Networking Problems

[Atrias]

Hey,

I'm sorry if a solution to this problem has been posted elsewhere but I've tried just about everything I've read on this forum, including the guide to networking so any advice not to pointing in the direction of the guide would be greatly appreciated.

Anyways, I hope someone can help with this

I'm trying to re-set up a home ethernet network with ICS between two computers. The NICs are installed and connected by standard ethernet cable and my internet connection is via an ASDL USB Modem. There is no hub or router involved.

I've run the "Set up a Home or Small Office Network" Wizard several times on both computers, enabled ICS on my host, configured internet options numerous ways many times on both the client and the host, enabled and disabled firewalls on both computers. I've tried both automatic and manual address signing and this is where the first major problem occurs:

On setting both the host and the client to Obtain IP Address \ DNS Address automatically my Host displays "Limited or No Connectivity" whilst my Client displays "Connected" even though it cannot access the internet and upon "repairing" the connection it displays the "Unable to Refresh IP, please contact network admin" message. If I run the Network Wizard at this point my Host says it has a manually assigned address (which it doesn't) and my Client says it has still got a DHCP assigned address.

When I follow the advice from the guide and proceed to manually assign addresses they both declare they are connected but no matter what DNS address I put into the client (Either my host IP, or my ISP's) I'm still unable to connect to any site nor access anything on one computer from the other.

Is there anything I've missed out? Any additional information you might require?

[Rob Pomeroy]

Try this: Set up the "host" as (e.g.) 192.168.4.1 and the "client" as 192.168.4.2, with a gateway IP address of 192.168.4.1.  Make sure each PC can ping each other.  (Are you using a crossover cable?)

If that fails, this page has some suggestions: http://fhctech.org/fhc/networking/ics.htm

[Atrias]

Hey Pomeroy,

Thanks for the reply...

I have tried pinging my client and my host using the ping command on the command prompt (correct?).

Pinging my client from my host works perfectly (4 packets sent, 4 packets received) but for some reason when I try to ping my host from my client the request times out...

The cable I'm using is the one that came with my ethernet cards that always worked before. How will I know if its a crossover cable or not?

Thanks for your help!

[patio]

Hold the cable ends under a light and look at the color connections...if they are the same left to right it is not a crossover cable...

[Rob Pomeroy]

Hey Pomeroy,

Just "Rob" is fine. 

The cable I'm using is the one that came with my ethernet cards that always worked before. How will I know if its a crossover cable or not?

I'm pretty sure it won't be.  XP is fussy about this (and so it should be).  You'll need to buy a crossover cable or use a hub/switch in between the two PCs.  Both are fairly inexpensive and involve no further configuration (provided it's a bog-standard "dumb" switch/hub).

[Atrias]

Connector cables on the lead are all different colours, by that reckoning it is a crossover cable.

This still puts me back at square one hmm....

I have a hub that I can use potentially... will it work with a USB modem?

Just tried to configure the hub but theres no USB on it... guess that won't work (For your information its a Belkin 4-Port Router)

Any other avenues we could investigate?

Thanks for everyone's help and Rob, sorry about the name thing, I thought your Messageboard name was Pomeroy, didn't see the Rob hehe!

[Rob Pomeroy]

I meant use a hub between the two PCs.  I still think you've got a straight through cable there, by the way, not a crossover.

Don't worry about the name.  I've been called worse. 

[Atrias]

If I can't plug in the USB modem to the hub will the ICS still work the same way it would normally?

I really don't know about the cable, it's "different colours from left to right" as suggested by patio... it worked perfectly on the same network before everything stopped working, I don't understand how \ why when I'm trying to do exactly the same thing as I did before now it work work!

[M1CH431]

Try this setup: Have your host Computer have the Usb modem hooked up to it, then run a cable from the Ethernet port in that computer to the WAN port in the router. Then plug in your other computer.

[Atrias]

M1CH431, thanks for the advice,

I tried that setup myself but in the Configuration ran through on the Driver \ Setup CD it says that its not plugged in correctly (assumably because the modem is not plugged in correctly)

I will test that set-up again and see if theres anything else that might be the problem,

I'm going to test and see if I can network and ICS between my current client and an aditional separate computer to see upon which computer the fault actually lies too...

Thanks everyone for your help, we're getting there slowly I hope!

[M1CH431]

This is sort of shooting into the dark but try that set up but make sure you have the connection set to share. You do this by going to My Network Places, then view connections, then right click your network card and go to properties. Then at the top click advanced then click the check box that says: Allow other network users to connect through this internet connection.

[Atrias]

My Internet Connection is definitely set up to allow other users to connect through it... Is that what you mean or do you mean my Local Area Connection should be set up to allow other users to connect through it...

Since my last post I tried changing which computer is the host and which is the client and I get the same problem:

Whichever computer is the host wont have an address automatically assigned to it by the DHCP server, whichever is the client automatically gets an address assigned by the DHCP server...

However I can ping the client from the host but not the host from the client...

(Just to refresh you all)

Still getting absolutely nowhere with this and its driving me insane...

Thanks again everyone!

[viking]

When you use ICS you are OBLIGED to use addresses from the 192.168.0 class. The multihomed computer (the one on which you set up the ICS) has 2 network cards; the one that connects to internet (router/modem) will have the IP settings that were told you by your ISP. The other one has the address 192.168.0.1.

First thing to do, before anything else: connect to internet the computer on which you will set-up the ICS. Do you have internet access from it?
If yes, I will continue with my explanation.
If no... Try to solve the problem.

Another problem: all you have is a USB modem/router? This is not so good... But don't listen to me. Maybe I am wrong. But at "the begining", the USB modems did not allow connection sharing

[Atrias]

Sorry to take so long in replying to this Viking... been away at university!

The internet connection works fine from either connection depending on where I plug it in, alas yes it is only a USB modem... however as I have explained, the whole network was set up exactly as I am trying to set it up now, with exactly the same components as I used before and worked instantly and perfectly... I see no reason for it not to be the case now as all the variables people are throwing up shouldnt \ haven't changed...

If it was a problem with ICS and the USB modem it would have been a problem from the start surely?

[viking]

Sorry to take so long in replying to this Viking... been away at university!

The internet connection works fine from either connection depending on where I plug it in, alas yes it is only a USB modem... however as I have explained, the whole network was set up exactly as I am trying to set it up now, with exactly the same components as I used before and worked instantly and perfectly... I see no reason for it not to be the case now as all the variables people are throwing up shouldnt \ haven't changed...

I agree with you. But, now, if it does not work you have to be creative. So I advise you to assign manually IP's to the computers with ips ranging from 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.254. The computer that has ICS enabled has on network interface card the ip 192.168.0.1.
Ping from each computer to 192.168.0.1 and see if you receive right responses. Look for DNS address on computer with ICS and set it up on the other computers, also on tcp/ip settings.
You have to find it on the router settings, I assume it receives it from ISP (internet service provider).

If it was a problem with ICS and the USB modem it would have been a problem from the start surely?

You are right, if it was a problem it wouldn't work from the begining.