Box to Box

[AussieJohn]

Here goes. I have a Windows2000 box and I want to communicate with it back and forth with my Mandriva Machine.

I have connected them up as shown in the attached sketch. The Windows box conects to the net via usb in the Speedtouch 550 ADSL modem and my Mandriva box connects to the net via the on board Lan connection to the LAN connection on the Speedtouch.

 

Both work aok at the same time.

 

I installed a LAN card in my Mandriva machine and connected a lan cable from it to the presently unused Lan outlet in the Windows box. Both boxes have the same model mainboards, namely ASUS A7V600-X. I have tried to make sense of what I read about lan but find it totally confusing.

Maybe someone can walk me through.

1. Mandriva packages that need to be installed so I can check whether I have chosen the correct necessary ones.

2. What if any programs do I need for the Windowbox.

3. Is my setup realistic.

4. A walk through of making settings in both Windows and Mandriva ( Please, no shortcut geek language, just plain simple language. This is all new stuff to me and more than a tad confusing.)

 

Once I get this setup to work I will be able to remove the Win2000 that I currently have on my dual booting Mandriva box and use the Windows box solely for some of the Windows applications I use.

 

Cheers and thanks in anticipation. John.

[ianw1974]

Hi John,

 

Been having a look, and there are a few things you can do, although I would tend to simplify it a bit. You could, if you like, remove the USB cable from the Windows machine. Then use internet connection sharing via the Mandriva box to get internet access.

 

urpmi drakwizard

 

and then go into mcc and find the wizard for internet connection sharing. The Windows 2000 machine would then need to have an IP address in the same range as the network card in the Mandriva box it's connected to. This is simple enough, as you can just allocate static ip address to this card, using the ip address of the mandriva machine as the default gateway. DNS remains the same using your ISP's addresses.

 

You can use the samba wizard for connecting to the windows box via shares, and normally within konq:

 

smb://windowsmachine/sharename

 

to connect to it. This means your Mandriva machine can drop files on the Windows box, but the Windows box wouldn't be able to drop files on the Mandriva box, unless you configure samba to act as a server with shares, so that the Windows machine can drop files on the Mandriva system. There is a samba faq on here in the faq section that will help you with this bit.

 

I've not recommended using DHCP to assign IP's from your mandriva box, it just complicates things, best to keep it simple with everything static.

 

Remember, the ip address from your Windows to Mandriva box will need to be on a different ip range to that of the Mandriva box to the LAN port of your dsl modem/router. Quick example:

 

Lan to Router: eth0 = 192.168.1.2

Gateway: eth0 = 192.168.1.1

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

 

Windows to Mandriva:

 

Windows machine: 192.168.2.2

Mandriva machine: 192.168.2.1

Gateway on Windows: 192.168.2.1

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

 

hope that helps a bit, give me a shout if you need more info.

[iphitus]

Put simply, no the setup is not really realistic, and quite unusual.

 

The speedtouch is not a router, and most Australian ISP's disallow having multiple computers connected to it, and indeed, I doubt it is even capable of supporting multiple computers attached at once. If it is working, then lucky you.

 

As for the ethernet cable between the computers, it needs to be a crossover type cable to work.

 

alternatively...

 

If i were you, I'd just buy a cheap wired router, I picked my no-name brand one up for 30 bucks somewhere, and hook up your computers with that. It's a lot simpler then what you're trying to attempt and probably save you hours of trouble. You will also have a much more realistic chance of being able to get it working using the pathetic mandrake tools.

 

James

Edited May 11, 2006 by iphitus

[AussieJohn]

My god you are quick Ian. Don't you ever sleep or leave the room where your computer is located ????

 

I know the Window box out via usb could be done via an alternative method but it works and is not complicated and does not interfere with the Mandriv Box. So I will leave it as it is at the moment.

 

I am afraid you lost me a bit with the rest. Could you take me through the simplest of your suggestions and in laymens language please. :D :D

 

John.

 

James, I think it was a crossover cable they sold me.

I've got both boxes currently runnihg and they have been doing so for 5 days at the same time conected to Bigpond and have had no trouble downloading or going on the net to various websites going from one machine to the other.

I'll look in to your suggestion of the wired router. Thanks.

J.

Edited May 11, 2006 by AussieJohn

[ianw1974]

OK, have you configured the two network cards in the machine, so that the Windows machine can ping the Mandriva box and vice-versa?

