Update Released to Disable Scalable Network Pack

Ned here. The Microsoft Enterprise Network Team blog has posted information about a new update released for Windows Server 2003:

New update available for Windows Server 2003 SP2 systems to disable Scalable Networking Pack features

It is highly recommended that you deploy this hotfix if you are having any of the following issues:

  • When you try to connect to the server by using a VPN connection, you receive the following error message:
    Error 800: Unable to establish connection.
  • You cannot create a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection to the server.
  • You cannot connect to shares on the server from a computer on the local area network. 
  • You cannot join a client computer to the domain.
  • You cannot connect to the Exchange server from a computer that is running Microsoft Outlook.
  • Inactive Outlook connections to the Exchange server may not be cleaned up.
  • You experience slow network performance. 
  • You may experience slow network performance when you communicate with a Windows Vista-based computer.
  • You cannot create an outgoing FTP connection from the server.
  • The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server service crashes.
  • You experience slow performance when you log on to the domain.
  • Network Address Translation (NAT) clients that are located behind Windows Small Business Server 2003 or Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server experience intermittent connection failures. 
  • You experience intermittent RPC communications failures.
  • The server stops responding.
  • The server runs low on nonpaged pool memory

This hotfix only modifies the registry and does not alter any drivers or other system files. ALternatively, you can follow the workaround steps in the article to update your third party network drivers or make the registry changes by hand. The Scalable Network Pack features are not enabled by default in Windows Vista or Windows Serevr 2008.

- Ned Pyle