Article ID: 320843 - Last Review: January 7, 2006 - Revision: 3.3

You encounter connectivity issues when you use Outlook 98, Outlook 2000, and Outlook 2002

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This article was previously published under Q320843
NOTE: The procedures in this article only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate or Workgroup option. With this option, you can use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Corporate or Workgroup installation, you see "Corporate or Workgroup".
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SYMPTOMS

While you use Outlook, one or more of the following behaviors may occur:
  • Outlook is very slow.
  • You cannot open attachments.
  • You cannot open e-mail, even though you can log on.
  • Outlook stops responding, or "hangs."
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CAUSE

These issues may occur if one or more of the following conditions are true:
  • There are TCP/IP stack issues on the Outlook client computer or the Microsoft Exchange Server computer.
  • There are hardware issues with network devices--for example, faulty cables or connections, incorrect software configuration, or a device that may require a driver or firmware upgrade. Network devices that may be causing the issue include the following:
    • The network interface card (NIC) on the Outlook client computer
    • The NIC on the Exchange Server computer
    • A network switch
    • A network router
    • A network firewall
  • A driver or firmware upgrade is not compatible with your version of Outlook.
  • There is a problem with the Maximum Transmission Unit size settings in Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2). For more information about how to troubleshoot this issue, see the "Resolution" section of this article.
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RESOLUTION

To resolve these issues, try to determine if only one, only some, or all Outlook clients are experiencing the symptoms.
  • If some but not all clients are affected, a common network connection that is affecting only part of the network may be the source of the problem. To resolve this issue, try the following methods:
    • Look for bad cables or connections.
    • See if driver or firmware updates are available for routers, switches, or firewalls on the network.
  • If only one client is affected, TCP/IP or the NIC on the client computer may be the source of the problem. To resolve this issue, try the following methods:
    • Determine if a TCP/IP issue is the cause. For information about how to do this, see the "More Information" section later in this article.
    • Reinstall the TCP/IP protocol.
    • Update the NIC drivers.
    • Replace the NIC.
  • If all clients are affected, TCP/IP or the NIC on the Exchange Server computer may be the source of the issue. To resolve this issue, try the following methods:
    • Determine if a TCP/IP issue is the cause. For information about how to do this, see the "More Information" section later in this article.
    • Reinstall the TCP/IP protocol.
    • Update the NIC drivers.
    • Replace the NIC.
  • Determine if the Maximum Transmission Unit size settings in Windows 2000 SP2 is the cause. For additional information about this issue, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    301337  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301337/ ) PMTU detection may not work after you install Windows 2000 Ss
    301117  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301117/ ) Slow performance transferring large data blocks with RPC
    120642  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/120642/ ) TCP/IP and NBT configuration parameters for Windows 2000 or Windows NT
  • If a driver or firmware upgrade is not compatible with your version of Outlook, go back to an earlier version of the driver or firmware.
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MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to troubleshoot TCP/IP connection problems, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
169790  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/169790/ ) How to troubleshoot Basic TCP/IP problems
102908  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102908/ ) How to troubleshoot TCP/IP connectivity with Windows 2000 or Window NT
314067  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314067/ ) How to troubleshoot TCP/IP Connectivity with Windows XP
162326  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/162326/ ) Using TRACERT to troubleshoot TCP/IP problems in Windows 2000 and Windows NT
314868  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314868/ ) Using TRACERT to troubleshoot TCP/IP problems in Windows XP
299451  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299451/ ) How to remove and reinstall TCP/IP on a Windows 2000 domain controller
181599  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/181599/ ) How to remove and reinstall dial-up networking and TCP/IP files
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Outlook 2002 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Outlook 98 Standard Edition
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Keywords: 
kbnetwork kbdta kbprb KB320843
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