Small Office LAN with DSL 1

[ccarney]

After reading through some of the threads, I'm hesitant to write as I think I'm starting from a very basic level compared to everyone else. But here goes nothing...

I need to organize a small office network (4 PCs, 2 with XP Home, 2 with XP Pro) to share files/printers and internet connection. They have had someone install SBC DSL using a Speedstream 5100 with a Netgear 24-port switch. All PCs have had the SBC Connection manager and all Yahoo DSL software installed but no network sharing was set up.

I have not had to do anything like this before (IPCONFIG /ALL was new to me on Wednesday!), so after reading what I could, and noting what state the PCs were in, off I went. First job was to configure the network printer - no PC could see it. After help from a forum, I configured it with the 'next' IP address based on my PC's address 169.254.206.187 and subnet of 255.255.0.0. That worked fine and both XP Pro PCs could see the printer after setup. The XP Home PCs couldn't see anything.

So I ran Network Wizard on my XP Pro and one XP Home as a test to make the small office network, first making my XP Pro set to an ICS Host (maybe this was completely wrong, but I was in testing mode at this point).

With this setup, my PC now had a subnet 255.255.255.0, with IP 192.168.0.1. The XP Home PC was 192.168.0.44 and so both could see each other. I updated the printer to 192.168.0.2 and both could see the printer.

But the XP Home was running really slow, so I changed the network, using Network Wizard, for all PCs to have their own Internet connection (direct via hub/router). Now my PC has it's original 169 address, but the XP Home still has the other 192 address. It can see the printer, but now mine can't and I can't see the network devices.

Can someone give me an overview of what's happening here? I'm getting confused in the land of auto-assigned IP addresses, subnets, DHCP, etc. I assumed that the router was assigning the IP addresses (thus the 169.254), but what's happening to the XP Home PC? Why would Network Wizard create a small office network but keep the PC on 192.168.0? What made my PCs IP address change to 192 and back again?

One final point is that one XP Pro PC cannot send/receive using Outlook 2002 or Express. Webmail direct is fine. Error states time-out waiting for response from POP/SMTP server - doesn't help to lengthen the timeout.

I've been trying to read the various forums, but am probably getting too much specific information for each area, and missing the big picture. I will be happy to start reading network docs from this point forward, but need to get this network up-and-running sooner rather than later.

Any assistance would be wonderful...sorry this is so long.

 

[smah]

The machine with the 169.254.x.x address is the problem. The 192.168.0.x addresses are probably what is being allocated by the Speedstream device.

First, check the hardware on the problem machine. Check Device Manager to make sure the network card is set up properly. Then check the network cable from the Netgear switch to that pc - if possible, swap cables with one of the 192.168.0.x machines and ports on the switch.

If everything above seems ok, use this tool to repair the Winsock Service stacks

http://members.shaw.ca/techcd/VB_Projects/WinsockFix.zip

(thanks to bcastner).

 

[ccarney]

I checked on device manager and re-installed the network card driver - no change.

I used another port - no change.

I ran the WinsockFix - no obvious change.

I re-ran the network wizard, and the LAN connection was assigned IP address 169.254.x.x again (automatic private address assigned by DHCP).

Anything else obvious I can try? What makes mine 169.254.x.x. and another one in the same switch 192.168.x.x - or is that the question of the day?

Although I've only had this laptop since July, I have had problems with Bluetooth from day one (i.e. it's never worked and just hung applications) and wonder if reinstallation is going to be required? It seems rather drastic, but I'm open to doing that if I need to.

Thanks.

 

[smah]

FWIW, you would get the 169.254.x.x address even if the network cable wasn't connected. That's why I started with checking the hardware.

Next, open a command prompt (Start, run, cmd, OK) and type: ipconfig /release and enter. Then, ipconfig /renew. If you get an error message, post back with the exact error.

 

[smah]

I hate to be a pain in the a**, but I just noticed that you didn't confirm that the cable was good by switching network cables. A bad cable could cause your problem.

Also, is the bluetooth adapter built-in or is it a usb add-on?

 

[ccarney]

To check if changing cables made a difference, I went to another office and used one of the other PCs LAN points and used that in the previous step, so it used different cables from my laptop all the way to the different netgear port. I figured that if that worked ok, then my original cabling was the problem. But it was the same. Was that what you meant?

As for the ipconfig /renew, I get the following error message:

Windows IP Configuration

An error occurred while renewing Local Area Connection 2 : unable to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.

That sounds informative...

As for the bluetooth, it's built-in. Came factory installed with the DELL Inspiron 8500 that we're talking about.

 

[smah]

Yes, that's what I meant by switching cables - using a known good one by either bringing another cable to the pc or the pc to another cable.

Once again 'unable to contact your DHCP server' makes me think it's a hardware problem.

I just did some checking on the speedstream 5100 (which I probably should have done earlier) and may have found the problem. Although, if SBC set this up, they should have set it up correctly. How many pc's are connecting to the internet correctly?

You may want to read this

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,7837878~root=ilec,pcb~mode=flat.

If the speedstream 5100 is set up in bridge mode which it appears to be by default, only 1 pc will be able to connect to the internet. You need a router, which this device may (or may not be capable of). Before we go any further, you should check with whoever set up your SBC service with the speadstream and the netgear switch. You need to find out if the speedstream is set up for 'bridge' mode or 'router' mode. You need a router to connect multiple pcs to the internet. If you can't set seedstream as a router, you'll need to get a small router like the Linksys BEFSR11 or equivalent.

 

[ccarney]

That's up there with finding out the power is not turned on! I confirmed with SBC that in fact the 5100 is only a bridge and not a router.

The technician told me that it cannot be set to be a router and they recommend to anyone needing to network with more than one PC connected to purchase a router in addition to the modem. He confirmed the other option (which I had accidentally created) would be to make one pc the ICS host - but, yes, that would slow things down. So that explains to me why I could join the network in one configuration but not the other.

Some confusion here as everyone thought it was a modem/router, and viewing the Efficient site for 5100 gave the same impression.

I guess I need to go shopping for a small router now.

Thanks so much for a great 'first-time' experience on this forum. I'm sure I'll be back for more!

 

[Dudesplace]

I would start over, first off turn off DHCP on the local side of the network, I never set networks up in a biz environment with DHCP, Start by choosing from 192,168.1.2 to 192.168.1.255 & subnet as 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1 sho
uld be your router.
stick a postit note on each one so you know what you are addressing each one, including printers. If printers are shared off PC's only make sure you right click the printer and share each one, and it will help to make the name of each unique, like Office\HP Lazer.
At each machine you will have to share each folder or file you wish to share on the network.

 

[smah]

Dudesplace, the problem is that he doesn't have a router! Using static private IP's can be used to create the internal network, but that won't help to get outside the network. And DHCP in a business environment is perfectly acceptable and much easier than manually setting each machine's address and keeping track of ip addresses(think hundreds or thousands of computers).

 

[bcastner]

I would prefer DHCP to post it notes.
And 192.168.1.255 is not a valid host IP.

 

[ccarney]

If it makes any difference, I got a router and had the network up and running in about 15 minutes. Couldn't have been easier. And I really wouldn't want to manually track the addresses. There are only 4 PCs now, but this will be expanding. Give me automated over manual any day.

All printer and file sharing required is setup as needed and no one is having to mess around with DSL connections themselves anymore.

BTW, he's a she.

 

[smah]

Glat it's working and sorry about that.

 

[ccarney]

Hey, no problem. How would you know?!