Vista RAS/DUN Error 31 Trace - Who will look at it?

I have just wasted appx 5 hours on the telephone with Vista networking
support without makeing any progress toward resolving my problem. I am unable
to connect with my tethered wireless phone on Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1, but
can connect perfectly well using the same device and the same software on XP
SP3. I have worked through the manufacturer's (in this case, the Telecomm
carrier) support organization with no resolution. We narrowed the problem
down to Microsoft Remote Access Services. The connection protocol works on
XP using pure RAS - connect and dial from the Network Connections panel -
without the mfg-provided interface software. I have a trace (Logging
enabled) from an unsuccessful attempt to connect on Vista.

I went through four different technical support people today, ultimately
ending with MdAlthaf Alishair K ("Mohammed") who, at length, told me there
was nothing more he could do, refused to escalate to any other technical
support resource, and refused to accept the trace or facilate anyone
reviewing the trace information. He insisted that it is not a Microsoft
software issue, but a problem with the device or the manufacturer-provided
software which must be pursued through them. (As you see, I have already
done that, so we're now in a finger-pointing stand-off. I'm wondering how he
can be so sure without even reviewing the trace. With this kind of filtering,
it's a wonder MS ever hears about any issues!) To give him credit, he did
suggest that I post the issue on an MS support forum, which I am doing.

So, (very) long story short, I am at the end of my rope. I am laying my
case before the good members of this forum. I will happily zip and email the
trace to anyone who might be willing to review it. I've deliberately left
off the device and provider details to place the focus on RAS, which is where
I'm convinced the problem lies, but I'll happily provide excruciating details
to anyone who insists on these before agreeing to look at the trace. (Be
aware that I've already tried all the usual approaches, including
de/re-installing software, drivers, etc., and disabling other networking
channels - everything, short of totally re-installing Vista, suggested by any
of the support people I've spoken with so far.) There are others who are
having the same RAS symptom with different devices, even ordinary modem
(attempted) connections. See, e.g.
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-vista-network/894365.htm#post3719354. So, can anyone help?

[PPPMan]

Please post a zip of the PPP.log and RASMAN.log files

[etfloyd]

Trace info is attached.

[PPPMan]

Please post a zip of the indicated files. the zip you posted contains a 1MB HTML file which I will not open.

[etfloyd]

Attached, just the two logs, as requested. The original .html file is what Vista produced when I switched on logging for the dial-up connection, tested with straight DUN, and then saved the result to a file. It includes all available logs with links for easy viewing.

For the files attached to this message, I re-did the tests. First, I used netsh ras diagnostics to enable logging for all events, (..set loglevel all, ..set rastracing * enabled, ..set modemtracing enabled). Then, I ran two tests beginning at specific clock times. Starting at 15:18, I attempted to connect using VZAccess Manager. Starting at 15:19, I attempted to connect with straight DUN using the NationalAccess-BroadbandAccess connection from Network Connection manager. (Both attempts resulted in Error 31, as always.) After the tests, I disabled logging to ensure that the logs were flushed and then clipped out the section encompassing the test times and saved for posting.

There is a third log, tapisrv.log, that contains a lot of trace info. I didn't include it since you did not specifically request it, but I would be happy to post it as well if if would help. Thank you for your willingness to review the traces.

[etfloyd]

Re MS case# 1068346924, attached is the full trace log for error 31 on attempt to connect with Motorola SM56. I can now reproduce this error with the original Blackberry VZAccess Manager connection (USB tethered Blackberry 8330), a Sprint Moble Broadband connection (Novatel / Ovation U7227 dongle), and the Motorola SM56 built-in POTS modem.

[etfloyd]

(Sending this message from my daughter's laptop, using one of the devices that fails with an Error 31 on my laptop.)

I re-opened the case with MS Support this morning thinking I now have proof that the problem lies in DUN rather than one of the hardware devices or drivers. I was, over a period of a couple of hours (on my cell phone!), routed to a "research" specialist, who actually did look at the trace, but then took the typical MS tack of attempting to blame the problem on any and everything except MS DUN. Some of the questions he asked, or things he tried to "explain" to me, revealed an almost complete ignorance of how RAS/DUN works. [He even said, we're not trained in this...] Still, he would not forward the trace to someone who knows anything about DUN. As of now, he says he is going to set up a conference call with Motorola (the modem happens to be a Motorola SM56 data fax modem), which he is claiming Vista can't load the device driver for. Well, the SM56 modem device shows no errors in Device Manager, "This device is working properly", the drivers are signed, it passes all diagnostics perfectly [which involves communicating with the device through COM3,] and it accepts commands and returns responses, even dialing a number and reading status, through COM3. So, I'm left wondering what device driver Vista "can't load?"

It doesn't seem to make any difference to them that the same error 31 occurs when attempting to connect through three separate utterly different devices where the only common element is DUN. Reasoning with thim doesn't seem to help - they just goes back to, "..but let me explain to you.." followed by recitation of some theory that we've previously conclusively ruled out.

Somebody please help me! I can't afford to waste more time on this nonsense. Lack of any remote connectivity is impacting my business. I want to go back to XP which doesn't appear to ever have this problem. The Support technician would not even acknowledge my request for an XP license. How do I get off this treadmill?

[etfloyd]

It has just been brought to my attention that my use of the name "Mohammed" in quotes might be misinterpreted as a comment on the technician's ethnicity. It is not. Mohammed is the name that he asked me to use, even after I expressed concern to him that using that name might be misinterpreted as disrespect for the Prophet. For that reason, I put it in quotes to indicate that it is used at his request. It never crossed my mind that it might also be misinterpreted as a comment on his ethnicity. It is neither a comment on the technician's ethnicity nor on the religion of Islam nor any other political speech. It is simply the name that he asked me to use.