Help with a small home network

[JAce]

Here’s my problem: I have two computers connected to a cable/DSL router. Computer#1 can connect to my ISP & browse computer #2’s hard drive. Computer #2 can ping itself, ping the router & ping computer#1. Comp. #2 can also browse Comp. #1’s hard drive, but it does it very slowly. I can also play D2 over the network. My problem is that Comp. #2 won’t browse the Internet. It acts like it’s opening a page, but then times out.
Here are some specs:

Computer#1- PII 350,192mb RAM, 6gig HDD, Win98SE, Netgear 10/100 NIC

Computer#2- Celeron 300A, 160mb RAM, 40gig HDD, Win98SE, Netgear 10/100 NIC

Router- Linksys Cable/DSL router w/ 4 port 10/100 switch.

I’ve since purchased 2 new CAT 5 cables, but still no go.
Thanks in advance for any help!

[sennister]

Did you call your ISP and give them the MAC address of your router? If not you have 2 options. If you have then let us know and this post won't help.

Option #1

Give you ISP the MAC Address of your router and then you will have to reconfigure Computer #1 and Computer #2 to recieve DHCP from the router. If you don't want to call the ISP and give them your MAC address. Then you can use ...

Option #2

You could statically assign the IP address that your ISP gives Computer #1 to the Router and then set up Computer #1 and Computer #2 to recieve DHCP from the Router. The disadvantage of the second method is that if your ISP changes your IP (It doesn't happen that often at least in MN) you won't get your new IP and you will loose

This could be why you can't get on the internet on Computer #2.

[Gabriel]

Check IP/Subnet/DNS Settings on the second computer.
Is there any other Protocol in hand?
when Computer #1 is off does Computer #2 can Do internet browsing?


More information please.

[schigara]

The easiest thing to do is dump the router, get a second nic card for the server and connect the 2 pc's peer to peer and the put proxy server software on the server to share the internet connection. This way you cut out all the mac address crap.

[JAce]

Ok, guys:

First, Thanks for all your ideas & help.

Second, to answer Gabriel, Computer #2 cannot connect to the Internet when Comp. #1 is off. Protocols that I’m using are: TCP/IP & NetBEUI. I’ve tried using just TCP/IP, but no go.
PS-And everything is plugged in & turned on, I swear!! …LOL!

Sinister- I have Road Runner (Cable ISP), I did not give my ISP any info, if I tell them, they’ll charge me more for a 2nd IP! And since it’s cable, aren’t my IPs dynamic? The router that I’m using acts like a DHCP server, here’s the link: (Tell me if I’m wrong)
<a href="http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=5" target="_blank">http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=5</a>

What about taking out the Netgear NIC & installing a Linksys NIC?
(Although Comp. #1 has a Netgear NIC & it works just fine!).

Thanks again!

[Gabriel]

[quote]Originally posted by JAce:
<strong>Ok, guys:

First, Thanks for all your ideas & help.

Second, to answer Gabriel, Computer #2 cannot connect to the Internet when Comp. #1 is off. Protocols that I’m using are: TCP/IP & NetBEUI. I’ve tried using just TCP/IP, but no go.
PS-And everything is plugged in & turned on, I swear!! …LOL!

Sinister- I have Road Runner (Cable ISP), I did not give my ISP any info, if I tell them, they’ll charge me more for a 2nd IP! And since it’s cable, aren’t my IPs dynamic? The router that I’m using acts like a DHCP server, here’s the link: (Tell me if I’m wrong)
<a href="http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=5" target="_blank">http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=5</a>

What about taking out the Netgear NIC & installing a Linksys NIC?
(Although Comp. #1 has a Netgear NIC & it works just fine!).

Thanks again!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Let us go with Basics...
Does computer #1 can PING computer #2 and Vice Versa?
If not, it may well be a NIC Problem.
If you are using Realtek/NE2000 Don't Bother messing with them. They always make troubles.

I will look on this thread from time to time to assist ou.

Good Luck
Gabriel

[msn_tech]

One problem I had when setting up my Linsys router was the TCP/IP protocol and Windows 98 accepting the IP assignment of the DHCP from the router. I corrected this by removing the protocol, rebooting, and reinstalling the protocol. The computer I had originally connected to the cable before I added the router did not have a problem, but the second one I added did. Once I did the reinstall, the second computer connected fine.

[Iridium56]

I agree with the previous suggesstion on mac address. I believe that the mac address is your problem. If you had computer #1 hooked up for the internet when roadrunner came out, then they are using that mac address for registration. If you had #1 hooked up before the router was installed then you have to "mask" both computers behind the router by hiding the routers true mac address and mimicing computer #1's. I don't know if a linksys will do this, but I know that a Netgear will.

[JAce]

OK,
Let’s go way back. When RR came out & installed cable, I only had the Netgear NIC installed. The cable modem was connected directly to my 10/100 card. I then added a NIC to Comp. #2 & the router. Comp. #1 can always get online & see Comp. #2, but Comp. #2 can never get online. As msm_tech suggested: I tried correcting this by removing the protocol, rebooting, and reinstalling the protocol. No go, someone also recommended removing the RR cable from the WAN port on the router & to plug it into the uplink port and release & renew the IPs on both computers. I did, but same problem. Comp. #1 gets online, Comp. #2 cannot!!

How do I “mask” both computers behind the router by hiding the routers true mac address and mimicking computer #1's ?

Help!!

[Ron Prestenback]

I think perhaps everyone is confused as to what's going on here (and please do not take offense if *I* am in fact the one confused). Personally, this is how I understand the situation:

You got the cable modem/router from your ISP. You also bought a 4 port switch seperately. (I am a little unclear about this point - please specify). You IP address is set up by DHCP, and the DHCP is being provided by the cable router.

You have 1 computer that browses the internet (and all net connections work). Your second computer seems to have nothing wrong with the actual network components, as it can communicate fine with the local network, but internet browsing is not happening.
_________________________________________________
Ok. Regardless of whether or not I was right about my understanding of things doesn't really matter, because it's not really the problem.

You have two computers, but only one public IP address. NAT or proxy was not mentioned anywhere (expect in a response by "shigara", which seems to have been totally ignored). You simply cannot browse the internet with a private IP - for those that don't know, a private IP is defined as thus:
10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (subnet - 255.0.0.0)
169.254.0.0 - 169.254.255.255 (subnet - 255.255.0.0)
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (subnet - 255.240.0.0)
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (subnet - 255.255.0.0)

Routers will not pass broadcasts, nor will they route private addresses (not your usual cable router type anyways). If your second computer is configured with an address in one of these ranges, you will never ever be able to browse the internet without using Network Address Translation, or proxy software.

If however, you have this computer configured with a public IP address, you may or may not be able to browse the internet (depending on whether the IP is actually in use on the internet or not). It is highly illegal, however, to do this, and I guarantee you will get busted in a matter of days.

When you only have one IP, a switch is not really useful, because from computer two, you will need to go through computer one anyways to access the internet. (This connection must be seperate from the connection coming into the internet, thus a switch is impractical until you have at the very least 3 clients.)