2 NICs on Win2000

[viper123]

Hey guys, could you help me pls in a network issue? I have a computer running win200 pro with 2 network addapters. I can see the 2 computers which I'm linked to, but they can't 'see' each other. Do you have any idea how to make this possible? I'd be gratefull if you could.

 

[SQLWilts]

check the TCP/IP address for the two cards - they must be unique on the network

 

[John Lewis]

Are you saying that each card is connected to one other computer directly without a hub or switch, and the other computers are not connected to each other in any other way?

If not, how is everything connected?

 

[SQLWilts]

Sorry then try "pinging" each machine via ip address. Sorry if "teaching grandmother to suck eggs" but click start/run then type cmd and press enter
type ping (ip address - say 192.168.0.2)
Let me know what the reply is, OK?

 

[SQLWilts]

Sorry, but one other thing - is file and print sharing enabled (Micro$oft networking installed) on each PC? If not, it may be on the network but will refuse connections

 

[enkie]

Dear viper123,

If I got you right, You have three machines. One with two NICs and two with one NIC each. The two machines connects to each NICs of the machine with two NICs.

============== ===============
|computer1 NIC | <=====> | NIC computer2 |
| | ===============
| | ===============
| NIC | <=====> | NIC computer3 |
============== ==============

To connect computer2 to computer3 you may need to install WinXP to computer1, and bridge the two NIC's thus connecting the two network &quot;computer1 - computer2&quot; and &quot;computer1 - computer3&quot;. If you don't want to change the OS of computer1 you can buy a hub to connect all three machines. btw, bridging is not available in win2K.
- enkie

 

[wolluf]

Don't know if these articles any use:-

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;140859

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=230082

 

[bcastner]

I think you would have to do what wolluf recommended in the second link, and then make entries in LMHOST on alll machines. I question whether the Netbios information would route just doing the registry change.

As enkie said you would really want a bridge (what you really want is a switch or a router), to make the Netbios portion of the traffic seamless.

 

[viper123]

Enkie was right about how the three computers are linked.
All I want to do is a bridge between the two connections, but unfortunattely I can't change my OS to WINXP. I wonder if I could use the 'route' command (e.g:route add 0.0.0.0 MASK 255.255.255.255 1.1.1.1), 'cause if I can I dont' know how.

 

[John Lewis]

Enable IP forwarding as directed in wolluf's second link.

While your changing things, keep in mind that routing takes place between networks, not between hosts. Using enkie's diagram and using a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask everywhere, you would give computer 2 an address of 192.168.2.12 and the NIC in computer 1 that is connected to computer 2 an address of 192.168.2.11. Computer 3 would get 192.168.3.13 and the NIC in computer 1 that is connected to computer 3 would get 192.168.3.11.

I would skip the 192.168.xxx.1 addresses, as many broadband routers and switches like to use those addresses by default, so avoiding them now could save you some work should you add such a device later.

Once the addresses are in place and you have enabled forwarding on computer 1 (only computer 1 needs it), add a route on computer 2 ('ROUTE ADD 192.168.3.0 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.11 /P') and computer 3 ('ROUTE ADD 192.168.2.0 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.3.11 /P'). The /P makes it persistent so you don't have to add it after each restart.

At this point you should be able to ping all of the computers. Browsing will not work. As bcastner stated, the broadcasts needed for name resolution are not routeable, so they will not make their way from computer 2 to computer 3 or from computer 3 to computer 2. A lmhosts file on each machine should fix that up, also as mentioned by bcastner.