suddenly no connection

[bcs]

We have been using Wingate without any problems until suddenly recently the connection was gone for all the client computers on the network. The computer with Wingate on it still works fine--has a normal connection--but there is no connection on any of the other computers. I -think- the problem began after I did a Windows update on the Wingate computer. We're using 98SE.

We use a filtered ISP which uses a proxy server, so .. it's kind of complicated (for me, anyway).

Sorry if this question has been addressed before; I read through a couple of pages of posts and didn't see it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Pascal]

You wouldn't happen to know which Windows Update was installed?

How does your client computers connect to WinGate, is it with a direct proxy connection? If that is the case, check that their connections are not being firewalled. Direct proxy connections should always work if the host is working fine.

Then, what version of WinGate are you using?

[bcs]

Nope, I don't know which update was installed. I just chose the "critical updates" package.

I think the clients connect with a proxy connection. How do I tell for sure? And how can I tell what is being firewalled? (Sorry...)

Nothing is working on the client computers--e-mail or browsers or instant messengers.

I'm using WinGate 6.0.3.

[Pascal]

Is the server running Windows 98? There is a Windows 2000 and upwards update which could affect proxy servers (Generally).

The easiest way to check would be to check your history log in GateKeeper. That should tell you how the clients connected through. (By the icon). If that does not help, you would need to look at one of the client computers. The first step would be to open the browser's internet connection properties on one of them and look in there.

If nothing is specified there, look at the internet connection properties. If that shows that it is using WinGate as it's default gateway and DNS server then you are most likely using NAT.

Then all you need to do is check if the WinGate Internet Client is installed. If it is, you are using WGIC.

[bcs]

The server is Win98 as well as the clients.

The Windows updates that were installed are:
DirectX 9.0c Enduser Runtime
and security updates MSXML 2.6, MDAC 2.6, KB891711, KB890923

Nothing at all shows in the history window in GateKeeper. I'm pretty sure that has been the case since I upgraded to 6.0.3.

The firewall is going crazy though. It looks like it's just blocking all the client computers...? In the "reason" tab, it says "port range" in every case.

[Pascal]

Then double check what your adapters are marked as. If you go into GateKeeper, check that your internal (LAN) adapter has not been detected / overriden as external. That determines which firewall rules apply to it.

[bcs]

It seems to be fixed. I made some changes in the firewall settings and now at least a couple of us are connected again. I haven't checked with everyone, but I'm hoping for the best.

Thanks for your help.

[Pascal]

Ok ... just be sure that you've not inadvertently opened a hole in the firewall for external users.