Problems with network connection over a router

[Peter]

Hi guys,
This is driving me crazy, I have a network of two both machines running
XPpro with a router giving access to the internet. One machine seems to
works perfectly and can access the internet with no problem, the other
machine is set in the same manner, to automatically get an ip address, but
never connects to the network or the internet. If I look on the status
indicator it never receives any packets of data! but when I look in network
connections it has an IP address, but not in the same grouping as the other
computer, it seems to get the address of 169.254.247.223 with a mask of
255.255.0.0 whereas the computer that works gets an IP address of
192.168.1.10 with a mask of 255.255.255.0. I have checked the cables and
everything is OK, I have tried various ports on the router but always the
same results. I have even reloaded Windows XP on the offending machine, it
was just an over install not a fresh install though. If I set the IP
address to one within the range of the router it still fails to receive any
packets of data. I really do not know what to try next, I have disabled all
of my virusguards and firewalls. The only thing I notice is that when the
computer is switched on the port on the router connected to it flashes, and
according to the router instructions indicates that packets are going
through that port, but nothing seems to be returned to the computer. Both
computers are on the same workgroup, the default mshome. Any ideas or
suggestions would be welcomed.

TIA
Peter

 

[Rick]

Peter:

This is amazing. I have the exact same problem as you do
and I have been messing with it for about 2 weeks now.
The router is supposed to assign an IP in the 192. range
and it keeps assigning the 169. IP. I have tried
everything (short of reinstalling XP) but nothing works.
I finally found this newsgroup. Lo and behold the very
first message I see is my exact problem.

One thing I did read somewhere is that on a direct cable
link, XP automatically assigns IP addresses in the 168
range. If this is the case I don't know how to change it.

As with you one of my computers works fine (downstairs
computer) but the one upstairs will not work.

Hopefully someone has some input.

thanks

rick

 

[Rick]

Steve:

Thanks for your input.

I thought it might have been a hardware problem too but
that doesn't seem to make sense in my case. Maybe a
compatibility problem? My downstairs computer works fine
with the router and my upstairs computer (the one that
keeps getting the 169 address) used to work fine on a hub
(when I was paying the cable company for two ip's). I
only had problems once I got rid of the hub and bought a
router so I don't need to pay for an extra IP address.

So that tells me the cable is fine, the network card is
working, and the router is working because no matter
which port I hook my downstairs computer into it works.
Maybe my upstair's computer network card is incompatible
with my d'link router? I am at a loss.

TIA

Rick

-----Original Message-----

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

The 169.254.x.x IP address indicates that the computer

Steve:

Thanks for your input.

I thought it might have been a hardware problem too but
that doesn't seem to make sense in my case. Maybe a
compatibility problem? My downstairs computer works fine
with the router and my upstairs computer (the one that
keeps getting the 169 address) used to work fine on a hub
(when I was paying the cable company for two ip's). I
only had problems once I got rid of the hub and bought a
router so I don't need to pay for an extra IP address.

So that tells me the cable is fine, the network card is
working, and the router is working because no matter
which port I hook my downstairs computer into it works.
Maybe my upstair's computer network card is incompatible
with my d'link router? I am at a loss.

TIA

Rick

I seriously doubt that there's a compatibility problem between your
upstairs computer and the router. They both use the same Ethernet
standards.

Have you tried:

1. Connecting the upstairs computer downstairs?
2. Connecting the downstairs computer upstairs?

If #1 works and #2 fails, something's wrong with the cable that goes
upstairs. An improperly wired cable can work OK at 10Mb through a hub
and fail completely at 100Mb through a router/switch.

Also, try explicitly setting 10Mb speed, as I mention in that article.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Steve:

Yes I plan to try changing the speed when I get home.
That would be a quick fix.

It makes sense to switch the computers to test the cable
but I don't look forward to it as I will have to
disconnect about 10 million wires behind two huge desks I
will have to move.

If it is in fact the wiring I don't know what to change
other the cable. What other variable is there other than
the cable from my computer to the jack in the wall? I
guess the answer may be the wiring in the walls. If that
is the case, fagedaboudit :-(

I do appreciate your help.

A common problem in network wiring is using the wrong wire pairing.
Pins 1-2 must be from one twisted pair, and pins 3-6 must be from
another twisted pair. If you make the wire pairing 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8,
which seems logical, the cable won't work reliably at 100 Mb.

Also, make sure that no more than 1/2 inch of wire is untwisted at
either end.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Peter]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the tips, as you said it turned out to be a hardware problem, the
NIC I was using was a cheap one that fell into my hands and when I connected
it all up and the icon in the systray said it was working at 100mb/s I
believed it and didn't give it another thought?? a big mistake!! but thanks
to your wise thoughts on the matter I shall not make that mistake again. It
is now working OK albeit a bit slower. If and when I feel the need for more
speed I shall invest in a new NIC, but for the moment you have made me a
happy man.
Many thanks
Peter

 

[Rick]

Steve:

I took your advice last night and hooked up my downstairs
computer to the wiring upstairs. Lo and behold it would
not recognize the router. ahha a wiring problem. I then
reconnected my upstairs computer but downstairs where the
cable modem and router is, I bypassed the router and
hooked the wire from the wall (from upstairs computer)
directly into the cable modem. The upstairs computer
then got an internet connection.

So I guess as you say the current wiring works on the hub
or direct by not with the router. I tried changing the
speeds per your article but that did nothing. I guess
next I will check the pairing. If that does not work you
think connecting into a hub and then into the router will
work?

Thanks

Rick

-----Original Message-----

 

[Quaoar]

Steve:

I took your advice last night and hooked up my downstairs
computer to the wiring upstairs. Lo and behold it would
not recognize the router. ahha a wiring problem. I then
reconnected my upstairs computer but downstairs where the
cable modem and router is, I bypassed the router and
hooked the wire from the wall (from upstairs computer)
directly into the cable modem. The upstairs computer
then got an internet connection.

So I guess as you say the current wiring works on the hub
or direct by not with the router. I tried changing the
speeds per your article but that did nothing. I guess
next I will check the pairing. If that does not work you
think connecting into a hub and then into the router will
work?

Thanks

Rick

-----Original Message-----

If you constructed the connections yourself, as I did, and did not
follow Steve's advice on making up the connections, as I did, clip the
RJ45s and start over - or purchase a new patch cable. Wiring problems
just get worse and the workarounds just delay the inevitable.

Q

 

[slduncan]

did you assign an ip address and subnet mask to the
router? If so, which computer does the subnet match.
According to your message, you have two subnets one of
255.255.0.0 and another of 255.255.255.0 and if you look
at the ip addresses, you will see that they are not
matched to talk [10101001.11111110.11110111.11011111 =
169.254.247.223 & 11000000.10101000.00000001.00001010 =
192.168.1.10]. Is the router set to issue IP addresses?
Can you set the router's ip address to be the default
gateway in one machine and set it to share the internet
connection then set the other to receive an ip address,
etc?