 

Once you've got this pinging, you could then follow the samba faq in the faq section here, and that will walk you through getting the two machines communicating.

[Gowator]

Put simply, no the setup is not really realistic, and quite unusual.

 

The speedtouch is not a router, and most Australian ISP's disallow having multiple computers connected to it, and indeed, I doubt it is even capable of supporting multiple computers attached at once. If it is working, then lucky you.

 

As for the ethernet cable between the computers, it needs to be a crossover type cable to work.

 

alternatively...

 

If i were you, I'd just buy a cheap wired router, I picked my no-name brand one up for 30 bucks somewhere, and hook up your computers with that. It's a lot simpler then what you're trying to attempt and probably save you hours of trouble. You will also have a much more realistic chance of being able to get it working using the pathetic mandrake tools.

 

James

I second and third that ...not only will the router give you a simpler setup but it will provide a stable place you can setup and not mess with. If your ISP doesn't support mutliple connections a router with built in NAT would be a good investment.

 

Alternatively you can use the Mandrake box and set up NAT and routing on the Mandrake box but as iph says the tools to do that are rather quirky last time I looked on Mandrake. From my POV they take a fairly simple task which is using ipchains to forward using NAT and make it overcomplex, ironically in order to make it simpler.

[iphitus]

James, I think it was a crossover cable they sold me.

I've got both boxes currently runnihg and they have been doing so for 5 days at the same time conected to Bigpond and have had no trouble downloading or going on the net to various websites going from one machine to the other.

I'll look in to your suggestion of the wired router. Thanks.

J.

 

Wow, surprised they're both working -- bigpond too.

 

ianw is setting you on the right path if you want to configure the computers to talk to each other with the crossover cable. Though there is no need to use a gateway of any sort, as both computers are getting internet via the modem. You've effectively got three different networks in operation here. One on the USB, one on the modem > mandriva, one between the two computers. the networks are not connected and dont really need to be.

 

Pretty much, you need to use the appropriate tools on both computers, to set the networking cards up with static IP addresses.

 

On the mandrake computer:

run the wizard, pick your network card, if you get a choice between automatic or manual/static IP, choose manual/static.

 

IP address: 192.168.2.1

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

 

On the windows computer, do the same, go to network connections, right click the network card on the crossover, properties, and turn it off automatic IP, and set it to:

 

IP address: 192.168.2.2

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

 

with both computers set correctly like so, you should be able to ping and communicate between them.

 

Alternatively, buy a cheap router, plug it in, follow the included instructions to set it up, then just plug both computers into it, and set to automatic/dhcp IP.

 

James

[Murda]

I installed a LAN card in my Mandriva machine and connected a lan cable from it to the presently unused Lan outlet in the Windows box. Both boxes have the same model mainboards, namely ASUS A7V600-X. I have tried to make sense of what I read about lan but find it totally confusing.

Maybe someone can walk me through.

1. Mandriva packages that need to be installed so I can check whether I have chosen the correct necessary ones.

2. What if any programs do I need for the Windowbox.

3. Is my setup realistic.

4. A walk through of making settings in both Windows and Mandriva ( Please, no shortcut geek language, just plain simple language. This is all new stuff to me and more than a tad confusing.)

 

Firstly, I didn't know that you could access internet via USB on speedtough, I thought it was only for console access. But if it works, good for you.

 

Secondly, there's no way you could make it work with a setup like this and be stable. Someone said that buy a switch/hub to connect them, that's the right way to do it. If you continue with this setup, it may lead to packet collision and lose some data that you are transferring.

 

Good luck though.

 

EDIT:

My solution: Remove the USB cable and use Linux box as a router or buy a switch/hub.

Edited May 11, 2006 by Murda

[ianw1974]

ianw is setting you on the right path if you want to configure the computers to talk to each other with the crossover cable. Though there is no need to use a gateway of any sort, as both computers are getting internet via the modem.

 

Yes, the gateway is just if you wanted to share the internet connection via your Mandriva machine, instead of the USB port on your DSL modem.

 

If you don't mind buying a DSL router, as previously suggested, this would make things far easier and simpler on the networking front. Then you'd just have to worry about samba after this for the file sharing.

 

I tend to just use FTP, although it's not the same as using Windows shares for access, which would probably work quicker and better once up and running.

