Any resolution to multiple NICs?

[gdha]

I've had the dreaded 'multiple NIC problem' where Retrospect cannot connect to a Client that has multiple NICs and reports a -541 error.

 

 

 

This Dell laptop has a docking station with one nic and a network card in a PC Card slot. It runs Win 98. I've tried all the suggested 'fixes' posted here and in the manual. Anyone have a workaround solution?

[lv2ski]

Physically swap the NICs...see if that helps. Have you searched our Knowledgebase for 2 NIC?

 

 

 

www.dantz.com/knowledgebase

[gdha]

Thanks for your reply. I physically swapped the two PC Cards (one is the NIC/Modem and the other is a MPEG decoder). This didn't help, in fact, it made things worse because Windows in its infinite wisdom thought there was new hardware and installed a third NIC adapter / protocol in the Network properties.

 

 

 

I also swapped the IP addresses of the two NICs. Again, no luck.

 

 

 

I cannot physically swap anything else because the one NIC is in the PC Card, and the other is physically built into the docking station.

 

 

 

So far my only success is: I can see get Retrospect to connect to the client IF 1) undocked 2) connected only via the PC Card NIC and 3) has been restarted since being in the docking station. The user is not very technically inclined (think: CDW ad) so this isn't a very good solution.

[Guest]

Unfortunately, Windows 98 doesn't really offer us an option to cotrol this like the newer operating systems do. If you can't do anything in terms of physically swapping the NICs, there isn't much that Retrospect can do without having the OS of that computer upgraded.

[Guest]

Solution when Win98SE is client with 2 NIC cards.

 

This is not the easiest but it is not tooooo difficult to perform.

 

My problem: I was unable to contact the client from the "master", getting a 541 error.

 

In Client:

 

Step 1 Goto Control Panel, then Network, then click once on a TCPIP component. Record information on TCPIP assigned to NICs. (i.e. Ip address, Gateway, binding, subnet). You must do this for all TCPIP components just to be safe.

 

Step 2 go to Control Panel then System then Device Manager Tab and open the Network Adapter folder.

 

Step 3 Disable the NIC. Remember NOT to DISABLE the NIC on your LAN used to reach the Master Retrospect computer. Disable PPPoE, Dialup Networking, and the other NIC. To do this right click on NIC then Properties and checkmark DISABLE IN THIS HARDWARE PROFILE. Remember you want to disable all except for the NIC used to communicate with your other computer (LAN)

 

Step 4 Reboot.

 

Step 5 Start Retrospect Client on client computer

 

Step 6 Start Retrospect Master on master computer.

 

Step 7 Click on Configure Clients

 

Step 8 Click on the Add... button

 

Step 9 The system should see your client.

 

Step 10 Wait for it to finish testing and updating registry info.

 

Step 11 Return to control Panel then System. Go to device manager, Network Adapter and reenable all disabled adapters.

 

Step 12 Return to Control Panel, Network and ADD Protocol, Microsoft, TCPIP.

 

Step 13 Go to the TCPIP components just added and reconfigure according to the information you wrote down prior to beginning this process.

 

Step 14 You will be asked to reboot. Do so.

 

Step 15 When the client computer comes back up, start the client and try to check the properties of the client from the Master using Configure, Clients, Properties, Refresh. This should cause the connection to complete and you are ready to backup.