Cable broadband problem - 'Error Disconnecting' - help!

[theDruid]

Hi all,

I'm having a wierd problem - I cannot disconnect from my broadband as I normally do.

I have the little icon in the system tray which shows when I'm connected (via Ethernet to a cable modem), and I right click on and Disable if I want to disconnect.

However, I've started getting this error message:

Error Disconnecting
It is not possible to disconnect at this time. This connection may be using one or more protocols that do not support Plug-and-Play, or it may have been initiated by another user or the system account.

I've typed it out for the benefit of searches etc.. but here's the error dialog:



I've googled the error message, and come up with this page on the M$ site, which talks about Remote Access Server (RAS) connections, but I'm afraid it doesn't make much sense to me.

When I've tried to disconnect, if I restart the system it reboots with the broadband disconnected, but as soon as I reconnect I get the same situation.

I am a bit concerned that this sounds like some sort of virus/trojan horse etc.. but I have scanned with up-to-date AVG, Ad-Aware and HijackThis, and haven't come up with anything. I also run Sygate Personal Firewall, and can't see anything unusual in the logs there.

Has anyone come across this before? Can anyone tell me how to get my connection back to normal?

I don't want to have to re-install just yet, although I will if I can't get rid of this error.

Sorry for such a long post, but there's a lot of info to get in!

Thanks in advance for any help,
theDruid.

[makntraks]

Why would you want to disconnect an "Always on" connection in the first place????

makntraks

p.s. Is there something running in the background (check under task manager) that pertains to RAS. I do not think RAS should be running unless you are providing terminal services (which I don't think you are)

If I come across anything else I let you know... but still would like an answer to my original ?

p.s.s I just disabled and then re-enabled my connection with no problem...

[bazooka]

The newest modems usually have a button on the top that will take your connection offline.

You might have a button like that.

If you really feel the urge to disconnect, turn your computer off and unplug the modem.

[theDruid]

Thanks for the replies.

There are many reasons why I might want to disconnect - for example if I'm doing something where I need to switch my Firewall off (a deep Virus Scan etc..) or where I want to shut almost everything down (e.g. recording analog audio into the soundcard, or a defrag on the Windows disc perhaps etc..)

Of course, if I want to do it, I can always reboot or just pull the plug on the cable modem (it doesn't have a switch, bazooka).

The point is though that I'm mystified as to why this has suddenly started happening.

I have tried to look for processes running that have anything to do with RAS and/or Terminal Services, but I certainly can't see any.

The most annoying thing is that I've just done a re-install (it was about time I did it anyway) and it hasn't solved the problem!

So a clean install of Win2K SP4 on a formatted disc is still doing the same thing - very odd.

I think I'm going to ring my ISP/cable provider and see if anything has changed at their end. I'm pretty puzzled (and not a small amount p*ssed off) that a format and re-install hasn't fixed it.

I'll let you know what the ISP says (it's ntl here in the UK) - but if anyone has any bright ideas in the meantime, I'd love some enlightenment!

cheers,
theDruid.

[theDruid]

no luck with ntl (the ISP) - as I suspected, they said everything seems normal at their end and this is a problem at my end, which they cannot explain.

bum.

[rlkswan]

I have the same problem: so does this guy - http://forums.computingreview.com/showthread.php?t=262

He is using Blue Yonder ISP, not NTL like us, but it may be the same BroadJump driver.

I use a ThinkPad T20 with w2000 SR2 and connect to an NTL set-top box for 300 'broadband'. The Error Disconnecting problem appeared a couple of weeks ago, about the time NTL increased the speed from 150 - but their help desk say "nothing to do with us"!

Reason I need to disconnect is for the laptop to enter the Suspend mode. Now I have to pull the plug.

I have also posted this on http://www.mytechsupport.ca/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5292

Rob

[rlkswan]

You may be interested that I have cracked it! See this - http://www.mytechsupport.ca/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5292

Rob

[theDruid]

Brilliant - well done Rob.

I use Sygate Personal Firewall, and have always kept up-to-date with the most recent versions, so that would make perfect sense (it would explain why a clean install would still have the same problem).

I'd like to keep using Sygate, so I think I'll e-mail them about this problem.

I may change to Kerio or ZoneAlarm or something similar in the meantime though.

Thanks very much for updating us with your findings.

cheers,
theDruid.