[tyme]

I tend to just use FTP, although it's not the same as using Windows shares for access, which would probably work quicker and better once up and running.

I might be misunderstanding...but I believe FTP is faster than SAMBA, simply because FTP is such a simple protocol while SAMBA is rather complex. That, and, in the end, it's all about the networks speed ;)

[Gowator]

If you don't mind buying a DSL router, as previously suggested, this would make things far easier and simpler on the networking front. Then you'd just have to worry about samba after this for the file sharing.

Its also more stable because the situation is as Iph described three seperate but co-dependant networks.

 

Playing about with networking can be a headache, simply because it can be hard to tell where something stopped working but also because once you do get this working its more than likely you will want other services etc.

 

Once the network is running you will want Samba but then you need to be sure its working on the actual network you want and the IP is the IP of the interface its connected to... and if one or more of the IP's is dynamic this just add to the unknowns ... It really is a matter of KISS ...

 

I have a single ISP provided router/dhcp server/streaming media etc. etc. with wifi and bells and whistles but I just stick a 10/100 switch in front of it... all my machines get an IP from this except my server which is static and all are on the same class 'C' network .. to do it your way as Iph says you need 3 class C networks ... and it is simply not something I'd try given the drake tools to set this up and kinda a bad investment of time to boot...

 

All you need is for instance the cards to be up in a different order, swap their interface name etc. and everything will fall apart.

 

I tend to just use FTP, although it's not the same as using Windows shares for access, which would probably work quicker and better once up and running.

I might be misunderstanding...but I believe FTP is faster than SAMBA, simply because FTP is such a simple protocol while SAMBA is rather complex. That, and, in the end, it's all about the networks speed ;)

SAMBA is bound by the underlying CIFS and hence is inherently inefficient though it does do a better job than MS ....

the way windows domains work is inherently reliant on multicasting, quite how much is dependent on use of lmhosts, wins server etc. but in the end mutlicasting is inefficient.

[ianw1974]

I tend to just use FTP, although it's not the same as using Windows shares for access, which would probably work quicker and better once up and running.

I might be misunderstanding...but I believe FTP is faster than SAMBA, simply because FTP is such a simple protocol while SAMBA is rather complex. That, and, in the end, it's all about the networks speed ;)

 

Sorry, I did mean to explain a bit clearer. I mean easier and quicker in the sense of being able to open konqueror and type in the server/share to gain access, rather than open an ftp app, key in the details or click the favourite for it and then connect that way. Rather than the speed issue :P

 

I find FTP to be faster between Linux systems than Linux to Windows or vice-versa, probably because the filesystems are better and faster. Unless I'm wrong :P

 

Anyhow, samba can be a bit of a beeyatch to configure, so ftp might be an easier and quicker method. At least it was for me :D

[Gowator]

Anyhow, samba can be a bit of a beeyatch to configure, so ftp might be an easier and quicker method. At least it was for me :D

The irony is that because the goalposts are being constantly moved by MS...

You have different authentifications protocols and name services just across the XP/98 range and new bits added on top, I remember the plain password then encrypted then domain servers, wins and ... basically just a constant change up to and including the XP .. you ned to make a floppy to configure your other computers on the network trick.

 

In reality it has got so complex that samba is really only an option for ewither very simple networks or when you have a server and lots of clients... problem is if its a simple network on *nix or mac then its not needed and if its more complex it works right up to the goalpost changeover or some service pack in win...

[coverup]

I had a setup similar to AssieJohn working for three or so years (though I was using dialup). Yet, a router would be a much simpler solution. Having said that, you do need samba if you wish to create a Word doc and save it to the Linux HD from Word, ias opposed to saving it on the local HD and then FTPing across to the Linux box.

 

Regardless of your network configuration, for being able to work with linux files in Windows box, you need to run a samba server on the linux box (should be included in the Mandriva distro). Also, install swat, this is a configuration front end for samba, it makes the configuration somewhat simpler. Webmin tool could also be useful to install, though it's not a must.

[iphitus]

Samba on the average home network isnt all that difficult to setup. KDE's inbuilt samba config tool does a great job of adding and removing shares, in a really easy to understand and use interface. Just go to kcontrol/Configure your Desktop/Kde control center or whatever it's called there, Internet and Network, File Sharing.

 

James

Edited May 12, 2006 by iphitus