Stupid network prob...what am I missing?

[Kruzin]

OK...setting up an older rig for office.
'bout ready to pull out my hair.
Old PII-400
3com 3c905 NIC

Fresh install of 98SE.
Hooked up to my router, worked right off the bat.
Went to windows update.
Successfully d/l'd and installed updated installer and latest IE.
Rebooted.
Now nothing network works.
Doesn't even seem to try.
Router shows the rig when it boots, and supposedly assigns it an IP.
Check the IP on the rig, it doesn't match what the router says.
Refresh router, no longer shows the rig.
Router lights indicate connection and activity.
NIC lights indicate connection but no activity.
Tried 2 known good cables with same results.
Removed all network stuff, relocated card, set back up, still nothing.

Ideas??

[Byock]

Have you tried setting the card to a static IP, then seeing the network?

[Kruzin]

Just tried.
Router shows the IP, which now matches the machine. But it suddenly doesn't show the 'name' of the machine.
Meanwhile, machine still does nothing on network...

[Helevitia]

Try PINGing your own ip address, work?

Then try PINGing the default gateway, which should be the router address, work?

Now try PINGing a web address like www.murc.ws, work?

If the last one doesn't work, is DNS working? Try PINGing matroxuers IP, which is 66.96.254.2, work?

Do you have a duplicate IP address? Doe sthe MAC address in the router match your PC's MAC?

This should give you stuff to do for a few

[mmp121]

Going on with the MAC Address stuff, does your router have MAC Address filtering ? Is the PC's MAC address in the allowed list ?

[Kruzin]

I can't ping anything. Not the only other system on the network, not the router, not any externals addys.
No duplicate IPs. the router is xxx.xxx.xxx.001, my main rig is .010, the PITA rig is .015
As far as I can see, the router doesn't have MAC addy filtering.

The machine comes and goes as far as the router's concerned. It will show the IP there one min, gone the next. Still never showing it's name though.

What stumps me is that it worked fine long enough to d/l and install 20 meg of MS updates before it crapped out after a reboot.

[Helevitia]

Originally posted by Kruzin
I can't ping anything. Not the only other system on the network, not the router, not any externals addys.
No duplicate IPs. the router is xxx.xxx.xxx.001, my main rig is .010, the PITA rig is .015
As far as I can see, the router doesn't have MAC addy filtering.

The machine comes and goes as far as the router's concerned. It will show the IP there one min, gone the next. Still never showing it's name though.

What stumps me is that it worked fine long enough to d/l and install 20 meg of MS updates before it crapped out after a reboot.

Can you ping your own address? Is TCP/IP still in your network properties?

Have you tried another router/hub/cross-over cable?

[Helevitia]

On other thing, did the 20MB download include a new nic driver? Have you reverted back to an old driver yet? Also, you say the Ip addr. comes and goes. Try doing a continuous ping and see if the pings work swhen the address appears and stops when the address disappears.

Dave

[Kruzin]

The machine can ping itself, and while I was just trying that I tried to ping the router again. Out of 20 ping attempts, it actually got 2 replies.
TCP/IP is the only protocol loaded and bound to the NIC.

I don't have another router to try, have tried 2 good cables.

The 20 meg d/l was only the updated windows update software and the latest IE.

[Wombat]

It's starting to look like a bad NIC.

[Helevitia]

It could also be your speed/duplex. Manually set those on both ends.

[Kruzin]

I did manually set the speed/duplex (100/half duplex) on the PC. No options for that on the router.

I'm starting to think what Wombat said is right. I just tried to check the properties of the NIC in device manager, and it took 30sec to open the props page (though when it did open, it said the device was functioning properly)

[Helevitia]

For reference, a lot of devices default to 10/half. Try setting the nic card to 10/half and if that doesn't work, then wombat is probably right.

Dave

[Helevitia]

BTW, bad nic, could mean bad drivers too, especially since it worked before the update which leads me to believe a possible software problem.

[Kruzin]

No drivers where updated.

Forcing it to 10/half duplex seems have got it going for the moment...we'll see if it lasts through all these 98SE updates and reboots...

First time I've ever had a prob with a 3com 3c905 working at 100...