Problems with 2 NICs on W2K Pro computer

[cwroblew]

I have 2 NICs (an onboard VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter and a Linksys LNE100TX(v5) Fast Ethernet Adapter) on a Windows 2000 Professional computer. The onboard NIC is currently connected to the internal LAN which has a Win NT server. The other NIC is connected to a router which is connected to the cable modem.

I'm having problems with the internal LAN. If I set the server to the 10 Mps things work ok. But if I try to run at 100 Mps (which the server NIC can handle), I cannot get the DHCP stuff to work right. My NIC gets the IP address of 169.254.241.199. If I hard set the IP address to 192.169.0.51 I lose connection to the internet (neither problem happens at the slower speed).

 

[bcastner]

If you are connected with a hub on your internal LAN, 10 MBS is all you can expect.

 

[cwroblew]

The hub is a 10/100 MBS hub. So why would it slow to 10?

 

[bcastner]

Autonegotiation issues (failures) are common. Any point in the server - hub workstation - hub chain, including the quality and lenth of cable runs, can interefere with a 100 mbs setting and negotiation.

In general the speed and duplex setting of all devices in the connection should be allowed to autodetermine the settings; it is becoming rare where manually configuration of Duplex and Speed settings at any one device will prove sufficient. See member jimbopalmer's notes: faq586-4186

 

[chieftan999]

The 169 address you are getting is when the OS cannot find a DHCP it issues these addresses.

You should be able to manually assign addresses to the cards. Try the above and see what happens.

Is the problem occuring to both machines or just the server?

 

[cwroblew]

The problem is occuring on just my machine on the NIC that is connected to the internal LAN. I'm having no problems with the other NIC card in my machine that is connected to the internet LAN. The server has a manually assigned card.

I have both my card and the server card to automatically detect the speed. At one point my machine actually got the IP address from teh server, but I could only ping the server and could not access shared drives. But the next time I booted I got the 169 address.

One other observation that I'm not sure if its a problem. We have other computers which are turned off (and barely used) which are connected to the internal LAN. Could these other NICs becausing problems? They're all 10/100 mbs cards.

 

[chieftan999]

Not if they are not switched on.

When you first boot a system the NIC send out a broadcast message searching for a any DHCP servers. The DHCP servers respond and the NIC usually accepts the first address given by the nearest DHCP.

This is all completed way before the OS is initiated. The upper layes of the stack are updated once the OS has initiated.

When the system is powered off the NIC stack clears and the address should be updated on the DHCP database as being available.

Are any of the NIC's in the other systems WOL (Wake on Lan) cards?

It all sounds like a DHCP / DNS issue, especially if you got an IP address and could ping it but not the name.

What type of cabling is being used? CAT5 or CAT3?

 

[cwroblew]

I'm not sure about either of your questions. My husband installed all but my LAN cards and he installed all the cabling. Since he made sure he got 10/100 MBS Lan cards and a 10/100 MBS hub, I would assume that he'd use cat5 cabling but it is possible that a cable somewhere is older. I will be verifying this.