Connectivity problems on a 5 PC network..

[IamDavid]

Basics:
5 PC's
4 XP Pro's, 1 98SE
1 6 port Hawking's Switch 5 ports\1 uplink
1 1 Cable Modem

I haven't manually configured a thing.

Problems:
I can never have more then 3 computers connected to the network at a time at a time. The other two won't find the dhcp. Its never any specific computer I can get any of them to connect if I restart everything. switch, cable modem and PC's. After restarting everything the first 3 PC's, whichever start up first, will connect fine. I can see them in the network neighborhood and can get online fine. They are assigned IP's fine and work great. But the other ones get assigned an IP address starting with 169. or something.

Anyone have a clue whats going on? I have no idea how to manually configure it all either. I have tried but it just doesn't work either although its probably my fault. lol

 

[amdskip]

Are they sharing the internet also because a switch will not properly share the internet. You must use a router for something like this.

 

[JackMDS]

AnandTech - FAQ. Basic Options for Internet Connection Sharing

AnandTech - FAQ. Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

 

[IamDavid]

Thanks guys. I just figured since 3 worked I'd be able to get the other 2 to work.

 

[rc240sx]

Go into your router and check the settings. Check under DHCP settings. Your router may only be giving out 3 addresses at a time.

 

[bozo1]

Sounds like your ISP only gives you 3 IP addresses. Time-Warner Cable perhaps? (Cool that they give you 3, most only give you 1.)

You need to get a router (preferable), pay your ISP for more IP addresses, or set up Internet Connection Sharing on one of your machines and have 2 of them access the internet through that one.

 

[IamDavid]

rc240sx and Bozo1, your probably right. I am using McLeodusa (which is totally kick ass) and they use Cisco routers which are password protected. I am just gonna use a old PC I have as a router.. Thanks for the help.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: rc240sx
Go into your router and check the settings. Check under DHCP settings. Your router may only be giving out 3 addresses at a time.

Sounds like he has no router... even before reading the post directly above mine.

Since you already have a switch, I'd recommend just getting a gateway such as the D-Link DI-701

 

[kevinthenerd]

I hate to give free ads like this, but I just found the discontinued D-LINK DI-701 residential gateway (basically a one-port router, to put it simply) at this address:

http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1008822815&domain_id=44&ad=


I think it was discontinued because it's only 10-Base-T and that most people prefer to just buy full-fledged routers.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd
I hate to give free ads like this, but I just found the discontinued D-LINK DI-701 residential gateway (basically a one-port router, to put it simply) at this address:

http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1008822815&domain_id=44&ad=


I think it was discontinued because it's only 10-Base-T and that most people prefer to just buy full-fledged routers.

Though, why would a 10-Base-T router be a problem anyway? It's not like your Internet connection will be anywhere near 10Mbps if you're on regular cable or DSL.
I've used the Dlink 701 for awhile; after awhile though (1-2 years maybe, after buying it used on the forums) it just died mysteriously. I got a Linksys router then, but it'd drop the connection constantly (cable). I'm back to Dlink now, using a 704, though I find that it too has been discontinued. I didn't think it was that old. There don't seem to be any problems with it though; it works perfectly, and it hasn't dropped the connection (that I've seen anyway) in a few weeks now.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Hey, 10 is fast enough for me (at the moment), but a lot of rich snobs I know (who locally throw around DivX movies quicker than I can send a DNS request) hate it.

 

[kevinthenerd]

...but the 701 has given me no problems, and I got it back when it was new. I love that little box. By default, the setup on that thing is quite easy through a telnet session on port 333.

 

[IamDavid]

Hey guys hanks for the suggestions. I went ahead and used an old PC as a router running smoothwall on it. It really kicks ass now. I wish I would've done this a long time ago.. Smoothwall has to be the best program I've used in a very long time and its free. Can't beat that.