Topic: Ethernet woes

[Dave Liquorice]

> I'm not sure whether privacy adaptors have LEDs.

They do, or at least some do from digging about on the net. Cost about a fiver.

Cheers
Dave.

[Ray Mitchell]

Dear Rhys

> Thanks for the warning about seriel versus USB modems.
> I'm not sure which to get - a secondhand modem for £10 or a
> new one for £35. Any suggestions?

I already said to you to get a serial port modem, as USB support is not so good  with sme server .
The serial port to modem connection speed is generally not an issue, most serial ports will connect to your modem at 115K. The biggest bottleneck is the connection speed between the modem and the ISP via the public phone system. In Australia a 56K will generally only run at 42 to 47 K (and that's with a good connection in the city), I've never seen or heard of one go any faster than that.
I think things are pretty similar in most parts of the world (if not worse in some places).

The phone line connection speed thus being the biggest issue, it will be better if you get a new modem with a good chipset that can tolerate variable quality line connections, thus giving you the fastest possible connection speed. I think the Rockwell chipsets are highly regarded.

I have seen a good quality 33K modem always connect faster than a cheap 56K modem.

Regards
Ray

[rhys]

Success. I now have a 56000 seriel/parallel modem. I haven't tested it yet - got it for a fiver with no power supply. I'm waiting for a power supply at the moment. It has a Rockwell chipset (from Mexico).

Rhys

[rhys]

Just a quickie. What problems am I liable to encounter with Linux in relation to Windows-type problems. How does it cope with its file system - is it liable to have the famous lost fragments of Windows. is it possible to undelete a file? How does the filing system work?

[Dan Brown]

File recovery should be assumed to be impossible, so don't delete a file you still want.  Fragmentation in general should be very low--I recall once upon a time I read a fairly thorough explanation of why in the Linux FAQ, but I don't remember it now.  For info on the filesystem in general, google for ext2 or ext3.

[rhys]

Now onto the tricky stuff. I have just downloaded a mud. It's all been written in C but doesn't include the compiled code - just the source code. Is there a C compiler provided with SME?

I'd love to run a mud on my system

I'd also like to configure my system as a private server/gateway but I'll leave that until I have checked whether my modem works.

Rhys

[Dan Brown]

No, there's no compiler included.  Read the FAQ, this question is answered there (as is the related question of what you need to install).

[Charlie Brady]

rhys wrote:

>  Is there a C compiler provided with SME?

It's well past time you read the FAQ. And the user guide. Again.

Charlie

[rhys]

Well, this is all very frustrating.

Windows will recognise Windows at the drop of a hat. Include Linux and it gets very strange.

Two Windows machines set solely to TCP/IP and one Linux machine - all set with static I/P addresses

Today I had Aphrodite, Persius and Zeus online. Persius (W98) could see Aphrodite but not Zeus. Aphrodite couldn't see either. To be even more strange, Persius could ping Zeus but Aphrodite couldn't ping either. Zeus could only ping Persius.

Later, Persius and Aphrodite could see each other but not Zeus.

Then I unplugged Aphrodite and Persius couldn't see Zeus, which is strange as I'd been using Zeus from Persius only an hour before. Then Aphrodite, when Aphrodite and Zeus were together, Aphrodite and Zeus could see each other.

Another day, they all see each other perfectly.

Windows, it seems, has no problems until Linux gets added to the mix.

All I can say is it's most bizarre and no settings were changed. I just rebooted all the computers between connection swappings.

Rhys

[Ray Mitchell]

rhys

As Charlie has advised read the manuals carefully particularly the section re setting up your server and your workstations, and as I have advised setup your sme server and workstations to handle DHCP automatically (I think you have the server enabled for DHCP), and then set each workstation to automatically get their information (IP's etc) from the sme server. It has been explained in earlier posts. Re read some of the post already here.

I don't know how you have set up your win NT PC but it's settings may be clashing with the sme server. Is it a Win NT Server or Win NT workstation ?
It seems you you do not have WINS setup correctly.

Setup the Win98 PC and the sme server and get them working correctly together first. When all OK then connect your Win NT PC, if things go wrong then the problem is with your Win NT not with Linux.

An easy way to get your workstations "back to automatic" is to delete all the networking components in Control Panel, then physically remove the NIC. Reboot your PC without NIC or networking support. Then shutdown, physically reinstal the NIC and then start up, windows will auto configure the NIC, but make sure you select appropriate automatic settings as per previous posts and the manual.
This should get you into auto mode and hopefully things will work right then. Allow DHCP to do the work for you.


If I do ipconfig /all here are my settings, (some figures change for security) try to get yours to be similar.
Note the setting for Primary WINS Server, where XXX.YYY.3.1 is the IP of my server and gateway (in the one sme box).

Use winipcfg to setup your win98 PC.

