On both my computers, the entire internet connection goes down when the Minecraft Server crashes. A reboot is needed to get the internet back.
Error is something like Internal exception: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset by peer
Why is this and how can I stop it?
EDIT: PCs are both XP SP3 and have RealTek integrated network cards
EDIT #2: I am accepting @Oak's answer since it a good summary for this problem, however in my case I deleted %appdata%\.minecraft\bin\minecraft.jar and let the game recreate it and it seems to have fixed the issue. At least for 2 people on a local network…. we'll find out later if it comes back when we get a few more friends on the server using our public IP.
EDIT #3: Problem came back again with more people on the server however the app linked below by Oak to buffer network packets fixed it
Best Answer
Though I am not a Minecraft player, I was intrigued by this bug, so I went on a forum hunt. Conclusions:
Am I the only one with this problem?
Seems the problem is common:
And even sometimes occurs in other Java applications:
Do I HAVE to reboot?
Some people report that either
Will also fix the issue.
What causes it?
Some people claim it's a bug in the network driver, a limitation of a specific router, an issue with a specific modem, an over-saturation of network connections, a Java bug, a Windows bug... and all these people show that fixing the single thing they claim caused the problem, fixed the error :\
The truth appears to still be unknown, and the reason might even be different for different people, even though the symptoms are the same.
How do I solve it?
Different solutions appear to work for different people... here's a short summary of solutions that worked. I suggest trying one at a time and hoping one of them will work. Each of the solutions listed below have worked for more than one user but haven't worked for others.
Update the network adapter
The best thing I could find is this thread on the minecraftforum.net, and I advise reading it. Basically it suggests updating your network adapter drivers, and gives a good explanation of how to do it correctly for each of the affected cards.
Run the server from a virtual machine
The same thread as above suggests that if things still don't work, running the server inside a virtual machine - which is running something that isn't Windows XP - should work.
Use a different network adapter
Another solution which seemed to have worked for more than one player is using a different network card.
Buffer the network packets sent by Minecraft
In this thread, a user analyzes the connection and proposes to use an application to buffer the packets. He even wrote that application and uploaded it - maybe it's worth giving it a go.
Change network adapter settings
The following solution, taken from here, seemed to have worked for more than one user - even those not using an Atheros card (just find comparable settings):