Network timing

I run three PCs into a hub. The 3 machines are

Win XP pro/Win2000/Win98SE.

My ADSL Broadband connection is via a modem into the WIN XP machine.

The net doesn't seem reliable. One day all will be fine, all machines
can find each other and another day they can't and the network doesn't
seem accessible.

It was suggested that I use manual IP addressing. That seemed better but
I then can't access the Internet (ADSL Modem) on other than the main
(XP) machine because I can't manually address the 'networking' of the modem.

First a question - Assuming I use 'automatic' IP addresses - Is there a
particular 'order' in which the machines should be powered?

Yesterday everything was hunky-dorey. This morning I made sure that the
hub was powered before the PCs. Sadly, they cannot find the network,
saying the path wasn't found etc.

Networking seems to be a nightmare, to me. Where am I going wrong?

If you can help, thanks for your time.

Alan S.

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:14:40 +0000, Alan <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Where am I going wrong?

switching it off.

The "main" machine running internet connection sharing (presumably)
already has a manual IP address on its ethernet card of 192.168.0.1
and it has the job of dishing other 192.168.0.x addresses to other
rmachines. Therefore it must be on first. Leave the hub on.

If the main machine isn't on and the hub on then the other machines
can't get a DHCP address from it and will assign themselves a silly
169.x.y.z address. You *can* set these to have manual IP addresses or
indeed to have the manual fallback set if DHCP doesn't work.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...orking/ics.asp
http://home.earthlink.net/~doniteli/index43.htm
http://www.petri.co.il/configuring_ics_on_xp.htm

Phil

Phil Thompson wrote:

> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:14:40 +0000, Alan <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Where am I going wrong?
>
>
> switching it off.
>
> The "main" machine running internet connection sharing (presumably)
> already has a manual IP address on its ethernet card of 192.168.0.1
> and it has the job of dishing other 192.168.0.x addresses to other
> rmachines. Therefore it must be on first. Leave the hub on.
>
> If the main machine isn't on and the hub on then the other machines
> can't get a DHCP address from it and will assign themselves a silly
> 169.x.y.z address. You *can* set these to have manual IP addresses or
> indeed to have the manual fallback set if DHCP doesn't work.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...orking/ics.asp
> http://home.earthlink.net/~doniteli/index43.htm
> http://www.petri.co.il/configuring_ics_on_xp.htm
>
> Phil

Very many thanks for this, Phil.

You may have saved me chucking the whole lot through the window and
going to watch TV instead, and I can't think of anything worse!

Thanks again.

Alan S.

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:14:40 +0000, Alan wrote:

> I run three PCs into a hub. The 3 machines are
>
> Win XP pro/Win2000/Win98SE.
>
> My ADSL Broadband connection is via a modem into the WIN XP machine.
>
> The net doesn't seem reliable. One day all will be fine, all machines can
> find each other and another day they can't and the network doesn't seem
> accessible.

>
> If you can help, thanks for your time.
>
> Alan S.

You could always get a router, then you can turn any of the machines off
and the others can use the broadband connection.

Dave

--
And you were born knowing all about ms windows....??

Dave Stanton wrote:

> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:14:40 +0000, Alan wrote:
>
>
>>I run three PCs into a hub. The 3 machines are
>>
>>Win XP pro/Win2000/Win98SE.
>>
>>My ADSL Broadband connection is via a modem into the WIN XP machine.
>>
>>The net doesn't seem reliable. One day all will be fine, all machines can
>>find each other and another day they can't and the network doesn't seem
>>accessible.
>
>
>>If you can help, thanks for your time.
>>
>>Alan S.
>
>
> You could always get a router, then you can turn any of the machines off
> and the others can use the broadband connection.
>
> Dave
>
Yes, that is an option but the modem was supplied as part of the ADSL
package so I thought I'd use that so that I don't have to spend any more
money! Thanks for the thought, though.

Alan S.

p.s. Does a router work with the existing network or does it need
separate network cabling? You got me thinking now!!

