[Warning, longer post;]
Hi everyone, got one here that has me stumped.

Windows XP machine -> to Dlink 614+ router -> to Wireless internet box

Problems with:
--Browser sometimes not seeing internet (page not found)
--Warcraft 3 game not connecting to BattleNet at all

Strange symptom
-- Under Network Connections, Internet Connection Sharing option is now under my 1394(firewire) connection instead of the Local Area Connection where it belongs!?!?

Not long ago I started having an intermittent problem with using a web browser on the internet. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Closing and restarting the browser seemed to work sometimes but not others. Using the repair command on the network adapter seemed to work a couple times, but not usually. Im wondering if these were coincidence. Somtimes I can get browser to connect by restarting computer(usually seems to work, i think.)

Warcraft 3 won't connect at all.

The only things I can think that may have changed something to cause the problem are
(I believe in reverse chronological order, i.e. latest to earliest)

--hooked up an ME machine the other day to try to share internet. Did this by connecting it to router(through a couple AP900+'s in bridge mode). It actually worked-the browser on ME machine brought up websites. I cant remember if warcraft worked after that or not. I'm thinking it may not have.

--had upgraded my Zonealarm(free one) to the newest version. I seemed to have internet problems then so uninstalled ZA altogether.

--McAfee antivirus seemed to have computer running slow for a long time, so uninstalled it.

--(A while back tried a free trial TuneUpUtilities program and told it to optimize things. I dont think this caused a problem though, warcraft worked after this point)

I've tried
tracert uswest.battle.net (one server warcraft can connect to)
under Command Prompt. it said

tracing route to uswest.battle.net [63.241.83.110] over a maximum of 30 hops.
1 Transmit error: code 65.
Trace complete

I can ping some computers on the internet like yahoo. (Not microsoft or some others but im guessing they have the ping reply disabled). So this seems alright?

Also, tried an FTP download lately and that failed also.

Im not a computing guru, but what I seem to be seeing is this??
-HTTP through normal port works sometimes
-FTP didnt work(only tried it the once)
-game wont connect at all, Im pretty sure the game plays on port 6112, i dont know if that is also used for initial connection to BattleNet or not, i would guess so.
Maybe windows is blocking ports I don't know.
I do have protwall installed but that didnt cause a problem, and i unchecked it under the adapter.

The strangest is when i went under the properties for the Lan Connection- advanced - and the internet connection sharing wasnt there. But it is under the 1394 - advanced - where it doesnt belong. I connect to the internet through the LAN card, not the firewire port on the sound card(the 1394 is on Audigy2 card)

Sorry so long winded, but I am at a loss. Dont really have time for a while to reinstall windows(can this be done without erasing drive?) as I have to much to save and nowhere to put it right now.

Much thanks for any help on this problem. It has me truly frustrated.

Briefly reading through, coz its such a long post, i think its your firewalls

zonealarm
and DLINK routers built in firewall, yll need to learn how to forward and open ports etc

Dont reinstall windows, 90% sure it aint the prob

if i was you id try hooking your PC directly to your modem, no routers wireless etc. if it works you know its not windows

Jaymc.co.nr

Thanks for the help Jamie, I appreciate it.

It does seem like a firewall problem. The thing is, i have uninstalled Zonealarm and still no connection. (I did set up virual server and port forward etc..in router to allow me to --host-- games. I also opened ports on Windows built-in firewall to allow this hosting.) Just connecting to BattleNet to play games has always worked though, regardless of firewalls, router or otherwise. I have also disabled the windows firewall already. I have already also tried hooking PC directly to internet box and still no go.

Im not the greatest communicator, so heres the quick breakdown

- Tried hooking PC directly to wireless box(bypass router)
- No firewalls or antivirus are installed now(uninstalled both)
- Proper router ports are open I'm pretty sure
- Windows firewall is off

It seems as if the computer is still acting as if the windows firewall is on sometimes when it shouldnt be? else maybe the router has a problem. (the lan port light blinks when i can connect to website, but doesnt blink for warcraft when try to connect to Bnet.)

If the router is having a technical problem and not allowing outbound access on port that should be open(firewalling it) would the Lan light blink?

