How to Disable Media Sense for TCP/IP in Windows Me (260953)

If this article does not describe your hardware-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about hardware:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/w98?sid=460

SUMMARY

Windows Millennium Edition (Me) contains a Media Sense feature. Media Sense detects whether or not your network media is in a "link" state. A "link" state is defined as the physical media connecting or inserting itself on the network. For example, assuming that your computer has a 10baseT or 100baseT physical medium, Ethernet network adapters and hubs typically have a link light to indicate the current connection status.

Windows Me can also detect a link in this manner. When Windows Me detects that the media is disconnected or down, it removes the bound protocols from that adapter until it is detected as up again. This functionality requires a network adapter driver that supports Media Sense.

There may be situations in which you do not want TCP/IP to be unbound from the network adapter driver when Media Sense detects a down state. You can disable Media Sense by editing the registry.

MORE INFORMATION

To disable Media Sense:

Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
Click the copy of TCP/IP that is bound to the network adapter you want to configure.
Click the IP Address tab, click to clear the Detect connection to network media check box, and then click OK.
Click OK, and then restart your computer.

NOTE: Media Sense provides the ability to connect to networks with different Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) options in one Windows session without the need to release and renew the IP configuration by using Winipcfg.exe. If you disable Media Sense, no new IP configuration information is obtained when you connect to a new network unless you restart the computer, or you release and renew the IP configuration by using Winipcfg.exe.