LukeK Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 Hello, I'm setting up Mandrake Linux at a friend's house and have encountered some problems in setting up the network(Lan and cable internet). On my mandrake linux system it all configured automatically quite nicely. On his I can't seem to get it to work. I've got it hooked up to the onboard NIC which goes on to a 8 port gigafast switch and then to the other computers and the modem. I've attempted to configure the network using MCC but haven't had any luck, despite trying virtually everything I can think of. What might be causing the problems? Thanks for your time, Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzylizard Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 What exactly is the make up of the network? You have stated that the Linux machine is connected to an 8-port switch. Also connected to this switch is a cable modem. However, you have not stated if there is a router connected to this network anywhere. So, is there any form of router and/or DHCP server connected between the cable modem and the switch? If not, there is your problem. Also, exactly what is not working? You have simply stated that you can not get it working, however, you have not stated exactly what it is you are trying to configure. Shall I assume that you trying to enable the network card to work using DHCP and it is not getting an IP address? Or are you trying something different? In addition, how do you know that it is not working? What error messages are you receiving, can you ping other machines, what does ifconfig show? In order to get some form of intelligent answer you need to be as precise and exact as you can when laying out the exact nature of the problem. You also need to state exactly what you are trying to do, what you have tried, and how you know it is not working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeK Posted February 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 Sorry for the ambiguity. When speaking of networks not working I meant the internet and all network connectivity would not work. No samba, no internet, no ping, basically nothing. I'm not getting an IP either. I have no router hooked up (had problems with an old 486 that I was originally running smoothwall on) though I've had that setup for quite a while and it has worked fine. The network goes from the cable modem, to the switch, to two computers (one XP and the other mandrake 9.2). I realize there's not much info that I've given you but any advice is appreciated. Thanks, Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzylizard Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 Actually, that is perfect. It also shows what the error is. Basically, this will never work. I am going to assume that, since it is not working, you only receive one IP address from your ISP. This is already locked into the windows computer. You need to buy yourself some kind of router before this will ever work. Anytime you have a network, you need someway for the computers on that network to get IP addresses. This is done through two methods: 1. Giving each computer a static network address. However, this only works if you have a block of IP address to assign from. 2. Each computer is given a dynamic IP address. Once again, this will only work if you have a DHCP server and a block of IP addresses with which to assign addresses from. Right now, your system does not meet any of those conditions. Currently, the way that your network is setup, you are expecting all IP addreses to come from the ISP. If you are only getting one IP from your ISP, this means that only one computer can be on the internet and only one computer can be on your network. The solution: a DHCP server. These can be found in many router/firewall products such as the kind that Linksys or DLink sell. These provide a single access point to the internet and also supply a block of IP addresses from which to create a network. Without the DHCP server, or the block of IP addresses, you are never going to get your network to work. There is another solution though. Either the windows or the linux computer can act as a dhcp server. This is called internet sharing in the windows computer. For this to work you need two network cards in one of the computers. The first NIC is hooked up to the cable modem and the second is hooked up to the switch. Then, that computer acts as a DHCP server and assigns each computer on the network an IP address. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeK Posted February 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking. I could have sworn I had setup a temporary network before with only a switch (using the internet) but I must be going absolutely crazy. I will certainly try again after we've finished repairing his smoothwall machine. Thanks again, I appreciate the help greatly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzylizard Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 No problem. Good luck and any more questions, just shout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Fuzzylizard.... It can actually work!!! using virtual interfaces. However its is very inelegant... and likely to stop working when something else changes.... The easiest way is via a external DHCP capable server as you say.... The other easy way is a second NIC....($15) but I don't know if this is realistic via the MCC. Its certainly possible by hand but the way that its set-up by the wizards doesn't lend itself to modification. The hardware external router makes this much simpler.... (and reliable) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzylizard Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 It can actually work!!! using virtual interfaces.However its is very inelegant... and likely to stop working when something else changes.... Yes, there are ways of getting the two computers to talk to one another without having a DHCP server attached to the network somewhere. However, does your solution allow for the sharing of the internet across the network? Plus, if it is likely to break easily than how good a solution is it in the first place? The easiest and more reliable way is to do it correctly right from the beginning and either buy a router or a second nic card. BTW, do you have a link on virtual interfaces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 No, I just posted a request for us to all pool some knowlege on it though.... The basis of the prob is this is the way the MCC does it. Personally I think its horrid.... more likea Windows way to do it. Like you say its not really a good solution if you can't rely on it!!!! My experience is its horribly complex and if you fiddle with the firewall likely to stop working!!! Everytime i helped someone in the past I had to go back and delte all the stuff from the MCC/Internet and Network wiz's and do it all by hand. I used to use linuxconf.... but now in 9.2 its mutually exclusive. At the momenet Im too busy to help someone through this.... People keep telling people to use the Wizard and i keep digging them out of it.... but I don't have a 9.2 install so its getting harder and more time consuming..... The logical place is the documentation of the wizard.... something Ive been anable to find!!! I just wanted to explain why it might have worked and WHY it stopped!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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