C:\Documents and Settings\jstowe-admin>move %windir%\system32\drivers\
+etc\protocol .

C:\Documents and Settings\jstowe-admin>perl -MNet::Ping -e"my $f =Net:
+:Ping->new()"
Can't udp protocol by name at -e line 1

C:\Documents and Settings\jstowe-admin>move protocol %windir%\system32
+\drivers\etc\protocol

C:\Documents and Settings\jstowe-admin>perl -MNet::Ping -e"my $f =Net:
+:Ping->new()"
[download]

Bearing in mind that the version of Net::Ping I have has udp echo rather than tcp as the default 'ping'. The network continues to work perfectly well with the protocol file removed.

/J\