(VERY) Basic LAN Setup Questions

[phinoppix]

Question is
What are the typical problems if a unit is unable to log into the network with the following conditions:

LAN Card: 3Com (at WinME)
Primary Network Logon: Client for Microsoft Network
Installed Protocol: TCP/IP (only)
Setup: IP = 192.168.0.200
Subnet = 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.10
DNS: aft
Searh order: 192.168.0.10
*File and printer sharing enabled

Cable is good, LAN card is good.

I'm not good on troubleshooting LAN setup, though I know how to setup a simple file-sharing scheme and a bit on NT.

 

[victorv]

hi,
what do you mean with "logon" ?

Can you ping yur gateway or another known IP address
of a sure going machine ?

bye

 

[phinoppix]

The computer's name is aft. I am able to see aft in the Network Neighborhood from another pc, but aft can't "see" other users in the workgroup other than itself. From another pc if I try to open aft, an error will display "\\Aft is not accessible."

Pinging is definitely impossible at aft

Can you help me out on this? It's been days I'm trying to figure this. (I even re-installed the OS with hopes high but to my disappointment.)

 

[telecomgeekO]

Did you set your PC to the static Ip's. Try allowing the dchp to grab a IP from the server (or router). Is this a home network, or a business network?

My network looks like

port 1--cable modem uplink ---modem
win 98 ----------- port 2 linksys
win 98 ----------- port 3 linksys
win 95 ----------- port 4 linksys

I have disable DNS checked
Obtain IP address Automatically

at run type in for ME--ipconfig
find your 3com adaptor hit release renew -- your IP should appear

If not, check your system settings, look at the network adaptor make sure no error messages

 

[TheOldMan346]

alphanytz

Try some of the troubleshooting here. The German/English is not always great but the content is good. Try this as a starting point

http://www.wown1.com/j_helmig/browse.htm

and then follow other troubleshooting links as needed.

Post back with the results and we'll try to help.

Good luck,
The Old Man

 

[phinoppix]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm now going to make a hardware test first then do all your suggestions.

I'll post the results as soon as I can.

 

[phinoppix]

Running ipconfig, here are the results:

Ethernet 0

IP : 192.168.0.200
Subnet : 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.10

Ethernet 1

IP : 0.0.0.0
Subnet : 0.0.0.0
Gateway: 0.0.0.0

Ethernet 0 does displays the correct IP's for 3Com. What about Ethernet 1?
All IP's are static and unique. I thought if there should be conflicting IP's, Windows would have displayed some sort of an error message. Anyway, I tried on automatic settings, still no avail.

I checked TheOldMan346's URL, but one part confuses me:

Only systems, which have shared something: ...
will be displayed in the Network Neighborhood !

We have hosts that MUST not share anything but must exist in the network. Well, no shared resources can indeed be viewed on that host but, at least, the computer name should appear.

Anyway, I tried all your suggestions and NOTHING can still be viewed in this PC, although, its comp. name appears in other PCs (inaccessible, though).

Ping returns "Request timed out."

I already ordered for another LAN card but hopes are still high I can resolve this problem, with your help of course.

 

[TheOldMan346]

alphanytz,

The ipconfig indicates that the system at least thinks it has more than one network adapter. Is that the case? Is there more than one NIC? Can you do an IPCONFIG /ALL and post the results back?

If your TCP/IP protocol is bound to ethernet1 and you set the IP address on ethernet0, you will be unable to access the network or ping anything.

As for the question of computers showing in the Net Neighborhood, could you describe your network? This is the case for simple peer-to-peer nets. If it is a domained network or there is a name server, LMHOSTS files used, etc., this behavior can be changed.

The Old Man

 

[phinoppix]

Hi All!

I discovered the problem to be on the cables. I used another working line and connected my PC and everyone became visible instantly. The setup is all fine after all. It's a typical peer-to-peer setup.

What's bothering me is that I've tested the cable with an analog tester (I even used my improvised tester, always reliable) and it says the line's okay. I tried changing the connectors but to no avail. Does anyone have a good tip on installing connectors or anything in fixing cables?

I hope everyone now understands how illiterate I am with networking.

Thanks for any replies and sorry for the troubles.

 

[victorv]

hi,
networking is in hard argument: exists experts of networking
but they come when you have to do difficult things: router,
bridges, wan, ...
In the day-job, you must be able to resolve by yourself the problems. The fisrt task is to understand if you have a networking problem or not.

A secure strategy is to "section problems": when you connect
a node in the net, you have:

- your pc + card
- OS + nic device driver + tcpip setting
- the patch cord from pc to wall
- the cable from wall to pacth-panel
- a short patch from patch-panel to hub-switch
- the port of hub/switch

If you belive have a network problem, without sophysticate
tools, you can understand if there is a problem and where is: after you can solve it, maby.

"Section problem" means: start from a secure configuration, (one that is going), and operate changes until you meet the
problem. IE: the pc near you is going well: all its chain is good. Then use its patch, IPADDERSS, hub-port, ... to
undersatand where your configuration fails.

About cables, a typical problem comes when you use a new PC
using old wiring: the old PC was going at 10Mb, and the new
goes at 100Mb: you belive that it will go better, and instead it does not go. If you belive that cables may be old, try to fix at 10Mb your nic and try some operation to test if it goes well. If it goes well, this means that your cables lose data if high frequences pass in them: change cables or fix 10Mb for a while.

Typical home-made test are:

1) Transfer a big file, (using drag an drop,or ftp) between
a server (it is sure that it goes well) and your PC and note the elapsed time.

2) Use ping command ( unix or windows ) with a big buffer size:

ping server

you see that output is

M:\>ping server

Pinging server [192.168.1.10] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.10: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.10: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.10: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.10: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128

32 is the default buffer size; to change it enter

C:\>ping -l 320 server
C:\>ping -l 3200 server
C:\>ping -l 32000 server
C:\>ping -l 64000 server

growing bufsize, you will see time that grows, but if
you see some timeouts, you can understand that the chain
is no good.

The analog testers used by &quot;cable-men&quot;, say them if wires
are well attached, but rarely they perform a deep test:
usually when they use them, all cables are new, and the
use of tester is sufficent: years later, come problems.

BYE