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** Non Networkable Dell Computers!! **

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markjrees

markjrees

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May 13, 2004
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A client of ours purchased 4 Dell Dimension 3000 computers and asked us to network them in a peer to peer workgroup environment. the 4 workstations were running XP Home.

We arrived on site and began networking the 4 systems. We simply plugged the four computers into an 8 port switch and joined each computer into the same workgroup (called Workgroup). Each computer had an ip address (192.168.254.1 through to 5).

As always to verify connectivity we issued the Ping command from dos however we got 4 x destination unreachable messages. none of the workstations could successfully ping any of the other workstations.

we swapped both the switch and the network cables with known working ones but still no connectivity could be established. We even went back to basics and ran the XP networking wizard. no joy.

We called Dell support (india) who were no use at all. We're MCSE's and they knew next to nothing about anything.

In the end we had to put the problem down to a hardware fault and as Dell will not confirm this our client has basically cancelled the credit card payment so Dell don't get their money.

Anyway. We've since spoken to our sales contact at Dell and it looks like they may be modifying the Dimension range of computers so that they cannot be networked (in a workgroup environment). Possibly a hardware modification.

Either way we couldn't get the 4 dimensions to network and it's something we do (with other models/makes) on a daily basis.

has anyone else had a similar encounter?

 
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Dell Dimensions have built-in Ethernet ports, don't they? If so, then must be designed to be networked.
 
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Don't take crap like that. The presence (and advertising, see ) of a built-in Ethernet port is a clear statement that it can be networked.

However, at the end of the day, instead of fighting with Dell, it might be simpler to just shove a cheap PCI adapter into each machine, and try that.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on, because I always buy Dell Dimensions for business network use; they're cheap and they work (up to now at least).
 
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What does XP state about the Ethernet port? No resource conflict?
Does the switch lights show a good link?
What is the Ethernet chip in this computer?


 
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Download new drivers for the nics, and see what happens.
 
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get a inexpensive router. turn off mcafee firewall.

Let everything that have breath praise the Lord.
 
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Asking the obvious - can the PCs connect to the internet? If so, it looks like a good possibility that Dell limited access to the local networking.
 
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I've run into a similar problem before and the solution was quite simple. We uninstalled the NIC and reinstalled the drivers when XP loaded again. That simple. We never found out what caused it and probably never will. Try that and see if you can't connect them.
 
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markjrees,

Before I start, these computers were self-built, not Dell or Compaq, or anything, so I don't think it's a hardware issue at all, but rather a software issue.

I am by no means an expert at networking, or anything else for that matter, but I have had my hands in a little of this and that with pc's. I've run into issues on 2 different occasions when networking pc's. The first time, I had more issues networking the pc's after installing all Windows Updates (XP Pro), but had no issues prior. The way I fixed that one, unfortunately, was I installed Windows without any updates (was also before SP2), then updated after the network was setup, and no problems.
More recently, I set up a network (had some hardware problems to fix, but that didn't affect this particular issue - simply a bad card). And the problem was to do with Norton Firewall (which I would assume McAfee could give the same problems). What I had to do was to add each computer's ip address to the other computer's firewall settings as an okay computer or something like that (I forget the exact terminology). I think it was adding IP address as trusted computers or something like that. Anyway, there are a couple different ways to do it in Norton, and would assume the same is true with McAfee.

Stephen [infinity]
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV
 
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I Love Dull's response "We offer no guarantees with any workstation that it can be networked".

Sooo does that mean "We offer no guarantees with any workstation that it can be powered up just because it has a power socket"

Simple answer phone up and say you wish to purchase 1000 pc's, but only if they are network capable. Lets see what their response to that is!

Stu..

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004
 
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kjv1611 was pointing out that his problems were not on Dells so his solutions might not work, but were offered for what they were worth.

Do you have any other computer that is working on a network somewhere else that you could put into the mix to see if anything shows up in the workgroup or is pingable either way.

What are the results of a continuous ping from one machine to the other? Should be showing network traffic from the source to the destination. No traffic would indicate that the ping is getting blocked at the source.



Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
 
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A duplicate post, and resolved: thread779-963397
 
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markjrees,

I think you actually misunderstood my statement about the Dells or not Dells, b/c of the way I put it. I kind of added that statement at the last moment as a background to my experience. I've used one Dell pc with a network previously with absolutely no problems. But anyway, with this issue, and my post, I was merely stating that my experience was not with Dell pc's, and that was why I thought it was a software and not hardware issue - which I do believe is what was learned in the posting bcastner referred to (stating this is a duplicate post, here).

Anyway, glad to see (from other post) that it worked out for ya.

Stephen [infinity]
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV
 
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Oh, and just to make sure - sorry for any confusion caused by the way I worded my first post here. Didn't think much about my wording when posted it at the time.

Stephen [infinity]
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV
 
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i am also facing a problem with Dell. A very strange problem.
This one has Windows XP Home and 1GB card. i connected it to a dlink ADSL router (604T). once in a while it connects then later nothing. The IP address of the router is 192.168.1.1 which is also acting a dhcp server. but this simply cannot get the ip address from it. even if i put a static ip address like 192.168.1.2 or .3, i still cannot ping to it.
i tried newing the ip etc etc.

I can see that so many packets are sent but Received = 0

i connected an HP to it and it is working fine.
Strange!
 
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