Wireless net question for the net gurus.....

[killmeplease]

I subscribed to a wireless internet carrier (fastest avaliable service). It is a line-of-sight microwave transmitter/reciever and the alignment and operation seem to be in order as I'll explain. I have a small office on a peer-to-peer network.

The LAN works fine. It's the WAN that's the problem.

I replaced our hub/switch with a Linksys DSL/cable router/switch. I tried to connect through the router........Didn't work. I exchanged THAT router with an SMCbrand of the same variety............Didn't work.

I connected directly to a computer............Works great. Another...etc, etc.

The router pings the ISP with no problem. But when the ISP tries to ping a computer through the router, there is lost packets galore.

The service uses a static IP and the router was configured so. There are too many settings to list, but all the addresses for the WAN are complete and correct. If there is a setting you'd be looking at next, please let me know. The ISP and I have tried everything we know to get the WAN up.

The ISP says he has a brand/model router that works and will install it @ cost(according to him). I just can't figure out why both routers didn't work. I think that it's THEIR equipment having a problem with the auto-negotiation with these particular routers.

Any ideas?

 

[killmeplease]

Bump for curiosity.

 

[ScottMac]

You're gonna probably have to post some settings, and how you have it configured. If the interface to the Wireless transceiver is Ethernet, then any of the routers (of the class you mentioned) should work just fine. Even if your wireless communication is client/server (ala VSAT), that's all handled at L1, and the LAN wouldn't see it as anything other than "slow wire".

Where are you using the static address? What are you using for a default gateway address from one of the "Inside" PCS? what are you DNS settings? Are you running any kind of firewall process on any/all of the computers? Are you trying to do any port forwarding/blocking?

Please describe how you have the stuff connected.


Scott

 

[killmeplease]

The transciever is ethernet.

It is NOT VSAT.

The static address is at the router.

There is no firewall within any of the comps.

I wish I got as far as blocking!

I'm not a network pro. could you explain "What are you using for a default gateway address from one of the "Inside" PCS? "?

 

[ScottMac]

OK, first, my understanding is that you have two PCs pluggend into a hub/switch, and for the uplink of that hub/switch, you go to another hub/switch, which is also connected to your router, which is connected to your wireless transceiver....is that right?

Assuming that's close, on the two PCs, with DHCP enabled, they should be getting addresses (and other info) from the router's DHCP server. IF you do WINIPCONFIG from the 9X machine, and IPCONFIG from the WIN2K machine, you should have the 192 address for each, and a default gateway setting that is the "Inside" address of the router. The Default Gateway on the router should be the address of the wireless transceiver (or the setting that the ISP gave you for "Default Gateway). Default gateway is where any packet will be sent that is not on the local LAN.

Now...if you are not getting addresses from the router on BOTH machines, then you have a bad cable (connectors), or you have it in the "Uplink" port at both ends (wrong...should only be in "uplink" at one end)....if you don't have "uplink" ports, then go standard port-to-standard port using a crossover cable.

If you're not getting an address on ONE machine (and the other is working OK), then the cable from the hub is bad, or you have it located in the port next to the uplink port, which doesn't work if there's a cable in the uplink (they "share" the same transceiver....you can only use one or the other).


Check it out and let us know.....

Scott

 

[killmeplease]

<< OK, first, my understanding is that you have two PCs pluggend into a hub/switch, and for the uplink of that hub/switch, you go to another hub/switch, which is also connected to your router, which is connected to your wireless transceiver....is that right? >>



No. It is an integrated hub/switch with the router that goes directly into a tranciever.



<< Assuming that's close, on the two PCs, with DHCP enabled, they should be getting addresses (and other info) from the router's DHCP server. IF you do WINIPCONFIG from the 9X machine, and IPCONFIG from the WIN2K machine, you should have the 192 address for each, and a default gateway setting that is the "Inside" address of the router. The Default Gateway on the router should be the address of the wireless transceiver (or the setting that the ISP gave you for "Default Gateway). Default gateway is where any packet will be sent that is not on the local LAN. >>



The computers within my LAN are getting thier addies from the router fine and can ping it at will (I even released and renewed the IPs from within a command prompt in W2K). The addy for the ISP is configured on the router directltly (static). The transciever is simply a radio device to their network.



<< Now...if you are not getting addresses from the router on BOTH machines, then you have a bad cable (connectors), or you have it in the "Uplink" port at both ends (wrong...should only be in "uplink" at one end)....if you don't have "uplink" ports, then go standard port-to-standard port using a crossover cable. >>



All machines have exactly the same behavior whether alone on the LAN behind the router or together and are assigned addresses without conflict.



<< If you're not getting an address on ONE machine (and the other is working OK), then the cable from the hub is bad, or you have it located in the port next to the uplink port, which doesn't work if there's a cable in the uplink (they "share" the same transceiver....you can only use one or the other). >>



No uplink. Integrated. I asked if the WAN tranciever needed a crossover cable. The ISP tech replied that it didn't (note: It DID work straight-through).

Check it out and let us know.....

I appreciate the help. Like I said, I'm not a pro. If I have misunderstood one of your points or have a concept wrong, please point it out. It may be my problem.

