linux <-> 2k crossover cable network

Hello all,

Slightly emarassed about this as I work with networks and should
really be able to get this working... There are also dozens of
postings on this topic but none of them seem to fix my problem.

I have a RedHat 6.2 (2.2.14) linux box connected to a Win 2K pro box
via a crossover cable. When the linux box is booted in Win98 the two
machines can see each other in the network neighbourhood (so I reckon
the cable is ok). However, in linux I can't even get them to ping each
other. I initially set the linux nic to come up with an IP of
169.254.0.2 since this is the subnet which 2K chooses if it can't find
a DHCP server. Having no luck with this I have now configured them as
follows:

2K: 192.168.0.2/255.255.255.0 default GW 192.168.0.1
linux: 192.168.0.1/255.255.255.0

I noticed that some postings had suggested that the 2K machine should
have its default gateway pointed to the linux box but I'm not certain
if this is necessary.

What I get now is a Request Timed Out from the 2K box and a
Destination Host Unreachable from the linux box. I then tried adding
an explicit route to each machine from the other with no result. The
arp cache on the linux box is empty. I'm using the slightly notorious
NetGear FA31x driver but it installed with no problems and is
reporting successful startup in /var/log/messages. All firewalls have
been disabled.

I'm clearly missing something obvious here.. any pointers?

Cheers,
cam

"cam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Hello all,
>
> Slightly emarassed about this as I work with networks and should
> really be able to get this working... There are also dozens of
> postings on this topic but none of them seem to fix my problem.
>
> I have a RedHat 6.2 (2.2.14) linux box connected to a Win 2K pro box
> via a crossover cable. When the linux box is booted in Win98 the two
> machines can see each other in the network neighbourhood (so I reckon
> the cable is ok). However, in linux I can't even get them to ping each
> other. I initially set the linux nic to come up with an IP of
> 169.254.0.2 since this is the subnet which 2K chooses if it can't find
> a DHCP server. Having no luck with this I have now configured them as
> follows:
>
> 2K: 192.168.0.2/255.255.255.0 default GW 192.168.0.1
> linux: 192.168.0.1/255.255.255.0
>
> I noticed that some postings had suggested that the 2K machine should
> have its default gateway pointed to the linux box but I'm not certain
> if this is necessary.
>
> What I get now is a Request Timed Out from the 2K box and a
> Destination Host Unreachable from the linux box. I then tried adding
> an explicit route to each machine from the other with no result. The
> arp cache on the linux box is empty. I'm using the slightly notorious
> NetGear FA31x driver but it installed with no problems and is
> reporting successful startup in /var/log/messages. All firewalls have
> been disabled.

Please post:
- command printouts from W2k:
- ipconfig / all
- route print
- command printouts from Linux:
- ifconfig -a
- route -n

The definitive test is to run a sniffer (Ethereal is my favourite, tcpdump
will do) at each end of the connection and try again pinging the other end.
Please remember to turn all name resolutions off at the sniffer or it may
get stuck due to DNS problems.

The default gateway should always point to the next host toward Internet. If
the Linux machine is to be the connection toward the Net, it has to be the
default gateway for W2k, and the default gateway of Linux has to be the ISP
entry router.

HTH

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio @ iki fi