Linksys router & laptop NIC won't play nice

I have NTL cable (STB as modem) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router, PC &
laptop (both running W2K). Router set to talk DHCP on LAN side, PC and
laptop configured for DHCP.

PC connects fine via router, laptop connects fine directly from modem
but *not* via router.

When connected to router, laptop connects and appears to negotiate
DHCP ok (correct IP address, gateway, subnet, DNS) but the connection
is - *very* slow and unreliable. Ping, tracert suggest > 50% packet
loss between NIC and router.

Dodgy cables, router ports, etc. ruled out by exhaustive (and
exhausting) testing. I have googled fairly extensively and am
beginning to suspect a hardware (or firmware?) problem between the
BEFSR41 and the laptop NIC, which is an Actiontec 82559-based mini PCI
10/100 adapter (on Dell Inspiron 8000).

Anyone seen this before?

--
Lionel B

Lionel B wrote:

> I have NTL cable (STB as modem) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router, PC &
> laptop (both running W2K). Router set to talk DHCP on LAN side, PC and
> laptop configured for DHCP.
>
> PC connects fine via router, laptop connects fine directly from modem
> but *not* via router.
>
> When connected to router, laptop connects and appears to negotiate
> DHCP ok (correct IP address, gateway, subnet, DNS) but the connection
> is - *very* slow and unreliable. Ping, tracert suggest > 50% packet
> loss between NIC and router.
>
> Dodgy cables, router ports, etc. ruled out by exhaustive (and
> exhausting) testing. I have googled fairly extensively and am
> beginning to suspect a hardware (or firmware?) problem between the
> BEFSR41 and the laptop NIC, which is an Actiontec 82559-based mini PCI
> 10/100 adapter (on Dell Inspiron 8000).
>
> Anyone seen this before?
>

You seem to be saying that if you bring up a web page on the
router, the connection is very slow?

It's possible that the ethernet auto. conf. failed.
Try forcing the PCs nic to be 100/full.


B

--
http://www.mailtrap.org.uk/

Bob { Goddard } wrote:
> Lionel B wrote:
>
>>I have NTL cable (STB as modem) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router, PC &
>>laptop (both running W2K). Router set to talk DHCP on LAN side, PC and
>>laptop configured for DHCP.
>>
>>PC connects fine via router, laptop connects fine directly from modem
>>but *not* via router.
>>
>>When connected to router, laptop connects and appears to negotiate
>>DHCP ok (correct IP address, gateway, subnet, DNS) but the connection
>>is - *very* slow and unreliable. Ping, tracert suggest > 50% packet
>>loss between NIC and router.
>>
>>Dodgy cables, router ports, etc. ruled out by exhaustive (and
>>exhausting) testing. I have googled fairly extensively and am
>>beginning to suspect a hardware (or firmware?) problem between the
>>BEFSR41 and the laptop NIC, which is an Actiontec 82559-based mini PCI
>>10/100 adapter (on Dell Inspiron 8000).
>>
>>Anyone seen this before?
>>
> You seem to be saying that if you bring up a web page on the
> router, the connection is very slow?

When connected via the router, it brings up *any* web page (including
the router admin page) very slowly, or not at all

> It's possible that the ethernet auto. conf. failed.
> Try forcing the PCs nic to be 100/full.

Tried that & it doesn't help (as it happens the autodetect was correctly
setting 100/full)

--
Lionel B

Lionel B wrote:

> Bob { Goddard } wrote:
>> Lionel B wrote:
>>
>>>I have NTL cable (STB as modem) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router, PC &
>>>laptop (both running W2K). Router set to talk DHCP on LAN side, PC and
>>>laptop configured for DHCP.
>>>
>>>PC connects fine via router, laptop connects fine directly from modem
>>>but *not* via router.
>>>
>>>When connected to router, laptop connects and appears to negotiate
>>>DHCP ok (correct IP address, gateway, subnet, DNS) but the connection
>>>is - *very* slow and unreliable. Ping, tracert suggest > 50% packet
>>>loss between NIC and router.
>>>
>>>Dodgy cables, router ports, etc. ruled out by exhaustive (and
>>>exhausting) testing. I have googled fairly extensively and am
>>>beginning to suspect a hardware (or firmware?) problem between the
>>>BEFSR41 and the laptop NIC, which is an Actiontec 82559-based mini PCI
>>>10/100 adapter (on Dell Inspiron 8000).
>>>
>>>Anyone seen this before?
>>>
>> You seem to be saying that if you bring up a web page on the
>> router, the connection is very slow?
>
> When connected via the router, it brings up *any* web page (including
> the router admin page) very slowly, or not at all
>
>> It's possible that the ethernet auto. conf. failed.
>> Try forcing the PCs nic to be 100/full.
>
> Tried that & it doesn't help (as it happens the autodetect was correctly
> setting 100/full)

NICs have been known to lie about what they are running at.

Go to http://www.ethereal.com/ and install the sniffer software.
You should then be able to tell from the traffic where the problem
lies.


B

--
http://www.mailtrap.org.uk/

Bob { Goddard } wrote:
> Lionel B wrote:
>
>>Bob { Goddard } wrote:
>>
>>>Lionel B wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have NTL cable (STB as modem) and a Linksys BEFSR41 router, PC &
>>>>laptop (both running W2K). Router set to talk DHCP on LAN side, PC and
>>>>laptop configured for DHCP.
>>>>
>>>>PC connects fine via router, laptop connects fine directly from modem
>>>>but *not* via router.
>>>>
>>>>When connected to router, laptop connects and appears to negotiate
>>>>DHCP ok (correct IP address, gateway, subnet, DNS) but the connection
>>>>is - *very* slow and unreliable. Ping, tracert suggest > 50% packet
>>>>loss between NIC and router.
>>>>
>>>>Dodgy cables, router ports, etc. ruled out by exhaustive (and
>>>>exhausting) testing. I have googled fairly extensively and am
>>>>beginning to suspect a hardware (or firmware?) problem between the
>>>>BEFSR41 and the laptop NIC, which is an Actiontec 82559-based mini PCI
>>>>10/100 adapter (on Dell Inspiron 8000).
>>>>
>>>>Anyone seen this before?
>>>
>>>You seem to be saying that if you bring up a web page on the
>>>router, the connection is very slow?
>>
>>When connected via the router, it brings up *any* web page (including
>>the router admin page) very slowly, or not at all
>>
>>>It's possible that the ethernet auto. conf. failed.
>>>Try forcing the PCs nic to be 100/full.
>>
>>Tried that & it doesn't help (as it happens the autodetect was correctly
>>setting 100/full)
>
> NICs have been known to lie about what they are running at.

Well, I don't know whether it lied or not, but it seems that it did fail
to autodetect correctly (this is apparently a known problem of some
Actiontec cards with the BEFSR41). Setting 10/full appears to solve the
problem.

Cheers,

--
Lionel B