It's baffling!

Thanx

Scott[/i] >>



Note: I've repowered and rebooted all the devices in every combination I could come up with, during this process. I've also tested the cables with a cable/connection tester and used the above mentioned tests with the existing cables.

I'm just plain lost.

 

[Tallgeese]

<< router pings the ISP with no problem. But when the ISP tries to ping a computer through the router, there is lost packets galore. >>

Uh...isn't this working as designed? The routers you mention all use NAT. By default, the ISP SHOULDN'T be able to ping any device inside the network, unless you have set up a static mapping or DMZ'd a particular host.

I'm not sure I understand your problem exactly.
What does or does not work for you?
Can your machines browse the Web?
If not, what error do they receive

Can you ping a FQDN, like www.apple.com?
Can you ping 137.65.1.1 (Novell target machine)?

 

[killmeplease]

<<

<< router pings the ISP with no problem. But when the ISP tries to ping a computer through the router, there is lost packets galore. >>

Uh...isn't this working as designed? The routers you mention all use NAT. By default, the ISP SHOULDN'T be able to ping any device inside the network, unless you have set up a static mapping or DMZ'd a particular host.

I'm not sure I understand your problem exactly.
What does or does not work for you?
Can your machines browse the Web?
If not, what error do they receive

Can you ping a FQDN, like www.apple.com?
Can you ping 137.65.1.1 (Novell target machine)? >>



One problem is that I can't ping ANYTHING through the router.

 

[ScottMac]

So, the "default Gateway" parameter on the router is the ISPs gateway address?
and the "Default Gateway" parmeter on the PCs is the inside address of the router?

You can't ping by name, but have you tried pinging an IP address?

Does the wireless service use PPPOE/PPPOA? (requires a login before use / after some period of time)

In order for the ISP to be able to Ping you, you have to allow it in your setup menu (on the WAN interface).Once that's set to "Allow", then the ISP should be able to ping the static ISP address (the "outside" address) without a problem. If they can't, then yeah, it's sounding like the problem is with their transceiver. If you can hang a PC on the Transceiver and everything works properly, then it's not their equipment.

If you DO have a PC that works perfectly when directly attached to the transceiver, something else you can try would be to put the MAC address of that PC's NIC in the "spoofing" screen of your router....then the router will look (to the ISP) like your PC. Some places lock in a MAC address and that's the only one they'll talk to.

That's it for me tonight....I'm on the road for the holidays....using a (ugh!) MO-DEM. It sucks to be me, what can I say.

G'night and Happy Thanksgiving to y'all!

Scott

 

[xyyz]

<< I subscribed to a wireless internet carrier (fastest avaliable service). It is a line-of-sight microwave transmitter/reciever and the alignment and operation seem to be in order as I'll explain. I have a small office on a peer-to-peer network.

The LAN works fine. It's the WAN that's the problem.

I replaced our hub/switch with a Linksys DSL/cable router/switch. I tried to connect through the router........Didn't work. I exchanged THAT router with an SMCbrand of the same variety............Didn't work.

I connected directly to a computer............Works great. Another...etc, etc.

The router pings the ISP with no problem. But when the ISP tries to ping a computer through the router, there is lost packets galore.

The service uses a static IP and the router was configured so. There are too many settings to list, but all the addresses for the WAN are complete and correct. If there is a setting you'd be looking at next, please let me know. The ISP and I have tried everything we know to get the WAN up.

The ISP says he has a brand/model router that works and will install it @ cost(according to him). I just can't figure out why both routers didn't work. I think that it's THEIR equipment having a problem with the auto-negotiation with these particular routers.

Any ideas? >>



I think you're trying to use a layer-3 device (these dsl routers) directly to a layer-2 device.

You sure you don't need some sort of DSU/CSU before this stuff goes into a router?

 

[killmeplease]

<<

<< I subscribed to a wireless internet carrier (fastest avaliable service). It is a line-of-sight microwave transmitter/reciever and the alignment and operation seem to be in order as I'll explain. I have a small office on a peer-to-peer network.

The LAN works fine. It's the WAN that's the problem.

I replaced our hub/switch with a Linksys DSL/cable router/switch. I tried to connect through the router........Didn't work. I exchanged THAT router with an SMCbrand of the same variety............Didn't work.

I connected directly to a computer............Works great. Another...etc, etc.

The router pings the ISP with no problem. But when the ISP tries to ping a computer through the router, there is lost packets galore.

The service uses a static IP and the router was configured so. There are too many settings to list, but all the addresses for the WAN are complete and correct. If there is a setting you'd be looking at next, please let me know. The ISP and I have tried everything we know to get the WAN up.

The ISP says he has a brand/model router that works and will install it @ cost(according to him). I just can't figure out why both routers didn't work. I think that it's THEIR equipment having a problem with the auto-negotiation with these particular routers.

Any ideas? >>



I think you're trying to use a layer-3 device (these dsl routers) directly to a layer-2 device.

You sure you don't need some sort of DSU/CSU before this stuff goes into a router? >>



So............I say it's THEIR stuff, they say it's MY stuff and............we're BOTH right. There might be something to this. Thanx