NIC, Win2K and DSL

[wjs2]

I Have a small home network, Windows NT, Windows 2000 pro and Windows XP pro. Everything seems to be working almost ok. Am also running dsl. The win2k box logs on to the internet, but, when the browser is started (IE 6.0, Netscape 4.75 or Opera 6.1) it cannot find anything. (I have assigned the IP addresses in the network manually.) At this point, signed on to the internet, if I go into network properties and reassign the IP address of the NIC used for the DSL connection, the dsl works fine. Until the next time I boot the machine and have to go through the process again. I just have two IP addresses that I flip back and forth so it isn't just one address that is giving the problem. The Windows 2000 box is the only machine on the network that has this problem.

Any thoughts on what causes this and how to fix it?

Thanks
WJS

 

[TheOldMan346]

I don't know who your DSL provider is but many these days use either DHCP (dynamic IP) or PPPoE. Usually if they are static IP, it is a single address and you shouldn't be changing it.

I assume from your description that you are not sharing the internet connection. Is there software from the ISP involved?

Once connected but before you reset the connection, open a txt document using any editor then open a command prompt/DOS window and try the following:

ping

http://www.yahoo.com

- Copy the results and paste in txt doc
ping 64.58.76.225 - Copy the results and paste in txt doc

ipconfig /all - Copy the results and paste in txt doc

Then reset your DSL connection as you normally do and in a command prompt/DOS window type
ipconfig /all - Copy the results and paste in txt doc

Copy the contents of the txt document and paste it back here in a post.

Good luck.
The Old Man

 

[wjs2]

TheOldMan346,

Raspppoe is the connection software being used and I am sharing the internet connection.

My attempts to copy the dos windows to a text file and paste here were not pretty. If there is a secret to this, let me know. In the mean time, use this link to get to the information you requested.

http://home.ix.netcom.com/~wjs2/DSL_CHK/Test_IP.htm

Let me know if you have any trouble with this link. I Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks
WJS

PS If 346 is your age in years, you are only slightly older than me.

 

[TheOldMan346]

WJS,

No, 346 is not my age. It's just a number I picked to distinguish me from the other OldMan id's already in use. I used my shoe size! Just kidding. I keep telling myself age is just a state of mind but I can't figure out how to stop the joints in my mind from aching.

Anyhow, I had no trouble fetting to the link. You can cut and paste from a command prompt/DOS window by selecting the appropriate area with your mouse and then right-clicking in the marquee/banner portion at the top. Then select Edit > Copy. You can then paste into any text doc or even this post box.

I think I am missing part of the picture. Looking at the ping results, it appears to just be a DNS issue. You can ping by IP so your connectivity is OK. The inability to ping by name usually indicates an incorrect DNS server address. However, the DNS addresses are the same both before and after you reset.

You are sharing the internet. What do you use to share? ICS? a proxy server? It looks like there are two NIC's in the Win2K machine. You say the Win2K is the only computer having the problem. The others are able to access the internet even before you reset? Can you provide a few more details about the sharing setup?

The Old Man

 

[wjs2]

The Old Man,

Possibly 'sharing' is not exactly correct. The three machines are hooked to the DSL modem through a workgroup hub. They are not exactly sharing it since each one connects independently through the hub.

The pppoe software I'm using (Raspppoe on the Win2K and XP boxes, WinPoEt on the NT box) only makes it appear that there are two NIC's in the machine. The second one is a fake that actually uses the network card. I guess the proper term would be that the pppoe address 'binds' to the actual network card. The reseting of the Win2K box has no effect on the others and they have no problem. You run the associated pppoe dialer on whichever box, the connection is made and your off and running. Ususally.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more information.

WJS

PS My DOS ignorance proturded there for a minute. Sorry about that. I've been doing this for a really really long time. Mostly mainframes and I just couldn't get excited about DOS.

 

[wjs2]

The Old Man,

Possibly 'sharing' is not exactly correct. The three machines are hooked to the DSL modem through a workgroup hub. They are not exactly sharing it since each one connects independently through the hub.

The pppoe software I'm using (Raspppoe on the Win2K and XP boxes, WinPoEt on the NT box) only makes it appear that there are two NIC's in the machine. The second one is a fake that actually uses the network card. I guess the proper term would be that the pppoe address 'binds' to the actual network card. The reseting of the Win2K box has no effect on the others and they have no problem. You run the associated pppoe dialer on whichever box, the connection is made and your off and running. Ususally.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more information.

WJS

PS My ignorance proturded there for a minute. Sorry about that. I've been doing this for a really really long time. Mostly mainframes and I just couldn't get excited enough to even open a DOS window for a long long time.

 

[wjs2]

The Old Man,

My apologies. Again. I did not get an idicatation the the first post took. It just sat there looking at me. So I did it again.

Read the second one. It's better.

WJS

 

[TheOldMan346]

WJS,

No apologies needed. My ignorance protrudes all the time! Usually at the most inopportune times! The more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know it all.

I have a theory and a suggestion. It's only a theory since I don't have all the connection details, configurations, etc.

Theory:
Since all the computers are connected to the DSL through a hub and you are using PPPoE, I suspect it has something to do with the bindings and RASPPPoE. This may be complicated by the changing of IP addresses and potential conflicts on the network. Resetting the IP address is resetting the bindings.

Suggestion:
Rather than trying to dope this out, I'd suggest you trade the hub for a cable/DSL router. Using a router with an integrated switch, you would eliminate all of the IP address concerns, eliminate the RASPPPoE software on the computers, be able to surf from all the computers simultaneously and have firewall protection.

Does this sound like a viable solution? If not, we can continue trying to figure this out.

The Old Man

PS - What's wrong with mainframes. I cut my teeth on mainframes. That core memory was really hard to chew!

 

[wjs2]

The Old Man seems to be thnking regardless of aches and pains.

Actually, the router sounds like a good idea. I just used the hub because I already had it when I got DSL. Realizing that the router would give me an extra layer of protection just gives me a little more incentive to do it.

Your time and consideration are much appreciated.

Thanks
WJS

PS My first 'toy' was a CDC 160 'mainframe'. No disk. No tape, except for paper tape. 4k of core memory and it cost $160,000 brand new. Right out of the box. Now you understand why 346 isn't so old.

 

[TheOldMan346]

WJS,

LOL! How about an NCR-315 with a whopping 10K of memory and CRAM units. The CRAM (Card Random Access Memory) units took up a large part of the room and sounded like jack-hammers when the card was dropped on the capstan for reading. I had it easy, though. Punched cards! I only had to play with the manual sorting equipment.

I think the router is the best bet. Linksys, D-link and SMC are excellent and you can get them for under $70 now.

Good luck. Glad I could help.
The Old Man

 

[wjs2]

Well. Don't that beat all! You remember CRAM! I always thought it resembled the sound of a slow machine gun. Way off in the distance. The CDC 160 was actually in an NCR data center in K.C. It had an NCR logo on it that said it was an NCR 310. But it was a CDC 160. The 315 was across the room. Only the guys that had worked there a while were allowed to touch it. Because it was so powerful! Hey, with 12 bit slabs, it was actually equal to 12k of anything IBM built. That made it 'BIG'. And, it could play Tic-Tac-Toe.

Thanks again for your help.

WJS