C:\WINNT>ipconfig /all

Windows 2000 IP Configuration

        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : station10
        Primary DNS Suffix  . . . . . . . :
        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : mydomain.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : mydomain.com
        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-AA-BB-CC-DD-EE
        DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXX.YYY.3.72
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : XXX.YYY.3.1
        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : XXX.YYY.3.1
        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : XXX.YYY.3.1
        Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : XXX.YYY.3.1
        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, 28 April 2003 11:17:51 pm
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, 29 April 2003 11:17:51 pm


Regards
Ray Mitchell

[rhys]

This is my latest IPConfig from Win98. I don't want to use DHCP because every time I try that one, Win98 screws up badly. Interestingly, since I started using my network Norton Antivirus keeps crashing every other boot. Having said that, the updates expired today so I'm looking for a better AV package. Norton's just so slow - brings the machine down to a crawl. Innoculate was faster but didn't quite understand what a virus was. By far the best AV product I've had was VET. I had a quick look at AVG but that seems to want to scan andything and everything (which is why Norton is so dreadfully slow). It's probably Norton that's slowing the network down to a crawl. As soon as I installed it, a year ago, there was a marked speed decrease.

C:\AWKWARD>ipconfig -all

Windows 98 IP Configuration

        Host Name . . . . . . . . . : Persius.Sageworld
        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.40.10
        Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
        NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
        NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : Yes

0 Ethernet adapter :

        Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.
        Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00
        DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . :
        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
        Primary WINS Server . . . . :
        Secondary WINS Server . . . :
        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

1 Ethernet adapter :

        Description . . . . . . . . : 3Com EtherLink PCI
        Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-50-04-36-AB-00
        DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.40.12
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.40.10
        Primary WINS Server . . . . : 192.168.40.10
        Secondary WINS Server . . . :
        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

C:\AWKWARD>

There... I have wins server enabled. 192.168.40.10 is the server. 192.168.40.12 is the PC.

Rhys

[Ray Mitchell]

Dear Rhys

>  It's probably Norton that's slowing the
> network down to a crawl. As soon as I installed it, a year
> ago, there was a marked speed decrease.

If you have Auto Protect enabled in NAV it can have quite a disastrous effect on performance, in my opinion anything less than a 600Mhz PC should have auto protect turned off. Also the particular settings for what is to be scanned can also affect performance significantly.

> This is my latest IPConfig from Win98.
> 1 Ethernet adapter :
>         Description . . . . . . . . : 3Com EtherLink PCI
>         Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-50-04-36-AB-00
>         DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>         IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.40.12
>         Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>         Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.40.10
>         Primary WINS Server . . . . : 192.168.40.10
>         Secondary WINS Server . . . :
>         Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
>         Lease Expires . . . . . . . :
>
> There... I have wins server enabled. 192.168.40.10 is the
> server. 192.168.40.12 is the PC.

Good, so your Win98 PC and sme server now work OK together (without the NT PC connected), I think you said that earlier, is that right ?

>  I don't want to use DHCP because every time I try that one,
> Win98 screws up badly.

It works perfectly for me on a number of Win98 PC's as workstations and with a WIN XP Pro as a file server and a sme as a everything else server (gateway, email, DHCP, PDC etc) so the problem must be at your end.
As I suggested earlier, maybe your NT machine is the problem ??

What are the ipconfig settings for the Win NT machine, and is it a workstation or a server version of software ? Is it setup as a DHCP controller or Primary Domain Controller (PDC) or anythig else server oriented that may clash with the sme server.?

Regards
Ray

[Rhys]

This is how my NT Workstation is configured:

c:\>ipconfig -all

Windows NT IP Configuration

Host Name : aphrodite
DNS Servers : 192.168.40.10
Node Type : Broadcast
NetBios Scope ID:
IP Routing Enabled : Yes
WINS Proxy Enables : No
NetBIOS Resolution uses DNS : Yes

PPP adapter NdisWan6:

Description: NdisWan Adapter
Physical Address : 00-00-00-00-00-00
DHCP Enabled : No
IP Address: 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway :

PPP Adapter NdisWan5:

Description : NdisWan Adapter
Physical Address : 00-00-00-00-00-00
DHCP Enabled : No
IP Address: 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway :


BTW. I've just got an external modem. I'd like to test it on the NT machine but can't figure out how to get the blessed thing to work. It says on the top 56000 data fax modem and underneath fm56-OR.

It has a 25 pin and 9 pin connection hanging off the back via a cable. The 25 pin is female (as is the connector on my laptop) but the 9 pin although female will fit my laptop's 9 pin male connector.

I don't have a driver disk. I tracked down a power supply for it. The lights come on (which is good).

I can't get NT to recognise or use it. I tried configuring a dial-up adaptor but got completely lost on that one. If I'm lost with NT, it doesn't look good for SME. I need to understand things under a familiar O/S before I try something exotic.

Rhys

[Ray Mitchell]

> This is how my NT Workstation is configured:.........

Is that all, where is your Ethernet adapter details ?

Ray

[Ray Mitchell]

> BTW. I've just got an external modem.........
> I can't get NT to recognise or use it. I tried configuring a
> dial-up adaptor but got completely lost on that one. If I'm
> lost with NT, it doesn't look good for SME.

I would say that sme is a darn sight easier to set up than NT.

Just plug the modem into the sme server and run Configure this server in the server console, login as admin to bring this up. Set your sme up as a server and gateway-dialup, specify the serial port, enter the phone number, userid and password for your ISP account, specify the connection times you want (for a test set to short), save the configuration and then run the Internet connection test.
It's not very hard to do and if it is a standard modem it will be recognised OK by sme.
If it works good.
If not then the way you set it up is wrong or your modem is faulty.

Regards
Ray