Networking Problem

[Geronimo]

I once had DSL and a PNA network. I was a happy man.

When Northpoint went under I scrambled and eventually got a cable modem. My PNA network ceased to work during the period I had no access.

I got ambitious one day and decided to go from a PNA network with a PC server to a wireless router. I Chose the Linksys. It is a combo model with 4 Ethernet connections. Lo and behold I got two of my machine to work just fine via wireless . The lone holdout is the machine that was originally hooked up to the modem and served as the server.


Interestingly I c an see the other machines. I simply cannot access the net or ping anything including the router. I have tried wireless and wired solutions. I have tried dynamic and static addressing. Any thoughts. Could my cable company have done something when they installed (I would love to blame them).

Yes I have called Linksys and all seems to be set up well----and again I can see the rest of the network. I just cant access the net.

[Lightnin1]

Can you get an IP address from the router? Check and see. You would not be able to ping the router if it's not handing out an IP address.

[gcutler]

Is there any firewall SW installed on that non-functioning machine, may have part of initial install? It could be that Firewall SW locked out most access. I once was playing around with Norton firewall and installed in on Win2000 Advanced Server in most restrictive mode. Made the machine just about useless as a server.

[cnsf]

Some ideas to try....

Try ipconfig /all at the command prompt. If you have an IP, that's step 1. Check whether you have the same workgroup name, that could be it. Also, check to make sure you have all the right protocols installed. (probably not this if you can see the internal network)

Check your NIC in another box to make sure it works. Do you have any conflicts in the Device Manager?

Are you getting lights on the NIC?

Is the router showing any connection to that PC?

Do you have encryption set on the router? Does the PC have the password?

Did you set up a gateway on th PC in TCP/IP properties? If so, you probably need to zonk it and let it detect everything automatically.

Did you clone your MAC address? There may be a conflict.

[Geronimo]

First of all yes. It does assign an address. I also went to ststic IPS. So I have an address.

No firewall. I had Zone Alarm but took it off.

I ahve the same workgroup and can see the other machines fine.

NIC is fine and I have tried a USB wireless, a USB NIC, and a wireless card before the NIC card. Same result each time.

No device manager conflicts

Yes lights on the NIC and the router.

WEP encryption is disabled.

I have a gateway now but have also done dynamic addressing and same result each way.

Not sure how to check MAC address on the PC. On the router yes but not on the PC. where would I find this?



And thanks to all for the help.

[bogi]

Geronimo- Go to Start run type ping 192.168.1.1 from each computer. If each computer pings try checking IP adresses make sure that the first 3 octets are 192.168.1.xxx

If thats all good then your setup is fine and you must set your cable which usally is the first two lines in the router setup page.

If you have ATTBI. For the domain name type attbi.com and leave the host name blank.

For ALL: Clone your mac adress by going to advanced-Mac Adrdr.clone

Find the mac in back of your modem and type it in click apply and then try to go on the net.

[bogi]

Two things that can help us out is the type of modem you have and your cable company.

[cnsf]

I wonder if maybe Zone Alarm didn't fuly deinstall. Check the Processes to see if a Zone Alarm engine is still running.

Did you have a gateway setup in the TCP/IP config properties?

[Geronimo]

ZA does not show up


Yes I have a gateway

Will try to check MAC.



It is a Toshiba Cable modem and Cox Cable

[Geronimo]

I want to make some things clear. All is well with the other two machines. Including net access ao the MAC clone on the router is fine.


As I mentioned I can do everyything from those machines but cannot ping the router from the original net machine. i may reinstall and deinstall ZA. It cant hurt.

[Geronimo]

From checking my notes MAC Address comes from the ISP not modem. When I tried modem address no machine could access the net. Back to the one from Cox and all but original are fine.


Will try ZA install and deinstall though----it cant hurt.


Did try it----no difference.

[bogi]

I have been looking at the linksys sites and your DNS,Hostname,and Domain name should be blank.And for Cox you dont need to have mac cloned.

So the problem must lie with in the ips of the comps connected to the router.

Try setting the Router to DHCP(not static) and specyfing and ip like 192.168.107 Subnet: 255.255.255.0 on one of the computers that dont connect.Restart then go to 192.168.1.1 and click apply.Then see if you can connect by going to www.google.com

Also do you have the newest firmware for the linksys?

[Geronimo]

Will try the rest but yes I have the latest firmware.

[n0qcu]

Originally posted by Geronimo
Interestingly I c an see the other machines. I simply cannot access the net or ping anything including the router.

Can you PING the any of the other machines on your net?

[Geronimo]

No Ic annot ping anything else but I can read the files on those machines.


Not sure how to follow your paragraph on DHCP. I have specified an address ON THE PC, subnet mask as well. But Ia m unclear if you are talking about PC or router settings.

[n0qcu]

Do this for me, goto a command prompt and type in ROUTE PRINT, and copy the info to your clipboard and paste the info either in a reply or if you don't want it public in a PM to me. I'll see if that gives me some ideas to help you.


I just realized you can't send the info that way with no connection to the net from that PC. change the command to:
ROUTE PRINT > ROUTE.TXT and copy that file to a pc with net access and then copy the info to message.

thanks

[bogi]

Originally posted by Geronimo
No Ic annot ping anything else but I can read the files on those machines.


