Connection Fails Over IPX with Duplicate SPX Connection ID

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release version 2

SYMPTOMS

When you are using Windows Sockets to provide stream-type connections over IPX, or when you are running another program that uses the SPX protocol over IPX, a connection to a remote node may intermittently fail to be established.

Using Windows Sockets, error 10054 (WSAECONNRESET) may be returned.

CAUSE

Under certain circumstances, it may be possible for the same SPX Connection ID to be assigned to more than one active SPX connection.

This is a problem with the IPX/SPX-compatible protocol (NWLINK) included with Windows 95.

RESOLUTION

This issue is resolved by the following updated file for Windows 95 and OSR2, and later versions of this file:

   NWLINK.VXD  version 4.00.953  dated 1/29/96  51,025 bytes 

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 95 and OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2). An update to address this problem is now available, but is not fully regression tested and should be applied only to computers experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft does not recommend implementing this update at this time. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for additional information about the availability of this update.

This issue is resolved in Microsoft Windows 98.

MORE INFORMATION

The SPX Connection ID uniquely identifies each active SPX connection on a given node running the IPX/SPX protocol. SPX keeps track of the status of each connection by its Connection ID. If duplicate Connection IDs are assigned, SPX cannot correctly track the status of the connection and cannot respond correctly to received packets.

This symptom, although rare, is more likely to occur when a program is creating many SPX connections very rapidly.

For additional information about issues resolved by updates to this component, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q174202 Configuring SPX Watchdog Timers in Windows 95

Q166321 Configuring Maximum IPX Packet Size in Windows 95

Q164474 OE Exception in NWLINK Sending Message from Microsoft Exchange

Q149448 Incorrect Node Address In IPX Header Causes Broadcast Storm

Q145651 Windows Sockets Program Generates Errors In WSIPX

Q138000 Error Connecting to an Attachmate Gateway with a Cisco Router

Q161020 Implementing Windows 95 Updates

Keywords : kbhw kbnetwork osr2 win95
Version : WINDOWS:95
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb