HELP with Hardware and software issues with AMD and winXP

[Randommman]

We have had problems on our home network recently....

Initially had only old laptops with intel chipsets running win 2000...no problems

Used old 2wire modem and netgear wireless router...no problems

Then added a 1.6ghz amd comp running PCLinux.....no problems

Then installed a DG834pn modem /wireless router - this is where the problems started

Had to install winXP to 1.6ghz comp.

It then was, by some external means rapidly overclocked and the CPU blew. We had not touched the BIOS, no OCing software installed. Standard, clean XP.

New computer onto network - 1.7ghz amd running winXP, underclocked to 1.3ghz. BIOS stopped detecting HDDs. Rapidly overclocked to 2ghz and blew. Again, had not touched BIOS. Don't believe in OCing. This was a completely new set of hardware.

another comp- 1.8ghz amd running XP, windows kept detecting new unknown hardware, asked to restart, rapidly overclocked to just under 3ghz then to 1.1ghz, back to 1.8ghz, then to 2ghz and died. New hardware, different models, manufacturers etc. Again, \no overclocking locally.

Yet another comp. 1.3ghz amd running xp overclocked to 1.67ghz (not by us). Was stale for 2 weeks. Then windows became unresponsive, often freezing, having to reboot etc. Reinstalled XP many times, working for little while, then becoming unresponsive each time.

It then recently returned to 1.3ghz. Could not detect HDDs for a while(removed it from network at this point). Managed to get it to detect. Windows XP boots extremely slowly and is very unresponsive. I feel that reinstallin will do very little, have already done this many times.

Note that all computers have been behind surge protection etc.
Also, old laptops with intel running 2000 still fully operational throughout.

Problems only actually start when comps are connected to network. Again, had no problems before netgear router, AMD chipsets and WinXP.

Does anyone know of a virus with these or similar symptoms?

Need help with this very soon.

Any help really appreciated.

[Gecko]

I don’t think it has anything to do with AMD chips or windows XP.
And I am not aware of any virus that can do what you explained happened.

The netgear router could be suspect if there is a random shorting to one of the router RJ45 ports.
But that is most unlikely in my opinion and would be hard to trace down as it’s not always shorting.

One possibility would be a Trojan allowing access to the windows xp OS and someone remotely controlling the system.
Did you install all security updates form Microsoft?

[Randommman]

yes, all automatic updates were installed.

we are using wireless, so ethernet ports aren't to blame

The last computer mentioned has been fixed, hopefully.

I told the bios to go to failsafe settings then removed all hardware.

An optorite cdrom drive prevent booting from hard drives (or reading them very slowly) in the primary channel from booting, even though the optorite was in secondary.

I think the CPU is messed up though, it stays at 1.6 but does occasionally go down to 1.3.

As for someone spiking our network, we have considered that. Recently, we have had peculiar incidents of being kicked off our own wireless network, perhaps the router detects something suspect and resets?

Also, others in the area have had similar oddities with wireless, with connections dropping on the odd occasion.

There is also a network called 'GEEK' that only appears periodically, but has very good strength when it does. My sister actually connected and used the internet from this network, apparently,,,

Anyway, Thank you for your reply

[icecube]

[Randommman]

Thank you very much for you suggestion. It sounds extremely liable (esp. since our housing estate was built by David Wilson Homes (shock:horror))

I will try this immediately, Thanks.