testbenchdude
asked on
Windows XP ... Net Use ... Sytem Error 53
Hi experts,
This is a strange one.
I have a computer network with two computers. One is a new Windows XP Media Center computer. The other is a Buffalo Terastation NAS (Linux based file share). Upon reboot I am unable to reconnect to mapped drives.
After a few hours of brute force I finally wrote a batch file that does the trick. It keeps trying to connect every 15 seconds until successful. It never gives up. Here is the batch file.
REM **************************
:BEGIN
REM ***
REM *** Wait 15 seconds and attempt to map nework drives
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 15 10000 > nul
net use L: /delete /yes
net use M: /delete /yes
net use L: \\ip_address\share_L
net use M: \\ip_address\share_M
IF NOT EXIST L: GOTO BEGIN
IF NOT EXIST M: GOTO BEGIN
:MIDDLE
REM ***
REM *** Wait 15 seconds and attempt to map nework drives
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 15 10000 > nul
net use L: /delete /yes
net use M: /delete /yes
net use L: \\server_name\share_L
net use M: \\server_name\share_M
IF NOT EXIST L: GOTO MIDDLE
IF NOT EXIST M: GOTO MIDDLE
REM **************************
This batch file works every time. It eventually gets the job done. I have a scheduled task in control panel that runs this batch file when a user logs on. It is curious that it usually takes 2 to 3 minutes before a successful connection and then the batch file exits.
Any ideas on how I can map a network drive on the first try? Waiting several minutes after logon for a network share to finally map seems a long time to wait.
Ed
This is a strange one.
I have a computer network with two computers. One is a new Windows XP Media Center computer. The other is a Buffalo Terastation NAS (Linux based file share). Upon reboot I am unable to reconnect to mapped drives.
After a few hours of brute force I finally wrote a batch file that does the trick. It keeps trying to connect every 15 seconds until successful. It never gives up. Here is the batch file.
REM **************************
:BEGIN
REM ***
REM *** Wait 15 seconds and attempt to map nework drives
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 15 10000 > nul
net use L: /delete /yes
net use M: /delete /yes
net use L: \\ip_address\share_L
net use M: \\ip_address\share_M
IF NOT EXIST L: GOTO BEGIN
IF NOT EXIST M: GOTO BEGIN
:MIDDLE
REM ***
REM *** Wait 15 seconds and attempt to map nework drives
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 15 10000 > nul
net use L: /delete /yes
net use M: /delete /yes
net use L: \\server_name\share_L
net use M: \\server_name\share_M
IF NOT EXIST L: GOTO MIDDLE
IF NOT EXIST M: GOTO MIDDLE
REM **************************
This batch file works every time. It eventually gets the job done. I have a scheduled task in control panel that runs this batch file when a user logs on. It is curious that it usually takes 2 to 3 minutes before a successful connection and then the batch file exits.
Any ideas on how I can map a network drive on the first try? Waiting several minutes after logon for a network share to finally map seems a long time to wait.
Ed
ASKER
Thanks for the advice. I tried this and still get the same thing.
I have now also noticed that once a drive is mapped it does not stay mapped forever. Somehow it forgets how to find the share. I think this is true even when mapping with either the ipaddress or the server name. This is making me think that I have a flakey router.
I've got Qwest DSL. The modem/router Qwest shipped me is an Actiontec 701-wg. I found new firmware for this modem/router and upgraded. (The new firmware did not look It's not that new 7/23/2004 ... but obviously different than it had).
After upgrading modem/router firmware and rebootin things appear to be better. I have turned off the scheduled batch job at logon and the mapped drives are connecting today.
Can you tell I'm writing this as I tinker??? I just noticed something curious. The Buffalo NAS is not showing up in the routers DHCP status screen. I think this is because I have assigned a static ip address to the NAS device.
Hmmm? I'm seeing strage things in my router status screen. The DHCP user list sometimes vanishes. I'm starting to think the Actiontec 701 is not a good router if you plan to have a file share on the network.
If this problem comes back I will next try to get a router with "static DHCP" capabilities. This type of router can reserve a particular ip address for a particular MAC address. This has the advantage that a file server can be configured for DHCP but also get assigned a predictable ip address by the router.
Ed
I have now also noticed that once a drive is mapped it does not stay mapped forever. Somehow it forgets how to find the share. I think this is true even when mapping with either the ipaddress or the server name. This is making me think that I have a flakey router.
I've got Qwest DSL. The modem/router Qwest shipped me is an Actiontec 701-wg. I found new firmware for this modem/router and upgraded. (The new firmware did not look It's not that new 7/23/2004 ... but obviously different than it had).
After upgrading modem/router firmware and rebootin things appear to be better. I have turned off the scheduled batch job at logon and the mapped drives are connecting today.
Can you tell I'm writing this as I tinker??? I just noticed something curious. The Buffalo NAS is not showing up in the routers DHCP status screen. I think this is because I have assigned a static ip address to the NAS device.
Hmmm? I'm seeing strage things in my router status screen. The DHCP user list sometimes vanishes. I'm starting to think the Actiontec 701 is not a good router if you plan to have a file share on the network.
If this problem comes back I will next try to get a router with "static DHCP" capabilities. This type of router can reserve a particular ip address for a particular MAC address. This has the advantage that a file server can be configured for DHCP but also get assigned a predictable ip address by the router.
Ed
Sound like something is flakey. I have no experience with that particular router/NAS devices. Can you connect on the same subnet as the NAS device and connect without delays/dropouts? If so, I would suspect something with the router. If it not, I would suspect something still wrong with the client or some timeout config on the NAS device. The fact that you updated the NAS firmware seems to point at the NAS device as being the problem.
ASKER
I updated the firmware in the DSL modem/router. I did not make any changes to the NAS (Buffalo TeraStation).
Things are working better after upgrading the modem/router firmware.
The next thing I'm going to try is to put the Actiontec DSL modem into bridge mode and use a business quality router. I'm considering the snapgear SG560. This router is a little expensive for my budget but it looks like a good choice. I've been wanting to add a VPN for mapping my NAS shares from remote locations and this router has those capabilities.
Ed
Things are working better after upgrading the modem/router firmware.
The next thing I'm going to try is to put the Actiontec DSL modem into bridge mode and use a business quality router. I'm considering the snapgear SG560. This router is a little expensive for my budget but it looks like a good choice. I've been wanting to add a VPN for mapping my NAS shares from remote locations and this router has those capabilities.
Ed
Good to hear it's working a bit better
Good luck with the new router
Good luck with the new router
ASKER
It is fine to close this. Since updating the router firmware this problem now only happens every once in a while. To my knowledge it has only happened once since my post on July 2nd. I didn't see it. It happened to somebody else and they called me for assistance. Of course, the problem went away as soon as we were both on the phone.
I think it is possible a new router will completely solve this problem. But plans for the new router have been delayed.
I hate these intermittent problems, they are nearly impossible to troubleshoot.
I think it is possible a new router will completely solve this problem. But plans for the new router have been delayed.
I hate these intermittent problems, they are nearly impossible to troubleshoot.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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It might be due to the local policy allowing you to logon before the network is initialized
run gpedit.msc from the run prompt
Navigate to:
Computer Configurationi\Administrat
Enable the option:
Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon.
do a GPupdate /force at the run prompt
logoff and logon and see if you can get your drives.