Wireless Networking → Freezing when Transfering Files thru network! Help

This is the weirdest thing ever! Ok..

I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 Router on one computer and it is networked to a Computer about 50 feet away with the Linksys WMP11 Wireless Card. The link quality and signal strength is at the "good range". However, sometimes when I am using the computer with the WMP11 card my mouse freezes for no reason. But my main concern is... When i go to transfer files from one computer to the other the transfer starts to work and then in a short period of time the copying pop up freezes and wont transfer the rest of the files in the folder, and at the same time the mouse freezes. But the computer still works with the mouse frozen if I navigate with my keyboard. When the copying pop up freezes and wont transfer any more files from the folder it then comes up with a error message saying network is busy. Im running Windows Me on the router and Windows 98 on the WMP11 Wireless Card. Can someone please tell me what is configured wrong or how to transfer files successfully. I appreciate it. Thankyou.

Please help me I've tried everything and have worked on this for many hours, and its not like Im computer illiterate. Thanks.

It's an ME bug. I chased it for a month with MS level 2 before I gave up. Browsing My Network Places causes some kind of broadcast storm (watch the lights on your router when the lockup happens). The following helped, but did not always fix:

Grab the file from the 98 machine, instead of the ME box. 98 does not have the problem.

Share the lowest level directory you can. Browsing through multiple folders (\\computername\c\my documents\microsoft\word\august\report.doc) triggers the storm. In this example, sharing the "august" directory would probably work better than sharing the entire C drive.

Rather than using the network places shortcuts, expand the icon below them - entire network - and drill down through the systems and directories.

Map a share as a network drive.

Upgrade to W2K. I actually gave up on this to play with Linux, but after my experience with Samba I can't recommend that as a better way to sharing files.

Thank you for the help... If I go with Windows 98Se on the machine that has Windows ME should I be fine when transferring files?

Thank you

In my experience, yes. W2K & 98 work fine. Some ME systems surely do as well. As part of my testing I built a system from scratch. The problem did not exist. I added all of the Windows updates, one at a time. The transfers started to get sketchy after I applied a browsing security patch. IE 6 pushed it over the edge, and I could easily reproduce the problem by browsing multiple directories. I was sure that I had the problem before I went to IE 6 on my other systems, but did not uninstall it or try different combinations of IE and various ME updates to further isolate it.

Hopefully, you didn't lose too much hair over this. I was all over the MS knowledge base and did not find anything about this issue when I was first trying to solve it. Don't know if it's been documented since.

Thank you for your help. So your suggestion basically is just to have both systems on windows 98 and when I transfer files everything should be fine? Also are u saying that I should download IE6 on these new systems or not. Thank you for your help, because before i reformat the Windows ME computer I want to make sure my network will transfer the files succesfully. Thanks.

I've not seen the problem on W98 or W2K using IE6. I have seen it on four systems using ME. I had a friend test as well. He had the problem with ME. Gone after he moved to XP.

If you are reluctant to re-format (I would be), try some of the other things first. Create a folder in the root directory called "share" on the W98 system. On the ME box, map that directory as a network drive. Transfer a few things to test it. Do the same thing again, only in reverse. Create the "share" folder on the ME box and map it in W98. Not exactly point & click, but beats two days of reloading.

One last thing, I tried mapping a network drive and the same error came. I will be reformating tonight to windows 98 and I will be praying that it works. Thanks again

said by computerman8:

---

Thank you for your help. So your suggestion basically is just to have both systems on windows 98 and when I transfer files everything should be fine? Also are u saying that I should download IE6 on these new systems or not. Thank you for your help, because before i reformat the Windows ME computer I want to make sure my network will transfer the files succesfully. Thanks.

---

Try removing the NetBEUI protocol binding to your network card/wireless card in your network properties. You should have only TCP/IP still bound (you'll then be running NETBIOS (i.e. Windows networking) over TCP/IP).

