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View Full Version : Here's a brain-buster...


dataDude
04-18-2004, 04:58 AM
Ok, first time doing one of these threads, seeing who can give the right answer(s).

First, I have an infrastructured wireless network set up at my desk for only 2 computers (for now. I will be adding another computer as a dedicated server later), the DHCP being a router that can also connect through 10/100BaseT, and includes Ethernet Internet capabilities. I'm new at this stuff, but I understand the basics. At times, both computers will see the DHCP and will be given IPs for each, sometimes one won't always get an IP from the DHCP but the other computer will see it anyway. Sometimes only one computer will see it and sometimes neither one. It's all so frustrating and unpredictable. Sometimes all I need to do is restart the router and that will do it, but the network will only hold for (the record) a half hour. If ever I get the WINS autoconfig for the IP and I try the /renew param, 99% of the time it won't work and tells it can't see the DHCP. That's the majority of the time. Now, the only way I was able to get the two to see each other for the first time was when I wired it all together. Strange. Also, when my network is going I have to stay disconnected from the Internet or else it overrides my network and the network shuts down. I have DSL Internet, but I can connect through 10/100BaseT, but the router doesn't want to see it. Therefore, I can only connect through a direct physical line to the computer. My plan was to connect the DSL to the router and then wirelessly connect that to the computers, but so many things have failed that that's only a dream to be fulfilled right now.

Note: the router seems to be fine because a co-worker tried it at his place and it worked fine for him. I can also ping the localhost just fine. At times when I have the IP address from the DHCP I can't always ping the computer's own IP, but the other will. I hate this.

mbossman2
04-18-2004, 08:21 AM
you will need to let us know:

OS's on all machines
Brand of router
Are both PC's connected directly to the router?

dataDude
04-18-2004, 11:40 PM
Windows XP on both machines.

Brand of router: Aerielink (I'm expecting a new one any day now - D-Link).

Both PCs are currently connected directly to the router via cord, but I don't want that. However, it is the easiest way to get them to communicate for a few minutes.

Karnevil9
04-18-2004, 11:57 PM
Did you run the network wizard and do you have the friewall disabled on windows XP?

dataDude
04-19-2004, 12:23 AM
Yes, I ran the network wizard and it just takes me to the screen that says I already have the network going and if I want to learn about file sharing and stuff.

Yes, I do have the firewall diabled on Windows XP and have my NPF disabled while I try to get the network going. I also have WEP disabled.

Honestly, I can bring up the network, it's just so unpredictable and tends to cut me off like AOL would. It operated all right for the first time when I had a couple of friends over and had them mess with it, but in the 3 hours of being here they could only make it work (the problem in the first place seemed to by my NPF, once that was disabled it all started working - until I tried to go online, then poof gone).

glc
04-19-2004, 01:26 AM
Hang in there till you get your D-Link. In the meantime, you might consider private static IP assignments so the lease won't keep dropping.

dataDude
04-19-2004, 06:30 AM
Well, setting the IPs to static did help a bit; made the connections go for longer sans interruption. There is the problem now of getting my Internet to work. Does a bridge need to be created for that to happen, or does it really matter?

glc
04-19-2004, 10:38 AM
No, a bridge is what you do NOT want. If you are using static IP, use the router's IP for default gateway and use the DNS of your ISP from the router WAN status page.

dataDude
04-19-2004, 03:10 PM
What does a bridge do that I don't want it to do?

mbossman2
04-19-2004, 03:30 PM
a network bridge only connects network segments, not discrete networks and the internet is a bunch of different networks interconnected.

dataDude
04-22-2004, 03:18 PM
Hey all, I got my D-Link router and things seemed to work ok, but then I was getting some major errors with Windows and last night I had to perform a quick reformat :( . Prior to that, Windows wouldn't fully boot and I had to start backing things up by going into Safe mode and put all the important stuff on my other computer (took a few hours with wireless 54 Mbps), but I finally did it.

Now I'm having other issues. If I have the network going on all night long, at some point it's almost guaranteed the connection will sever at some point for no reason. Also, the Internet was plug and play after I reformatted this computer, but I still can't get the net working on the other one, and right now it doesn't want to see this computer even after reboot. Can anyone think of the reason? (Yes, they can both see the router and do stuff on its setup page.)

glc
04-22-2004, 04:30 PM
If the computers can't see each other, the most likely problems are:

Not in the same workgroup
XP firewall is on
NetBIOS is not enabled over TCP/IP

Most likely issue with no Internet access but you can get to the router setup page:

DNS or default gateway issues

Open a command prompt on both machines and run IPCONFIG/ALL

Highlight the results, hit Enter to put them in the clipboard, and paste them into something and post the results here. Feel free to edit out any personally identifiable information.

dataDude
04-23-2004, 01:20 AM
The computers could see each other before, so apparently they're in the same workgroup, firewall's gone, and as far as I know I have the NetBIOS configured for default (obviously, since it's reformatted and I haven't been in there since before then). I'm going to see if my old DSL drivers are the problem. I never did install them on this computer and it's working fine, unlike before the reformat when the drivers were on here.

dataDude
04-23-2004, 03:57 AM
Never mind. I forgot to disable my NPF. Once I did that, voila. However, I had already set the firewall to read all local IPs and for some reason it started rejecting the IP of the other computer. Odd.