>> You could always get a router, then you can turn any of the machines off
>> and the others can use the broadband connection.
>>
>> Dave
>>
> Yes, that is an option but the modem was supplied as part of the ADSL
> package so I thought I'd use that so that I don't have to spend any more
> money! Thanks for the thought, though.
>
> Alan S.
>
> p.s. Does a router work with the existing network or does it need separate
> network cabling? You got me thinking now!!

If you have the hub already, then look at something like the ASR800 on
Ebuyer, its a one ethernet port router. Connect all your pc's to the hub,
then connect the router to the hub. All your pc's can now connect to
broadband wether the main machine is on or off. You mugjt have to consider
firewalls on all the machines, for security.

Dave
--
And you were born knowing all about ms windows....??

Dave Stanton wrote:

>>>You could always get a router, then you can turn any of the machines off
>>>and the others can use the broadband connection.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>
>>Yes, that is an option but the modem was supplied as part of the ADSL
>>package so I thought I'd use that so that I don't have to spend any more
>>money! Thanks for the thought, though.
>>
>>Alan S.
>>
>>p.s. Does a router work with the existing network or does it need separate
>>network cabling? You got me thinking now!!
>
>
> If you have the hub already, then look at something like the ASR800 on
> Ebuyer, its a one ethernet port router. Connect all your pc's to the hub,
> then connect the router to the hub. All your pc's can now connect to
> broadband wether the main machine is on or off. You mugjt have to consider
> firewalls on all the machines, for security.
>
> Dave

Thanks for this, Dave. I'll look out for the ASR800. A good option,
without too much reorganising.

Cheers.

Alan S.

Alan <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<401eebcf$0$13349$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Dave Stanton wrote:
>
> >>>You could always get a router, then you can turn any of the machines off
> >>>and the others can use the broadband connection.
> >>>
> >>>Dave
> >>>
> >>
> >>Yes, that is an option but the modem was supplied as part of the ADSL
> >>package so I thought I'd use that so that I don't have to spend any more
> >>money! Thanks for the thought, though.
> >>
> >>Alan S.
> >>
> >>p.s. Does a router work with the existing network or does it need separate
> >>network cabling? You got me thinking now!!
> >
> >
> > If you have the hub already, then look at something like the ASR800 on
> > Ebuyer, its a one ethernet port router. Connect all your pc's to the hub,
> > then connect the router to the hub. All your pc's can now connect to
> > broadband wether the main machine is on or off. You mugjt have to consider
> > firewalls on all the machines, for security.
> >
> > Dave
>
> Thanks for this, Dave. I'll look out for the ASR800. A good option,
> without too much reorganising.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Alan S.


I would certainly agree that Firewall software is a good idea on the
PC's, but if you do install a router, it will effectively act as a
Firewall anyway because it will do Network Address Translation on your
PC IP addresses. I run Norton AV on my PC and I haven't had a single
hit since I moved from Home Highway to Broadband via a router. I used
to get loads of hits when my PC was connected directly to Home
Highway.

If your PC's have the Windows in-built firewall, that will probably be
enough. Otherwise have a look at Zonealarm.

Pete

O
> If your PC's have the Windows in-built firewall, that will probably be
> enough. Otherwise have a look at Zonealarm.
>
> Pete

If they are all running XP ?. Anyway XP's firewall is crap at stopping
little friends dialing home. Yes, I would put zonealarm on all the pc's or
do what I do and don't use windows.

Dave

--
And you were born knowing all about ms windows....??

Dave Stanton wrote:

> O
>
>>If your PC's have the Windows in-built firewall, that will probably be
>>enough. Otherwise have a look at Zonealarm.
>>
>>Pete
>
>
> If they are all running XP ?. Anyway XP's firewall is crap at stopping
> little friends dialing home. Yes, I would put zonealarm on all the pc's or
> do what I do and don't use windows.
>
> Dave
>

Currently, the ICS machine has ZoneAlarm. They all have Norton AV. So I
take it that ZoneAlarm should be on ALL the machines, unless using a
router. I'll be doing that in the morning, then!

I'd love to not use Windows but I'd have a very steep learning curve to
get into Linux (or whatever) quickly!! I keep promising myself I'll do
it next week!

Thanks guys.

Alan S.