I've seen all kinds of goofy behavior out of Win 9x/ME trying to run the NETBEUI protocol over various wireless links. TCP/IP transfers should work fine. Note that XP no longer even installs (or supports) the NETBEUI protocol.

Bob

I have never had NetBEUI on my system.. in my network neighborhood on the wireless card computer i have the wireless card adapter and a tcp/icp protocl and windows logon and file and printer sharing. So I dont think NetBEUI is a problem

Same here. Only TCP/IP configured. For testing, I set up a NetBEUI only deal and it did not exhibit the symptom; same with IPX/SPX. Hope the W98 downgrade does it for you.

Hey guys... I'm honestly about to cry I am so frustrated. I have worked on this network problem for over 10 hours! Just like you suggested, I reformated and went with Windows 98. I installed the Ethernet driver and my internet was working. But... I have the same problem as previously where my mouse freezes after the transfer freezes. This time I had a transfer of about 5 minutes and a different error.. but I still cant transfer files successfully even on both machines running Windows 98. I tried transferring a file from another comp using the network neighborhood (using the machine im about to receive the file) Maybe I need to send the file with the file on it to this machine I used.. but I dont think thats the problem. I need more suggestions. I really appreciate the help.

What's the new error? How large is this file?

Hey, well I tried to transfer files on both computers and both times it didnt work. I sent a folder that was about 100 megs. I didn't think that should be a problem. The error message that comes up when the copying and my mouse freezes is : "Cannot create or replace (The file it was currently trying to copy):The network is busy. Hopefully you will have some suggestions for me. Thank you for being quick on your replies No Strings and being so helpful. Thanks.

I've never seen that specific error, although I have seen a similar one when trying to copy certain Windows files. It sounds like a sharing violation. What happens when you select only some of the files in the folder rather than the entire folder? This is ugly. I wish I could offer more help.

Hey,
When I do small files of like 2-5 megabytes it happens to work like those specific files in that folder. But I cant transfer anything with a decent amount of megabytes. This problem is killing me because I have to transfer a total amount of 9 gigs from my other harddrive on to this computer. I dont know what to do! Do you suggest I get rid of the Linksys wireless card and buy another one to go with my router. If you do can u give me a suggestion on which one it would be, that would work with my Linksys BEFWS114 Router. Thanks

If you could borrow another card, it would be nice to see if the symptoms changed. Any 802.11b card should work with the S4. I wouldn't run out & buy a different brand as I'm not convinced that it's the trouble source. That said, I don't know what to do to further isolate it.

I'm assuming that you have the latest drivers and firmware for everything.

I don't know if using another program for transfer, such as Norton Ghost would be better or not. That would depend, I suppose, if Windows or the WiFi is the culprit.

One last thought. You might try re-installing the TCP/IP stack on the wired system. Long shot, though.

Anyone else with suggestions is welcome to join in.

Thanks for the help. I just dont know why it wont work! This is so odd and frustrating

Ok well, I forgot to mention that when I transfer files from one computer to the other the signal strength and link quality go from good to poor. Could the problem be that my signal strength and link quality is to poor to transfer all the files succesfully, and if so would buying a better Wireless Card be better than my WMP11 from Linksys?

Ahh. My advice was predicated on your original comment which indicated a strong link. If you're losing the link during a transfer, that's a very different beast.

Move the devices closer to ensure that it's really a signal strength issue. If the problem is still there, it's not the wireless. Run a piece of cat5 to test.

If you replace the WMP11, you have two options: A PCI adapter and PC card or a USB adapter. USB has the advantage of allowing flexibility in placement, but many have posted with issues trying to network with USB. The other option, PC card/PCI adapter, is pricey. It also typically puts the radio & antenna in the back of the PC, against a wall. Not optimum for range or performance. Orinoco is the favorite around here as an alternative to what you're using. A Linksys WPC11 (with adapter) v2.5 or v3 might also be better.

Yes, sorry about not telling you the signal and link quality go down when transferring.