Windows 7 Windows 7 - ARP Problem

[jmsimps]

Hi,

Just a quick question. Has anyone seen arp issues between Windows 7 and XP/Vista clients?

I have the Windows 7 RC running on one machine and Vista and XP running on other machines. I found that even when I turned off the firewall on each of the systems I was unable to ping to or from the W7 PC.

After some digging around I found I was not seeing any ARP responses on W7 for my other clients and vice versa. For information I could ping my wireless router. After adding some static arp entries I found I was able to ping between the machines and share network resources.

I am planning to do a packet capture when I get the right software loaded but I was wondering if anyone has seen this issue and knows of a permanent fix as I run DHCP and static arps will drive me mad!

Cheers.

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you are experiencing ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) issues between Windows 7 and XP/Vista clients on your network, where ARP responses are not being received properly, leading to connectivity problems. Here are a few troubleshooting steps and potential solutions to help address this issue: 1. Update Network Drivers: - Ensure that the network drivers on all the machines (Windows 7, Vista, and XP) are up to date. Outdated drivers can sometimes cause communication issues. 2. Check Network Configuration: - Verify the network configuration settings on all machines to ensure they are on the same subnet and network range. 3. Verify ARP Table: - Check the ARP table on the Windows 7 machine using the command arp -a in the Command Prompt. Verify that the ARP entries are correct. 4. Disable IPv6: - Temporarily disable IPv6 on the Windows 7 machine to see if this resolves the connectivity issue. Sometimes conflicts between IPv6 and IPv4 can cause problems. 5. Reset TCP/IP Stack: - Reset the TCP/IP stack on the Windows 7 machine using the command netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt in an elevated Command Prompt. 6. Check Firewall Settings: - Even though you mentioned turning off the firewall, double-check the firewall settings on all machines to ensure that they are not blocking ARP requests/responses. 7. Packet Capture: - Performing a packet capture using software like Wireshark can help in identifying the exact cause of the ARP issues. Analyzing the captured packets can provide valuable insights into the problem. 8. DHCP Configuration: - Review the DHCP configuration to ensure that it is correctly assigning IP addresses and other network settings to all clients. If you continue to experience issues even after trying these steps, capturing packets with Wireshark will be helpful in identifying the root cause of the problem. Once you have more insight from the packet capture, it will be easier to determine a permanent fix for the ARP issues between your Windows 7 and XP/Vista clients. Feel free to provide more details or updates after you perform the packet capture for further assistance.