Network Setup Problem

[stinkyluk]

I need help with a problem I've encountered but I will need to give you a bit of explaination of the setup so please bear with me.
I work in a small Catholic school and we get most of our technology help done by volunteers. I have learned quite a bit but I am still pretty ignorant about networks. We have the school computers connected with Cat5 to a hub which is then connected to the server. We have a T1 getting out to the internet. A friend of the Pastor's installed a small hub in the school which has a Cat5 going to a D-Link antenna which reaches across the parking lot to the rectory and the receiver is connected with Cat5 which leads to the basement where a 5 port D-Link hub supplies Cat5 wires to the four offices there.
The Server is running Windows 2000 Server and the desktops run 98 and XP Home. When I get a new computer, I install the software and do email and network setup at my desk in the school. Then I deploy the computer to the room it is needed.
Now for the problem-I set up a new computer (Compaq Presario 5100, XP Home, SMC 1211 10/100 NIC). At my desk it worked fine-connected to the network and the Internet. I took it to the rectory and it will not find the server. I can ping other computers in the rectory but not at the school. An old computer running 95 that had a NIC but was never connected to the network and a notebook running XP had no problem connecting from the same connection.
I brought my computer fromm the school which is exactly the same as the other and it has the same problem-will not connect.
I would appreciate any and all help with this problem. Thanks

Trish

 

[Accessdabbler]

Do you assign static IP addresses to each computer? Check to see if your Win XP computer can get a dynamic address from the DHCP server.

Just a wild guess (I'm fairly new to networking as well) but routers build an internal table telling them which computers exist on which side of the router. I'm wondering if by setting it up on the school side the router won't allow it to connect at the rectory unless you purge the entry from the router's table? The router should automatically sort this out but there may be a delay depending on how long the router waits between updates.

 

[stinkyluk]

We don't assign IP addresses, we obtain IP automatically. I did try to assign the specific IP address and it still didn't work. I kept getting assigned a "generic" address (it was completely different than our IPs)

How do I check to see if your Win XP computer can get a dynamic address from the DHCP server.

I did have the gentleman who set up the school's network take a look at this and he was also stumped. He said he didn't change any settings in the router and the pre-set memory should only be for a few hours. Even if the router remembers the IP wouldn't it assign a new IP? Or are there some kind of links between the physical computer and the IP (like the computer name?) How would I purge the router table?

 

[Accessdabbler]

Yes, the router should update its table automatically.

Your WinXP system should be getting its own IP address from the DHCP server then. Have you checked the IP address? I don't use WinXP but I'm sure you can use the IPCONFIG command (you probably have to go to a DOS prompt) to see if the IP address you are getting is correct.

If your WinXP system is getting an IP address, it must be connecting to the server in the school...

 

[stinkyluk]

Ipconfig works with XP. The IP address that I get is 169.254.52.49-this is not one of our IPs

"If your WinXP system is getting an IP address, it must be connecting to the server in the school..." If it is not getting the IP from the server, would it be getting it from one of the D-Link pieces? Sorry if it sounds stupid -I really don't know anything about the wireless end.

 

[Accessdabbler]

OK, you are NOT getting to the server. You probably have something wrong in the TCP/IP setup. Try uninstalling TCP/IP and reinstalling it again.

Is the green light on the NIC on?

The 169 address is a dummy address when the OS can't find an IP address.

Also, is the server set to allow the XP machine to talk to it? I've never used Win2K server but if the connections to the XP machine are fine, it may be a permission issue between the XP and 2K Server machine.

 

[stinkyluk]

1. I will try to uninstall the TCP/IP will let you know.
2. The light is on on the NIC.
3. I found out something else, although I can see the Rectory Office (a different computer than the one with the problem)in my Network Places, I cannot ping its IP from the school. I will try to ping the server from that computer when I uninstall the TCP/IP. (I have to keep running between buildings.)
4. Win2k is also new to me. I would think the server is fine because the computer accessed ok at the school. I'm wondering if there is some sort of security or blocking setup at the wireless end. Would one computer over there have to act like a server (contain the D-Link software, etc)? Why the laptop and the old gateway hooked up immediately, I don't know. (This problem seems like a permission problem somewhere. Hardware has checked out ok. I'm still hoping the guy who set up the wireless end has an idea.)
5. THANK YOU-I appreciate all your ideas and time.

 

[stinkyluk]

I can't ping the rectory computer from my desk at the school but I can ping it from the server at the school.

 

[Accessdabbler]

Your network setup is interesting to me since I am currently learning about networking.

I'm trying to visualize your network. I see a WAP (Wireless Access Point) connected to a hub (or switch) which is also connected to the server.

In the rectory, you have another WAP and all the computers are plugged directly into it.

I'm wondering if you have two different IP address ranges (two subnets). One at the rectory, one at the school. You may have the WinXP computer's subnet mask set incorrectly.

If I'm unable to help you soon, you may need to re-post your original question so that someone else, more knowledgeable than I, jumps in.

 

[stinkyluk]

I found another interesting thing. The computer that doesn't connect was just loaded with Quickbooks 2002. We are having a problem printing so I went to the printer setup option. Guess what-ALL of the networked printers show up! I did get a call from the gentleman who did the wireless and he has a few ideas so wish me luck. He said it sounds like a DCHP connection problem. I will let you know when (hopefully) it gets fixed what was done.

 

[stinkyluk]

The problem is solved. I unplugged the antenna from the window in the school and the window in the rectory. It worked. I can't believe it because I had unplugged the server, the switches, the router, and the D-Link hub in the basement but never the antenna! Thank you so much for your advice and help.