Win2k networking problems involving a hub

[Guest]

Back-Ground: I am the IT guy at a small but growing non-profit. My main job
is to build computers for people with disabilities, but I also do the tech
support for all the office machines that we are using. Since we are a
non-profit, all the computer that we use in the office are donated, and it’s
a computer repair nightmare, I get everything from “why doesn’t my computer
turn on (because the monitor is turned off)†to “Why is my computer smoking
(because it’s on fire)â€. Normally I can repair just about anything, but I
have two computers that are fighting me, and I have blown three days on them,
and that’s three days I could have been building machines for some disabled
individuals.

The Problem: Each computer will not network with a hub, but will net work
with out the hub. Each office cubical has one or two data jacks for people
to put their network cable in. In some of the cubicles more than one person
must share a data jack. We use small 4 port hubs to divide up the connection
in the cubicles that have more computers than data jacks. This works fine
for the majority of the office and we have no problem. Except for two
computers that refuse to network with a hub, but will network with out a hub.
The two computers in question will connect to the network if I plug them
directly into the jacks, but once I add the hubs, they can not fine the
network. Additionally these two computers are in separate places in the
office.

What I have tried: In both cases I have tried….
Different Cables
Different Hubs
Different Network cards
Tried it with fixed IPs
Tried it with out fixed IPs
Different network settings
I can’t not replace the computers because we do not have any surplus of
donated machines to pull from. They are to slow to upgrade to XP (the whore
of networking). I can’t reinstall the OS as the computer users do not know
or understand the concept of backing up important documents.

The systems in question
866mhz Compaq
128 megs of ram
3 com net work card

600mhz e-machine
128 megs of ram
net gear net work card.

Any suggestions on how to get these two computer to network.

 

[Candee]

I would suggest checking the speed on the NICs and the hub.
If the hub is 10MB and the NICs are 100 MB, they won't be able to connect
through the hub.

Likewise, if the hub is 100 MB, and the NICs are 10 MB.

 

[Guest]

I just checked, both are 10/100 cards, and both Hubs are "Auto sensing" which
I assume means 10/100, one of the hubs I have been testing is new, but didn't
come with manual so I am assumeing it's 10/100.

 

[Dave Patrick]

If the NIC's are set to auto-negotiate then try setting them speed manually.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Back-Ground: I am the IT guy at a small but growing non-profit. My main
job
| is to build computers for people with disabilities, but I also do the tech
| support for all the office machines that we are using. Since we are a
| non-profit, all the computer that we use in the office are donated, and it's
| a computer repair nightmare, I get everything from "why doesn't my
computer
| turn on (because the monitor is turned off)" to "Why is my computer
smoking
| (because it's on fire)". Normally I can repair just about anything, but I
| have two computers that are fighting me, and I have blown three days on
them,
| and that's three days I could have been building machines for some
disabled
| individuals.
|
| The Problem: Each computer will not network with a hub, but will net work
| with out the hub. Each office cubical has one or two data jacks for
people
| to put their network cable in. In some of the cubicles more than one
person
| must share a data jack. We use small 4 port hubs to divide up the
connection
| in the cubicles that have more computers than data jacks. This works fine
| for the majority of the office and we have no problem. Except for two
| computers that refuse to network with a hub, but will network with out a
hub.
| The two computers in question will connect to the network if I plug them
| directly into the jacks, but once I add the hubs, they can not fine the
| network. Additionally these two computers are in separate places in the
| office.
|
| What I have tried: In both cases I have tried..
| Different Cables
| Different Hubs
| Different Network cards
| Tried it with fixed IPs
| Tried it with out fixed IPs
| Different network settings
| I can't not replace the computers because we do not have any surplus of
| donated machines to pull from. They are to slow to upgrade to XP (the
whore
| of networking). I can't reinstall the OS as the computer users do not
know
| or understand the concept of backing up important documents.
|
| The systems in question
| 866mhz Compaq
| 128 megs of ram
| 3 com net work card
|
| 600mhz e-machine
| 128 megs of ram
| net gear net work card.
|
| Any suggestions on how to get these two computer to network.

 

[Candee]

Okay; let me see if I have this right.
The NICs work plugged directly in the jack.
That means they're okay, and your connection is okay.
It's either the hub or the cable you're adding to connect to the hub.

 

[John John]

Could have something to do with crossover cables. Newer switches are
supposed to detect this and act accordingly, older hubs did not always
work properly with crossovers, but if I remember correctly NIC to NIC
requires crossover.

John