Router problem

Microsoft Slogan: Windoze, what do you want to reinstall today?

Connected? How? Via wireless or wired?

When you reinastalled "A", did you do it by cloning one of the other computahs? If so, you probably also cloned all the settings including the wireless MAC address in the registry. Duplicated MAC addresses on a LAN is not a great idea.

Duz "A" have a valid IP address? Run: Start -> Run -> command ipconfig If the address of the wireless card is 169.254.xxx.xxx, you didn't get a DHCP assigned IP address from the Netgear router. Too many possible reasons to list. Try turning off encryption for now in the router and see if it connects.

I take it that means you can communicate with the router from "B" and "C". Go to the "status" page in the router and see if your unspecified WAN connection is functional. You should see real routeable IP addresses assigned by the ISP. If not, you have either an ISP, modem, or router setting problem.

What other servers?

Sigh. This would be a great time to start from scratch.

Take either "B" or "C" computah and plug it directly into the router using a wired LAN CAT5 cable. If they're too far away, drag them over to the wireless, or find a long CAT5 cable. You'll find it easier to do this if you have everything in one room during troubleshooting. Disable the wireless in either the router or the clients. Turn OFF the other computers. One modem, one router, one computah. Now, get yourself a working ISP connection to the internet. When you get that functional, plug in "B" or "C" and get it working. Again, no wireless.

After that, get "A" working. Turn OFF "B" and "C". One machine at a time. Here you may have a problem because you've either screwed up the Windoze 98SE reinstall, or misconfigured the TCP/IP stack. I don't have enough info to figure it out.

Now turn on and plug in two machines at a time. See if it works, again wired LAN only. If so, now you can turn on *ONE* of the wireless radios, setup encrytion, and do some testing. I think you can probably see the methodology and fill in the rest yourself.

The idea is to NOT troubleshoot everything at one time.

As for machine to machine communications, try ping first. Then try: Start -> Run -> \\machine_name or \\machine_IP_address and you should get a directory without waiting for the "master browser election" nonsense.

Check the TCPIP settings on all machines are set to get an address automatically. Then do ipconfig on each machine, to ensure they correctly got an address. Anything with a 169.etc address is bad.

If you still have one mch with a bad IP, then try swapping network cables round, and try using different ports on the router. Given that you've moved kit around, its quite possible that a cable got kinked or a port died on the router.

urg. Strike that last bit about cables, wrong response for this group...

still, its worth a try - can you connect the mch's with cables? Is computer A in a position with poor wireless reception?

Hi guys

Thanks for your replies.

Don't ya just love it...gawd, wish I had the time and patience to stick with Linux. It's all the re-boots that really get up my nose.

I'm beginning to narrow this down a bit, it's something between the router and the cable modem, or the more likely culprit the interface, Windoze.

When I connect A, B and C through a wired hub everything's fine, they all see each other and A cam ping the net.

On computer A there are two LAN cards eth1 is set to automatic and is connected to the cable modem, eth2 is connected to the LAN. On the LAN side of things I prefer to have fixed ip's (makes it so much easier to ping etc.) Eth2 is set to 192.168.0.2 and the gateway is

192.168.0.1 (which according to the Netgear manual is the router default).

B and C are set at 192.168.0.3+++ with the same default gateway.

When I put the wireless router on, the only thing that works is the wireless connection between B and C. Computer A can neither ping B,C or the net. Nor can B ping A, it can ping the router tho. It totally screws up the cable connection, I can't access the web at all.

It also doesn't work when I hardwire B or C to the wireless router.

I'm beginning to think I've screwed up the router; I find out now that they're quite sensitive souls, I left this one on top of the CRT monitor for a while the other day, duh.

No, I don't think so, I reformatted c:\ and clean installed 98se .

The wireless card, eth1 is showing my isp assigned ip.

Thanks Jeff, I do try to be methodical and try just one fix at a time. Many thanks for your trouble in replying.

Best regards

Tony

Oops, sorry hadn't realized my wife's addy was still there.

Best regards

Tony