\\hplaptop is not accessable - check permissions etc?? - the network path was not found."

Sometimes a machine will show other computers on the network but not itself (also won't ping itself).

I have tried multiple times turning everything off and starting it up in pieces to see if a particular machine is introducing the problem. No conclusive results - sometimes it results in some of the computers connecting.

A typical scenario when adding a new computer to the network is - for about a minute when it is first connected it sees the network and the network sees it. After the minute the whole
network goes down and stays down even after the new computer is disconnected and the network is rebooted. It can take days of randomly removing drivers and re-installing them and playing with network settings until settings comparable to the original settings will work again.

I have GoBack installed on all machines and reverting the machines to before the new computer was added to the network will usually get the network functioning again. This makes me suspect that some networking data file gets corrupted and causes the problem. I have no idea what file this might be.

Any insights on cause or procedures that might help diagnose what is going on would be very much appreciated.

[DoGG]

Hey there,
Didnt read your whole post but 3 things to consider...Ive fixed my networking problems by NOT installing Zonealarm.Ran into headaches with it and uninstalled it and then couldnt get machines talking until I reinstalled it!Did a clean reinstall,no Zonealarm and added Netbeui proto to XP to share resources as tcp/ip wasnt behaving reliably and voila stability.Oh ya another thing if possible try setting nics to 10mbs instead of auto and from the same maker if possible.I share from my XP machine and once in a while a '98 machine wont show on the network I,ve run a search for the server and it shows up there.Par for the course in Billy's World.Hope this was of some help...later