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VPC5.1 - vpc and desktop freezes when I'm about to connect to the Internet

Started by melf, 2012.03.20, 16:42:09

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melf

I used VPC5.1 for some years ago (on eCS2.0 or some RC I don't remember). Now I installed on eCS2.1. I'm running XP SP3 inside with guest additions. Works fine, until I try to connect to the Internet. Exactly at the moment FF or IE is announcing "Connectin..." VPC freezes and eCS CPU meter goes up to 99,9%. I can kill VPC by pressing Ctrl+Enter and waiting for the "kill" message or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and killing with CAD. After that my mouse pointer is not visible, but it is there and can be used (although this is a little hard...). I have to reboot to get it back.

If I disable radio in XWlan the freeze does not happen. I use NAT (virtual switch make wlan to not work). Network wlancard is Intel 2200 BG (GenMAc driver). I have about 1,5GB RAM and 400GB is dedicated to VPC.

Vbox shows no such issues at all.

Do someone have an idea of what might be happening?
/Mikael

Pete

Hi melf

Sorry, no idea about the connectivity problem - no wireless and using virtual switch myself - but here is a tip that sometimes works to get a mouse pointer to become visible again: tab your way into the Programs -> Utilities folder and start the Text Editor.


Regards

Pete


melf

/Mikael

marcbryant

I had that happen once. Don't know if this will help but go to control panel, click on network connections and then click on repair connection and see if that helps.

regards,

Marc

melf

Hi Marc, unfortunately that doesn't change anything. It repairs and then everything freezes as usual when I open the browser. Before the freezes, network claims it is connected. I can ping from winXP to the IP of my wireless device, but not the opposite way.
/Mikael

Blonde Guy

I use VPC, but always with Virtual Switch. I need a Cisco VPN client, and that requires the Virtual Switch connection. In fact, I'd forgotten we even had any way to use VPC with a WiFi card. So for me, I'd use an external WiFi device with the wired LAN. Ugly, but it gets you there.

This should all be fixed soon^H^H^H^Hsomeday with MultiMac on Intel WiFi.
Expert Consulting for OS/2 and eComStation

abwillis

Quote from: Blonde Guy on 2012.03.22, 03:23:09
I use VPC, but always with Virtual Switch. I need a Cisco VPN client, and that requires the Virtual Switch connection. In fact, I'd forgotten we even had any way to use VPC with a WiFi card. So for me, I'd use an external WiFi device with the wired LAN. Ugly, but it gets you there.

This should all be fixed soon^H^H^H^Hsomeday with MultiMac on Intel WiFi.
Will the Multimac driver allow promiscuous mode?  I had understood that was a hardware limitation as opposed to driver.   It is possible to use Virtual Switch while WiFi connected though it requires setup on both the machine and the router (on the router a static route must be setup). 

DougB

I am not sure what is happening, but I use VPC 5.1, with virtual switch, on my ThinkPad T510 using the Intel Multimac driver 1.8 (NOT wireless). It works fine using DHCP for the host, and the clients.

I also use VPC 5.1 on my ThinkPad T43, with GENMAC drivers for the Broadcom NIC, and Intel (2915) WiFi. I don't think I ever even considered using VPC with the WiFi, but I just tried it, and it, somehow, disables the NIC, so it won't connect. It does work fine on the wired NIC, using DHCP for the host, and the clients.

On my main system, I have a Realtek 8169 (to replace a defective 8168 that is built in). I haven't tried VPC with the new Multimac driver, but VPC worked fine, using GENMAC, with DHCP for the host, and the clients. Okay, so I tried VPC with the new Multimac driver for the 8169. Using DHCP in WinXP, I get an address (It does take a minute, or so, to get the initial address), but I am not able to ping the router, or any machine, other than the host machine. If I select to use NAT, I can get to the internet, and I can ping the host, but without playing around with some messy routing, I cannot access the rest of my computers (as expected).

It appears that Virtual Switch has some problems with WiFi adapters, and it seems that the Multimac Realtek 8169 driver (just released) has some issues with it too. The Multimac Intel driver (v 1.8) seems to be fine.

melf

Thanks for input! Last time I used VPC in a working setting with virtual switch on wifi was when I used IBM HIgh Rate Wireless Lan - worked fine. If my memory is correct I have however had NAT working with other wlan cards - most certainly using GenMac.

Although I don't know how VPC and vbox differs in handling NAT, it seems strange that vbox works and VPC not. From an amatuerist point of view, it seems to be some kind of overflow or overload exactly at the moment of connection.
/Mikael

DougB

In VPC, or VBox, the client should not see anything different when you select various options. The difference is in how Virtual Switch, TAP, or NAT, connects to the actual hardware and it's driver. GENMAC, especially with WLAN adapters, is pretty flaky at the best of times (when it works, it works good, but sometimes, it just doesn't want to work).

I do have VBox installed on my main machine (but no working clients, at the moment). I notice that VPC 5.1 offers the TAP driver as an option when configuring the Virtual switch. I may give that a try, and see what happens.

DougB

QuoteI notice that VPC 5.1 offers the TAP driver as an option when configuring the Virtual switch. I may give that a try, and see what happens.

Well, that actually worked better than I expected, but it did get ugly after a short period.   :-*

I guess you need to try various combinations, until you run out of options, or it works. There is no point in trying to get GENMAC fixed, but I am pretty sure that Multimac should work with Virtual Switch. The intel version 1.8 does work, but the Realtek 8169 version has problems, although it works enough to get an IP address using DHCP. I may be able to test the NVETH vesion, sometime next week. When I find some time, I may try setting it up with a fixed address, and see what that does.

melf

Thanks for info Doug. I just tried NAT in a wired connection (Broadcom Netextreme ,B57). It worked the same way, ie freezing. Well, I'll go on experimenting, and see what's happening.

And Broadcom with virtual switch - no freeze but no go... :-) .
/Mikael

DougB

QuoteIt worked the same way, ie freezing.

This is starting to sound like you have problem in the client, and it doesn't matter which networking you try. Can you make a new virtual machine, install windows, and see if that works?

melf

/Mikael

melf

I couldn't wait to the night.. Well something must have gone wrong with the first installation, 'cause now it works! Thank's for all support, I highly appreciate it.
/Mikael