Not sure how to follow your paragraph on DHCP. I have specified an address ON THE PC, subnet mask as well. But Ia m unclear if you are talking about PC or router settings.


DHCP on router

On the PCs just staticly set the two comps that dont work give them satic ips with the 192.168.xxx ip And the subnet. Restart log on to 192.168.1.1 click apply and try to go to a website.This helped me on some comps which had problems getting internet through the linksys.

[Geronimo]

Two computers DO work. One does not. And all have static IPs. I suspect a software or hardware conflict but cant isolate one.

[n0qcu]

Originally posted by Geronimo
Two computers DO work. One does not. And all have static IPs. I suspect a software or hardware conflict but cant isolate one.

thats why i'd like to see the routing table

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Geronimo
Two computers DO work. One does not. And all have static IPs. I suspect a software or hardware conflict but cant isolate one.

I may have lost some of the details in the previous notes. But if the router is setup properly, using DHCP for every machine will save you sooo much time and agrivation. My ISP changed DNS setting the last time I rebooted the DSL router and the 3 machines with DHCP continued on their way. The one machine with static addressing (no reason other than I want it static) had all these problems. Put it to DHCP and all went great.

And also have the router use DHCP to get the info from the ISP. unless you are hosting a server, DHCP even on the router to the ISP will not hurt you.

I'd say that a large percentage of my TCPIP support problems at work were Hard coded things (in a host file, etc) that did not dynamically update

[bogi]

Originally posted by Geronimo
Two computers DO work. One does not. And all have static IPs. I suspect a software or hardware conflict but cant isolate one.

Take a nic out of one comp and put it in the one that dosent work and see if it will connnect then.

[Geronimo]

I have already tried multiple solutions. Currently the destop (not connected) has a ethernet card. The other desktop has a a US B adapter (2 USBs were tried on the machine that does notr connect) and the laptop uses a PC card. The machine that does not connect has ssen

1 A wireless USB adapter
2. The USB adaprter that worked in the other machine
3. A USB Ethernet connection
4. A Wirelss PCI card
5. A conventioanl NIC card


Same results each way


As for non static addressing NONE of the machines work that way. I have to use static IPS on the network. I will try n0qcu's advice when I get home.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Geronimo
IAs for non static addressing NONE of the machines work that way. I have to use static IPS on the network. I will try n0qcu's advice when I get home.

That dosen't make sense. If your machines are the only machines on the physical network and there is only one PROPERLY configured DHCP server (THe wireless router should be the only DHCP server) on the network, then DHCP should work perfectly. Unless your router does not provide a DHCP server function (All Linksys Routers should provide DHCP server service)or DHCP server service is turned off??? Perhaps you are missing something. Some versions of windows require you set DHCP in both your TCPIP address and DNS. On my Win2000 Pro the main page has one radio box that says Obtain an IP address automatically. and a second one that says "Obtain DNS server address automatically". I know that these two fields have not always been on the main tab and both need to be set to get thing working correctly.

One drastic suggestion is to delete the TCPIP drivers (maybe even your network card driver and all related drivers on all your machines, reboot and then reinstall them. ) They should give you a cleaner configuration then you may have had. Since the non-working machine used to be the old Router, maybe the SW is still running in some sense. Can your reinstall the OS from scratch on the non-working machine to guarantee that everything installed prior is wiped out (another drastic step)


Actually I think if you could post the screen shots of all your Linksys setting screens someplace where we can access it (with any important stuff Xed out) that might help the answer. There may be a setting somewhere misconfigured (same with the pics of your TCPIP settings on your misbehaving PC)

[Geronimo]

I admit it doies not make a lot of sense. I have already tried a windows reinstall. As well as reinstalls of TCP IP, and the network card. and even IPX SPX. In fact since I have used so amny devices I have done this several times.

In the next few days I will summarize the DHCP tabs on the machine and the router. But I see we are using WAY too much bandwidth here. Again I appreciate this no end but I am feeling guilty.

[Geronimo]

I believe you are asking me to check the DHCP tab on the router.


It says DHCP is enabled. The table accessible through that tab has columns for Client Host, IP and MAC adresss. All say "none"


Win 98 is different from Win 2000. There are separate Tabs for IP and DNS. THe IP address curently has an assigned IP and I can see the machine. If I allow dynaimic addressing it gives the machine one but I cannot see it from another. Moreover no net aces from that machine under ANY cirumstance.

As for DNS it is enabled the host name is linkys (on all machines) DNS s ervers are the same 2 on each machine.

And I would post that router table but I cant get the wrap to work correctly it comes out unintelligible.

[n0qcu]

Please don't be insulted, I'm grasping for clues here.

did you remove the PNA card?

did you uninstall the pna software?

When you re-installed 98, was it a clean (reformat drive to erase everything old) install?

[Geronimo]

YES, YES, YES

[gcutler]

I think you need to find someone local to give you a "House Call". There are just tooo many factors to look at. For a friend I've been known to do stuff like this for a home cooked meal, find a techie who can't cook and that might save you money. Perhaps a visit to a local PC or Network user group meeting might give you some help???

[Geronimo]

Thnks to all but I agree time to lock the thread. But a giant thanks