Network Installation problems

[Paddy]

I am convinced that the ISA card is faulty. - even though it claims otherwise.

I have never had this much trouble before

[Plmr]

If you cant see 1 of yer machines from its own net nabrhood you have driver or nic probs on that machine and yer goin nowhere fast til you can see your self on both...Try a matching nic and scrap that isa card..good luck...

[SteveC]

Right, stop messing around and let's start again.

<U>There's no reason at all that a ISA NIC cannot wrk with a PCI NIC.</U>

(Also, you *can* get 100mbps ISA NICs, but they cost a hell of a lot - their use is for old machines on a 100mbps only hub as they make a 100mbps connection, but don't actually transmit that fast)

1) Remove *ALL* networking stuff from windows on both machines (the network cpanel applet should be blank). And Reboot.

2) After the reboot and let windows find the network cards (I assume the Realtek ISA is PnP?)

3) Reboot if windows wants you to.

4) Set an IP Address of something like 100.100.100.1 and 100.100.100.2 and the subnet masks of either 255.255.0.0 (or 255.255.255.0) on both machines)

5) Set The PC names (to say, PC1 and PC2) and WORKGROUP (it helps if they're in the same workgroup, but doesn't actually matter)

6) Install File and Print Sharing

7) Make sure that now in the installed list in the network settings, there are the following:

Client For Microsoft Networks
Network Adapter
TCP/IP
File and Print Sharing For Microsoft Networks

8) Open a DOS Box on PC1 and type:

PING PC1

Something like this should appear:

---
Pinging PC1 [100.100.100.1] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 100.100.100.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 100.100.100.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 100.100.100.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 100.100.100.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 100.100.100.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
---

This checks if PC1's TCP/IP stack is working.

9) Do the same on PC2.

10) If this both works (ie they can see each themselves), try pinging each other (by IP address)

This should now work.

11) If the ping fails, Watch the lights on the back of the transmitting card to see if they flash. Also watch the lights on the hub to see if they flicker. If on the hub the lights flicker then the transmitting PC's card is working OK.

Do the same on the other PC. If either light fails to flicker, then one of the cables or one of the cards is physically faulty.

Note: some hub's lights don't flicker (and some network card's lights don't flicker) But on the hub there will be a traffic light - see if that flickers instead

If it's all now working: If either PC has a modem, Go into the network settings cpanel applet, and install the Dial-Up adapter on that PC.


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Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[This message has been edited by SteveC (edited 17 July 2000).]

[SteveC]

Oh yeah - this is assuming that the hub *IS* 10/100 mbps and not only 10 or only 100mbps. You may find that it's only a 10mbps hub and so that 10/100 card has to be FORCED (many card's auto negotiation fails) to 10mbps.
Or, the hub may be 100mbps only, in which case scrap the ISA nic.

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[RAB]

Sorry, I realized the NTFS versus VFAT was an error on my part. They should be able to see each other no matter what the files systems. I realized my error about an hour after I wrote the reply, but by that time the server was down and I couldn't get back in to edit it out.

Steve, you are correct that there is no theoretical reason that an ISA nic can't talk to a PCI nic. I have been successful once out of about four tries. I still don't know why though.

Next time I will try to think before I answer.

RAB




[This message has been edited by RAB (edited 18 July 2000).]

[SteveC]

If the ISA and PCI cards are in working order, I've never had a problem with them talking to each other - I often do it...

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[Paddy]

I had already done this but it still refuses to work.

Everything looks fine on both machines. They just cant see each other.

Could there be a hardware problem even if windows claims everything is ok?

[Taz]

Yes, just because Windows isn't showing a hardware problem doesn't necessarily mean the cards Ok. Is there a diags program on the driver disk for either NIC, if so try running that.

What make and model of hub is it?

I would expect to get a link light regardless of the connection speed.

[Paddy]

The hub is a 'NETGEAR Fast ethernet hub FE108'

There are no diags for the nic.
I asume mine (PCI) is ok as i have two coppies and they both wont be faulty.

The old ISA one however?

[Greebe]

Can you ping the machine from itself? This would help insure it in itself is working.

[Taz]

Well according to NETGEAR's website the FE108 is a 100Mbs hub not a 10/100Mbs hub so unless your ISA card supports 100Mbs, unlikely, then I'm afraid it isn't going to work. Looks like a new card is in order

[Paddy]

Damn!
I was reliably informed it was a 10/100

I am not buying a new ISA ethernet card....

If i use a cross over cable, then i can get rid of the hub, right?

If so, what other consequences would there be?

[Taz]

Yes the crossover cable would replace the hub, there shouldn't be any other consequences as a result of this.

[MultimediaMan]

I've had a bad cable that reported "good" signal to a 10/100 hub. Replacing it fixed my problem. There is no reason to avoid TCP/IP over a LAN.

Make sure that File and Print Sharing services are disabled on the adapter that connects to the Internet (Dialup adapter, or broadband NIC).

BTW: I have a couple of 10/100 ISA NICs...they are just as fast as the PCI NICs, there is more than enough bandwidth available on the ISA bus to satisfy an 8 or 16 bit data stream. The reason they cost so gawdawful much is that they have their own co-processor and clock generator and a fairly large cache (128K, I think).






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My (Current) Primary system:

Abit BE6 (QP BIOS)
P3 450
384MB PC-100 SDRAM (Non-ECC)
Matrox Marvel G200-TV AGP (NTSC) 16Mb w/ HW-DVD Module v2.7 BIOS
Quantum 3D Obsidian X-24 Voodoo2 card PCI66
Linksys LNE 10/100TX PCI NIC
SBlive (W/ OD I/O Card, Liveware 3.0 + Update) PCI
ADS Cadet Radio Data AM/FM Card (8 Bit ISA)
3x WD AC28400 EIDE HDDs (ATA66 Enabled)
Creative DVD5241E EIDE 5x DVD-ROM
M/S Windows 98SE (English)
DirectX 7a

My (Current) Secondary system

Data General/ ALR 2650 Mobo (v6.004 BIOS)
2x P2 266 (SMP)
128 MB PC-100 SDRAM (ECC)
2 x Number Nine Revolution 3D 8MB PCI Adapters
Adaptec 62011 64Bit PCI66
10/100 PCI NIC
Onboard Adaptec AIC7895 PCI66
Onboard Intel 82558 PCI NIC
Onboard Cirrus Logic SVGA PCI adapter (Disabled)
Adaptec 2930U SCSI adapter PCI
Creative ModemBlaster 5630 Data/Voice/Fax Modem (PCI)
Creaive Labs Vibra 16 ISA Soundcard
2x WD 4.5 GB Enterprise SCSI3 HDD
Panasonic LK-MW602 CD-R
Nakamichi MBR 7.4
Windows 98SE/NT Server Dual boot
DirectX 7a/SP-6

Tertiary system:
P233MMX
Asus TX-97XE
128MB RAM
Creative Savage4 32MB PCI
Abit Hotrod ATA-66 Controller
Intel Create&Share Video Capture PCI
Creative Labs SBLive! (Full Version)
Intel PRO100 10/100 ISA NIC

Quaternary system:
P233MMX
Asus TX-97X
Creative Labs Savage4 32MB PCI
Linksys LNE-100 10/100 PCI NIC
Onboard Creative Labs SB Vibra16

Pentenary System:
Dell Inspiron 7100 Laptop
Xircom 56k-10/100 PCMCIA NIC/Modem

Lots of CAT5 cable in my walls.

[Paddy]

I have got hold of a old AT mobo.
I should be able to use my nice Intel PCI NIC.

Cheers for all the help lads.
I'll keep you posted!