Networking! Help!

[MrSeagull]

Help!
My network is acting up. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesnt, fo no apparant reason...

I have a four port Netgear ethernet hub, a Netgear Ethernet card in one computer, and a 3COM one in the other.
I'm using Windows netowrking protocol. My main one, the one with the 3COM card has an IP assigned in TCP/IP properties for the ethernet card. The other computer is set to automatically set IP. Subnet is 255.255.255.0.

When it doesnt work, each computer only sees itselft in network neigborhood. I reall aggrivates me when it doesnt work.

Also, what process do I do in order to use remote administration? Like running a program or shutting down the computer from another in the network.

 

[The Helper]

Both computers should be set up to obtain an IP address automatically. If one computer can do it another should be able to. You sound like you are setup to do Networking together but you should be using NAT. Your router should do DHCP or you need a proxy server. We only support hardware solutions here and provide links to Blizzard proxy setup pages.

 

[MrSeagull]

...
I thought this forum was for general tech support.

I'm not too network saavy, so I'm not sure what NAT and DHCP is.
Plus I was told I did'nt need a router, just a HUB.

This is just a two computer (somtimes a third laptop) network for file/printer sharing and sometimes gaming. I don't run a server and each of the two PC's have dail-up services on them as well.
Can't afford a T1 and Cable is not available. The only DSL I can get is two-way ($800+) or one way with AOL 800 number, ($6 somthing an hour issed: )
It works perfectly some times. But, for no reason, it stops working.

 

[ElBobbo]

The Helper - as far as I was aware, was this not meant to be a technical support forum? Since when did THZ stop providing "software" support? (this was originally meant to be a Blizzard Software Support Forum, was it not?)

Mr Seagull - You haven't mentioned what OS's you're using. I'll assume you're using Win2k or Win98, though for Remote Administration, WinXP could come in handy (through 135, or "Remote Assistance").
A problem you might have sometimes is that the way the Windows boxes work (in terms of announcing themselves on the network) is pretty slow/tedious, so if you assign some static IP's to the computers that are on it (even occasionally), you'll have better luck.
Since you're not sharing an internet connection the best way would be to assign static IPs for all your machines on the network.
You can do this by setting your LMHOSTS.SAM or HOSTS.SAM files (depending on which version of Windows, Win2k and Win9x respectively). Find the file using your Windows search tool, and then delete whatever's written in there (don't worry, it won't do anything bad). Add in your strings like this:

127.0.0.1 localhost
192.168.0.1 alpha
192.168.0.2 beta
192.168.0.3 lamda

[edit for names, obviously]

Then go to your TCP/IP settings (which should be the only protocol running, since it's the most efficient, if not the easiest). Assign your IP as per the LMHOSTS/HOSTS file, click in the subnet mask box (it should fill it in for you). Modify/Replace each of the HOSTS.SAM files or import the LMHOSTS.SAM files, and reboot.

 

[MrSeagull]

I'm using Windows 98SE
And I'll try that.

 

[Sops]

try this

Try assigning the ips manually.
Go into ur network cards properties.
set the ip to 192.168.0.1
set the address under that to 255.255.255.0

second computer:
ip to: 192.168.0.2
and then again 255.255.255.0

this has alwasyu worked when in doubt. One question is the lighs on both the hub and cards on?

 

[MrSeagull]

Neither worked
It seems that sometimes it works, some times it does'nt

 

[Magickian]

you may want to try adding the NetBEUI protocol (to add a protocol, go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, Network, Add, Protocol). File sharing and such under regular TCP/IP has never really worked properly for me, but I haven't had too many problems with NetBEUI, just add it on all the computers and reboot. Also, you may not see other computers if they aren't sharing anything, so you may want to try sharing on each computer to make sure it's working properly, once you've established that all the computers can work, disable the shares that you don't need.

 

[MrSeagull]

I've had all that, Lotsa stuff shared.

 

[ElBobbo]

Try getting rid of all IPX protocols on all the computers. IPX is a waste of time..

 

[MrSeagull]

I'll try that...

 

[The Helper]

Wow - look at the time of my post - I must have been blind drunk to have written that. This forum is for any kind of support that anyone is willing to give (except for hacks and software piracy).

I honestly do not remember writing that but I guess I did - I did not mean it though.

 

[MrSeagull]

Stikll not working.

Some times the other computer will show up in Network neighborhood, but when I double click it I get error messages.
I have things shared, that's not the problem.
Remember that it has worked fine before.

 

[cloudberry]

Could it be that you have some sort of firewall interrupting with your network? This might be a long-shot, but it's a possibility. When I used ZA, I could only see other computers in the network, not klick them, or a errormessage would appear.

 

[MrSeagull]

There is no firewall here. I don't have much use for one with my connction :/

 

[MrSeagull]

Well, it's working now, no idea how, but it is.

 

[Guest]

DSL Reports

DSL Reports has a section just for networking. There are sometimes techs there from certain fields, example linksys.

The address is dslreports.com. Just a idea if you want more help.

Good luck

 

[MrSeagull]

Guess what, it stoped working..... again.


a few days ago, my friend came over with his laptop, that time it was working fine, no problems at all. Except Auto-IP wouldent let him see my game servers or vise-vera. So I game him an IP and everything worked fine, we played 'til the cows came home.
Then yesterday, he came over again, hooked up, and the network went dead. Once again, computers could only see themselves on the LAN, not the others.
we gave up trying (because he brought his PS2 over )
LAter, after he left, I tried again. Bingo, the two computers left over worked on the LAN. Or so I thought...
I was running through the files on the Hardrive on the other computer looking for an image file. I found it and began to load it. The image only loaded less then half of it's size. I thought it was an error so I looked for another image to test, When I tried to back out of the current directory, wham, got an error message saying it could not find the directory. I then went to Network Neighborhood, and once again, I only saw my self. Now it's down and I hae NO IDEA WHY!issed:
<img src="http://www.the-group.org/ubb/mad.gif" width="400" height="400">

 

[Rockenstein]

Rt click netwrok neighborhood. Choose properties.
First, check the Identification tab. make sure you're all in the same workgroup. Easy enough, I know.

Now, go back to the Configuration tab and scroll down. Double click File and Print Sharing. If it's not there - add it.

NEXT LINE ON ONE MACHINE ONLY!!!!!!
On Advanced tab, set 'Browse Master' from 'Auto' to 'Enabled'.
'Auto' is the default setting. Make sure and check both other machines are set to 'Auto' here. This machine is the master now - in effect, a type of server. Always make sure this machine is booted up first.

Then bring up your other two machines.

Hope it works!

Rockenstein

 

[MrSeagull]

I'll try that last suggestion, but I've had a workgroup and such already.