LAN between XP Pro and Windows 2000

29 Nov 2006 4:02 AM

Scott

Hi,

I work in a small office and we have a fairly basic setup. We are using a PC
with XP Pro for our file server and have 5 desktop PC's connected on LAN with
Windows 2000 and 1 desktop PC connected on LAN with XP Pro (making total of 7
PC's).

The problem I am having is this. I am getting this connection error on the
XP Pro desktop PC;

"No more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time
because there are already as many connections as the computer can accept"

However, if I start up one of the other Windows 2000 PC's it connects
without any problems...

Can anyone suggest a solution? I do not get the "no more connections..."
error all the time either.

Thanks.

Scott

29 Nov 2006 5:45 AM

Chuck

On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:02:01 -0800, Scott <Sc***@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>Hi,
>
>I work in a small office and we have a fairly basic setup. We are using a PC
>with XP Pro for our file server and have 5 desktop PC's connected on LAN with
>Windows 2000 and 1 desktop PC connected on LAN with XP Pro (making total of 7
>PC's).
>
>The problem I am having is this. I am getting this connection error on the
>XP Pro desktop PC;
>
>"No more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time
>because there are already as many connections as the computer can accept"
>
>However, if I start up one of the other Windows 2000 PC's it connects
>without any problems...
>
>Can anyone suggest a solution? I do not get the "no more connections..."
>error all the time either.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Scott

Scott,

Rather than try and guess the problem, why not some diagnostics. See what
connections are being made to each computer.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/09/know-whos-accessing-server.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/09/know-whos-accessing-server.html

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

29 Nov 2006 7:05 AM

Scott

Thanks for the response Chuck. I have been checking the sessions and number
of files open by users each time I get the connection problem. I am still a
little confused as to what is counted towards the 10-session limit? we only
have 6 PC's that connect to the server PC and generally only 4 of these are
used anyway. Each user only has one login so there is no chance of multiple
user sessions. Generally there are on average 4 sessions/users connected to
the server PC at any one time but there are a lot of files that are open.

We also have an HP laser printer with it's own IP address and network card
and a Plotter that is shared through the LPT port on the back of the server.

Scott

Show quoteHide quote

"Chuck" wrote:

> On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:02:01 -0800, Scott <Sc***@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >I work in a small office and we have a fairly basic setup. We are using a PC
> >with XP Pro for our file server and have 5 desktop PC's connected on LAN with
> >Windows 2000 and 1 desktop PC connected on LAN with XP Pro (making total of 7
> >PC's).
> >
> >The problem I am having is this. I am getting this connection error on the
> >XP Pro desktop PC;
> >
> >"No more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time
> >because there are already as many connections as the computer can accept"
> >
> >However, if I start up one of the other Windows 2000 PC's it connects
> >without any problems...
> >
> >Can anyone suggest a solution? I do not get the "no more connections..."
> >error all the time either.
> >
> >Thanks.
> >
> >Scott
>
> Scott,
>
> Rather than try and guess the problem, why not some diagnostics. See what
> connections are being made to each computer.
> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/09/know-whos-accessing-server.html>
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/09/know-whos-accessing-server.html
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.
>

29 Nov 2006 2:56 PM

Chuck

On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:05:00 -0800, Scott <Sc***@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>"Chuck" wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:02:01 -0800, Scott <Sc***@discussions.microsoft.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Hi,
>> >
>> >I work in a small office and we have a fairly basic setup. We are using a PC
>> >with XP Pro for our file server and have 5 desktop PC's connected on LAN with
>> >Windows 2000 and 1 desktop PC connected on LAN with XP Pro (making total of 7
>> >PC's).
>> >
>> >The problem I am having is this. I am getting this connection error on the
>> >XP Pro desktop PC;
>> >
>> >"No more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time
>> >because there are already as many connections as the computer can accept"
>> >
>> >However, if I start up one of the other Windows 2000 PC's it connects
>> >without any problems...
>> >
>> >Can anyone suggest a solution? I do not get the "no more connections..."
>> >error all the time either.
>> >
>> >Thanks.
>> >
>> >Scott
>>
>> Scott,
>>
>> Rather than try and guess the problem, why not some diagnostics. See what
>> connections are being made to each computer.
>> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/09/know-whos-accessing-server.html>
>> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/09/know-whos-accessing-server.html

>Thanks for the response Chuck. I have been checking the sessions and number
>of files open by users each time I get the connection problem. I am still a
>little confused as to what is counted towards the 10-session limit? we only
>have 6 PC's that connect to the server PC and generally only 4 of these are
>used anyway. Each user only has one login so there is no chance of multiple
>user sessions. Generally there are on average 4 sessions/users connected to
>the server PC at any one time but there are a lot of files that are open.
>
>We also have an HP laser printer with it's own IP address and network card
>and a Plotter that is shared through the LPT port on the back of the server.
>
>Scott

Scott,

The Microsoft article sort of describes the possibilities:
<http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314882>
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314882

What it says is kind of vague. One user on one computer, with many shares
accessed, generally equals one connection. But system processes can take up
another connection. Did you look at the Sessions display when you were seeing
the error?

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

29 Nov 2006 8:26 AM

Ian

The issue you're seeing here is a long-known one; when Windows connects to a
server it firstly makes an anonymous connection to the ipc$ share. It then
authenticates and makes a second connection under the new credentials. Once
this has happened the anonymous connection should be taken down, but
sometimes this doesn't happen. Since you then have two connections to the
server under differing credentials, it uses-up two licences out of the ten.

NET SESSIONS at a commandprompt on the server should indicate if this is the
case.

Unfortunately I've never seen a documented fix.

The other reason might be that you've got two user-sessions running
concurrently on some computers. It's sometimes possible to get into this
situation without realising it, if Fast User Switching is on. People press
"Switch User" thinking this will log them off.

29 Nov 2006 10:00 PM

Scott

Ian,

Thankyou for your response. I have noted the ipc$ share connections on our
server PC. My workstation is the only one with XP and I do not have Fast User
Switching enabled so multiple user log-ins is not the problem. I seem to only
get the problem on my XP Pro workstation though... I can still connect with
one of our idle windows 2000 workstations without any problems.

Aplogoies for the cross-post. I relaised I had put the original post in the
wrong section... sorry.

Thanks,

Scott

Show quoteHide quote

"Ian" wrote:

> The issue you're seeing here is a long-known one; when Windows connects to a
> server it firstly makes an anonymous connection to the ipc$ share. It then
> authenticates and makes a second connection under the new credentials. Once
> this has happened the anonymous connection should be taken down, but
> sometimes this doesn't happen. Since you then have two connections to the
> server under differing credentials, it uses-up two licences out of the ten.
>
> NET SESSIONS at a commandprompt on the server should indicate if this is the
> case.
>
> Unfortunately I've never seen a documented fix.
>
> The other reason might be that you've got two user-sessions running
> concurrently on some computers. It's sometimes possible to get into this
> situation without realising it, if Fast User Switching is on. People press
> "Switch User" thinking this will log them off.
>
>