NLB and IPSEC Does Not Work with Hardware Offload Network Adapter (293827)

SYMPTOMS

When you use the combination of Network Load Balancing (NLB), and IP Security (IPSec) with an IPSec offload network adapter, packets may be dropped, and this may cause a communication failure between hosts. This problem occurs only when IPSec is encrypting the data by using Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP).

CAUSE

Packets may be misidentified as needing to be decrypted at the IPSec layer even though the offload network adapter has already performed the decryption. Because of this, packets are dropped.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date        Time     Version         Size      File name
   -----------------------------------------------------------
   3/22/2001   02:10p   5.0.2195.3396   65,584    Wlbs.sys

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 The Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Product

For additional information about how to install multiple hotfixes with only one reboot, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

296861 Use QChain.exe to Install Multiple Hotfixes with One Reboot

For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes