A network cable is unplugged.....

It's the TCP/IP setup on the PC then. The stack is working, but the addressing is wrong.

First do an IPCONFIG (at the command prompt) on the PC and double check that it isn't the easily overlooked problem - the PC's IP address isn't what you think it is.

Then if it is set to the address you think it is delete TCP/IP (from the list of protocols in the connection properites) from the Network connection, restart the PC. Then reinstall TCP/IP.

 

This may fit the situation here and it may not.

I am not sure about what type of Internet connection you have. But If you have cable or DSL why not get a Router/Switch and let it do the work.

I have a 4 port Linksys Router and I have yet to find an OS/NIC that I could not just plug into it and go. It has even had a Win95 setup plugged in.

Mine right now a a XP Pro, a 98SE and a XP Home machine plugged in and no problems. And ANY ONE of them can get on the Internet without any other one being on. Just as long as I do not shut the power off of the router anyway.

As far as going from PC to PC all I need to make sure of is that they are in the same Workgroup and have a name. Then the Network goes by names not addresses. It has to use names because the IP address is not always the same. It depends on which machine gets turned on first.

BillyBob

 

Billybob, I think that's probably the best suggestion yet!

I'll leave the complicated stuff to those without a boat to spend time doing nothing on.

Switch ordered.

Thanks to all who tried to steer a complete fool through the mire.

I'll be back to tell you if it works.........

 

Superflid

Look this over

There may be a bit of helpfull info there.

BillyBob

 

I'm not convinced, though happy to be proven wrong. I have nothing against BillyBob's suggestion - in that I think a broadband router is the best option for shared access to a broadband connecting.

However, an inability to ping a computer's own IP from that computer (as reported: "From the desktop machine (XP Pro) I get a "Timed out" message when using the IP of the laptop or it's own IP (192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.1 respectively)" is a problem with the configuration/software of that computer and not the external physical connection. This diagnosis is supported I believe by the fact that a 127.0.0.1 ping does work.

Changing the type of external connection will not in itself fix the problem, I believe. However, you may end up with a fix as TCP/IP will need to be reconfigured to work with the router, and by doing this a misconfiguration may well be corrected.

Please post back with how you get on with the router/switch. I look forward to being proven wrong. However, I think you may well find you still have a problem.

 

ReggieB That could well be the case.

But I would still recommend going to a Router because that will make any machine completely independent of any other. At least getting to the Internet anyway.

BillyBob

 

Back again with new 5 port switch plugged in.

The desktop machine will now ping itself. (192.168.0.1)

Things began well with the laptop being able to access the internet, machines still not making friends with eachother.

There is still a problem which I think is probably hardware (either laptop socket or network card). Sometimes when the network card is plugged into the laptop it would lock up the machine as reported earlier, sometimes it would work fine first time.
If plugged into the other laptop pcmcia socket it is not recognised at all.

Now it refuses to work at all, plugging the card in causes the lock-up. When it is pulled and re-inserted quickly it is recognised and appears in device manager but still refuses to work.

While in this condition the 100M light for that port on the switch is flashing regularly at approx once every 2 seconds.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

That does sound like a defective NIC. Replace it and hope the bad one didn't eat the PCI slots on both machines.

 

Thanks Newt, already ordered new one.

I'll be back............

 

Back again with new 5 port switch plugged in.

Why a Switch and not a Router ?

The desktop machine will now ping itself. (192.168.0.1)

That is strange address to me. My machines are all in the 192.168.1.100+ and all auto asigned by DHCP ( server ???? ) of the Router in the order that the machines are turn on.

I believe with the switch you need to have STATIC IP addressing ) I may be guessing there )

Things began well with the laptop being able to access the internet, machines still not making friends with eachother.
There is still a problem which I think is probably hardware (either laptop socket or network card). Sometimes when the network card is plugged into the laptop it would lock up the machine as reported earlier, sometimes it would work fine first time. If plugged into the other laptop pcmcia socket it is not recognised at all.
Now it refuses to work at all, plugging the card in causes the lock-up. When it is pulled and re-inserted quickly it is recognised and appears in device manager but still refuses to work.

Are you using all Cat5 cable. I use nothing but that. Or seeing as how the machines are more or less connected you may need Crossover. With the Router the machine are not actually direct connected.

-The above paragraph my well be guesswork by me.-

While in this condition the 100M light for that port on the switch is flashing regularly at approx once every 2 seconds.

The light should only blink when in actuall use. Something on the machine may be trying to connect to the Internet. I had the same when I first plugged my Sons' machine in. He found a program CONSTANTLY searching the Internet and the LAN. That was fixed VERY QUICKLY

You are quite welcome.

BillyBob

 

You do not NEED static IP with a switch. A switch acts at a lower level than IP and is unaware of IP addresses. If you have a DHCP server (available with most internet routers, and server operating systems) you can use DHCP. If you don't have one (on a peer to peer workstation network for example), use static IPs.

If you are using 192.168.0.* addresses with a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask (a very common set up on internal networks), any address that starts 192.168.0.* from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.254 will be on the same subnet and be able to communicate directly. If your addresses start at 192.168.0.100, that is because your DHCP server is set up to only hand out address higher than this. This would be a sensible thing to do as it will allow some nodes (print servers, file servers) to use the range 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.99 without having to worry about a conflict with an automatically DHCP assinged IP address. Personally I would not use such a large "exclusion" range (address excluded from the scope of the DHCP server), but it will work for the vast majority of smal networks.

And by the way - I missed the fact that pinging 127.0.0.1 was working while pinging the local IP failed would point to the network card. I'm glad that some other symptoms pointed to the correct diagnosis.

 

ReggieB

Thank you for the info.

And you are correct about why my addresses being as they are. It is due to the Router.

One thing that has caused me grief in the past but may not have a thing to do with the case in question.

I have a Linksys Router. ONLY Linksys NICs will work PROEPRLY with it.

I am also wondering if I would have less Internet problems if I hooked the Linksys Router to a Linksys Cable Modem. One of which I have sitting here but have never tried. ( cluck-cluck-cluck )

BillyBob

 

I am learning here too.

Differences in my System and Superflid.

I have the Router Which sets up the sharing of 1 Internet Connection.

Superflid is attempting to use a Switch.

Now my question. Does that or does it not require the Internet connection on one of the machines to be SHARED ? And if that machine is not on nobody gets anywhere ?

If so. Isn't it a case of if one machine is on the other cannot get on ?

And as I mentoned before ( I forget which machine ) the light is constantly blinking which I believe shows use. Would this or would it not prevent possible porblems for the NIC on the other machine ?

Also when I mentioned addressing I was refering to the address of the NICs not the ISP IP. I actually have NO IDEA what my ISP IP is. Because the NAT in the Router changes it. ( I believe I can find that one but will not print it )

And last but not least. All if the info I get here just might ( NO IT WILL ) help if I ever have to set up a LAN/Internet without a Router.

BillyBob

 

As most of this is going over my head (and being too idle to study it up!) I'll just answer the part I understand.

Using the switch does mean that the main computer has to be switched on and sharing it's internet connection. It's just that it happens to suit my setup at home. My PC is on more or less 24/7 and is used by all the family (when I'm not trying to get the net(don't)work to work!).
The second machine is my wife's laptop which will only be used by her when the PC has a queue of users wanting it..........

The IP addresses of 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.2 were suggested somewhere in the last few days by someone guiding me through my nightmare.

I'll be glad when this is over and I can go play on my boat.

 

I would be willing to bet $25 that a Router would suit your needs better.

OK. Who wins when you and the kids OR your wife when you both would like to be on at the same time ?

The Router would QUICKLY end that problem. ( I had it so I know ) Every machine ( up to 4 for me ) could be on the net at the same time. And it would not make any difference which machine was on or off.

I do understand about the addressing. And why it is different.

BillyBob

 

Re: the IP addressing item

As long as all the devices have an IP address and subnet mask combination that puts them on the same logical network, you are good to go.

With the SOHO (small office home office) router/switch devices, the maker will have set up a default addressing scheme using one of the private address ranges. As long as all are playing in the same ballpark, things are fine.

ICS (which I assume superflid is using to 'share' the modem) was originally hard coded to use only 192.168.0.1 for the host PC and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. This means that all the other PCs needed to have an IP from 192.168.0.2 - 192.168.0.254. Later versions allow more options but this one still makes ICS the happiest.

Some SOHO routers are set by default to assign the router 192.168.1.1 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 so the other machines have to use 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.254.

Basically, when you use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, all your IP addresses must match in the first three sets of numbers and must not match in the 4th. 192.168.x.x is used since this range of addresses will never be assigned to any internet devices and are perfectly safe to use on a local network.

 

The one thing about a Router ( at least mine anyway ) each device may not always have the same address. Especially if it is shut down. But the 255.255.255.0. remains constant.

The only device I have that has a constant address is my Printer which remains on at all times. It stays at 192.168.1.100.

The next in line will be which ever machine is turned on next.

The BIGGEST problem I has was SPELLING. MhSome is not the same as MsHome.

BillyBob

PS.
I also tried with having two machines with the same name. That was not too good either.

BB

 

The addresses probably don't stay the same but the do stay in the same range so you won't see 192.168.0.x or 192.168.2.x on your network. DHCP server (a feature of your router) has been given a range of addresses to work with and will simply assign an available one to a PC that comes on the network asking.

The printer could be run the same way but I sorta like a static, unchanging IP address for them too.

And you are right that duplicate names aren't such a pretty good idea.

 

Yes they do stay in the same range.

As to the name problem. That was more or less just to point out something that will ( has ) cause(ed) problems.

I was THINKING about giving the printer a static address but then I THOUGHT about the old saying. " If it ain't broke don't fix it. "

BillyBob