I should have given this other information earlier.

thanks again Jamie. With the extra info I dont know if you would have counted out windows or not, but thanx for the reply;)

If anybody has more Ideas I am open to suggestions...:)

why do you need to go through wireless box??

my advice, take off every firewall, check the task manager to ensure it isnt running

connect PC directly to modem, no wireless pilarver, then try

is it just warcraft thats the problem now. im not sure like but your ISP may have blocked access to that port. it may be worth checking with them, a simple phone call or check their website

i cant see it being windows... since the problem is pretty much port orientated

Jaymc.co.nr

Hey Jamie
I have a wireless internet connection to my ISP, thats what I meant by wireless box there (i shoulda been more clear). Every firewall is off. Zonealarm is actually uninstalled, windows firewall is off. Still no work even when connected directly to the modem.

Its not just a warcraft problem, web browser doesnt always work, unless that happens to be a separate problem and I dont know. I was thinking the problem was not because ISP blocked access to the port. I say this because the internet box has access lights(as does the router), and I am used to the lights always blinkin on access or even attempted access(i.e. bad web site address, but still blinking lights - I know DNS was contaced.) With Warcraft the lights dont blink at all leading me to think a signal isnt even making it outside the computer. I believe this is why bypassing the router and hooking up directly to the internet box hasnt worked.

Helluva tricky one in my book. I think you may be right about it being port oriented. I also thought bypassing the router should definatlely take care of the problem as you suggested trying. Very good idea about ISP blocking the port. Strange there would be no blinking lights on the internet box but I will definately give my ISP a call. If that doesn't work I dont know what to do. Reinstalling game didnt work, nor did no firewalls, no router, etc...
Direct connect with no extraneous interfering programs ought to have done it.

If all fails I may try reinstalling windows anyway. I havent done it yet on this box. If you have got another idea I would sure try it, you had good ideas. If not, no prob. Thanx again for the help. Later;)

Under Network Connections, Internet Connection Sharing option is now under my 1394(firewire) connection instead of the Local Area Connection where it belongs!?!?

If you have a router with wan connected to broadband connection and 1 port going to your desktop pc and another port going to your wireless access point or "box" You don't need Internet sharing option it kinda defeats the purpose of having a router. If you have too devices one being the router and the other being your xp box both sending out dhcp this could be the source of the problem. Disable or uninstall the internet connection sharing on all computers connected to your router.

Hope this may help.

Hey Chad,

Thanks for helping out. I know what you meant about not needing ICS. I think routers are much preferred for sharing an internet connection over using Internet Connection Sharing. I do not have the wireless bridge box hooked up anymore. That was just a test to see that sharing my internet connection through the router was going to work(it seemed to.) I disconnected it shortly after. So like before I had just my XP Box -> 614+ Router -> Broadband box(wireless internet)

ICS was disabled, I had only checked it to see if windows had gotton confused and maybe changed something, it only surprised me to find the ICS option under the wrong adapter, I still cant figure that one out.

I had been taking the Cat5 cable from the puter out of the router and plugging directly into the Broadband Box while computer was on with no succuess. I have now tried doing this while computer was off then turing computer on . Nogo. Tried repair connection at this point and get a Cant renew Ip Address error. Tried power cycling the Broadband Box while computer on, and this didnt work. Again couldnt Repair connection. Funny thing is, ipconfig showed all 0's for ip address and subnet mask. (I may have gotton some info here out of order, I tried more than a few things and should have taken better notes. Probably a lost cause now;)

After this I remembered something. Shortly after getting my Broadband Connnection my ISP switched to PPPOE. this gave me a dynamic IP but also had me running WinPOET. I remember I had to uninstall WinPOET to get my XP Box connecting to Broadband through router. So, I now connected directly to Broadband Box, but coulndt connect until I reinstalled WinPOET. This got my browser back online, but again Warcraft will not connect to battlenet. Truly strange. I will not pretend I know enough about the whole IP, DNS, DHCP scheme. But for the game to not be connecting now boggles me.

My current thinking is even though I reinstalled the game, maybe registry settings for game are and were corrupted(maybe these arent removed upon uninstall.) Guess I will try to uninstall game, remove any remaining settings from registry, then reinstall. If no go then I am finally lost for good. There are simply too many settings to understand. Under Network Connections, choosing properties for the adapter allows so many configurations. I usually go to properties for TCP/IP under the adapter, then sometimes into Advanced there but it is beyond my understanding. God help anyone with a computer!

Anyways, if still reading this far, thanks for the help guys. I don't ask for more help unless you feel like it or have a desparate need to improve your Karma:)Talk to ya later.