Network connection only available 20m after computer restart

[cogumel0]

Hi,

I've come across the strangest problem and was hoping someone could just help out a bit.

Basically, I got this computer that, when restarted, takes 20m to get into the network. As in, I can't ping it.

You can't login to the domain but are still able to login locally obviously. If you do an ipconfig, it returns a valid network ip address and you can ping google and go to websites, but cannot access the server and I cannot ping it.

Even more strange, if you try to go to network connections, the network connections form just turns blank, as in not responding. After around 20 minutes, I can ping the machine again, it can join the domain and the network connection window responds properly.

Also, during the time you can't access network connections, alg.exe is not started nor can it be started manually (comes up with an error message) as well as other services for network.

Once it actually becomes pingable, it will work fine until restarted, when the issue starts again.

I've tried using both fix ip addresses and dynamic, does not change anything.

Now, when I looked at this, I automatically though hardware issues with the network card... but the problem is this has happened to 5 totally different PCs in about two weeks time, which kind of lead me to rule that out.

If you try to login onto the domain when it's not pingable, it will just stay there for the whole 20m saying "loading profile" or something like that. As soon as the machine becomes pingable, it will login in less than 10 seconds.

If you then log out and log back in without restarting, it takes about 10 seconds to go back in.

Any ideas would be really appreciated.

[Flip1001]

Is the computer a gateway tablet pc?

[cogumel0]

Is the computer a gateway tablet pc?

No, it is a Compaq, and it's a desktop. Also, it's obviously not connected through wireless.

[GrofLuigi]

I've seen such delays, but not so drastic (5 mins max).

From my experience, the most often encountered things would be (in order of probability):

1. For small delays, up to 2 minutes, Group Policy synchronous processsing (usually GPOs in several places - per user, per machine, etc... and are waiting in each other). If you set it to asynchronous whereever you can (and there are lots of places), you would get rid of the delays, but there would be all sorts of other problems with subsystems not ready yet for what's asked from them.

2. Services waiting on each other - it can be just one. Besides the essential ones (like PnP, RPC...) I often find other less obvious culprits for the delays (Telephony (if there is no analog modem in the computer installed in the computer), WMI, Event System, NLA...) - other services are waiting for them a long time before they give up.

3. See this (but it shouldn't be so drastic as in your case).

4. Overzealous antivirus.

5. Wireless (OK, you said it isn't).

The above are for the client computer. Besides these, I would also suspect the server (yeah, but where - there is so much to check... I know.)

HTH.

GL

Edited August 20, 2008 by GrofLuigi

[cogumel0]

Ok, finally managed to connect to the machine and find some more info:

Userenv errors on eventvwr 1058 and 1030.

I checked userenv.log and it basically says it couldn't get the GP to update since it couldn't access the sysvol.

I think this is to do with GP basically.