Can't connect computers with hub or cross LAN cable

[Emil Lam]

Hi,

I met on serious problem with my computers. I have one desktop & one
notebook both with windows ME installed. Each of which has a LAN card
installed. I could use each of them to browse internet separately (IP
auto assigned from ISP).

However, as I connected them to my LAN hub AND configured different
IPs, both of them couldn't ping the other so they couldn't
communicate. I observed my LAN hub LED. When ping command was typed,
the packet LED flashed. Other LAN hub LED also worked normal. The same
situation happened when I connected them with cross LAN cable.

I have checked the manual configured IP addresses & subnet mask, no
conflict.

I don't have any cable tester to test the LAN cables but those 3
cables (2 straight, one cross) had been used previously with no
problem.

Could anyone advise what should be checked / tested to further
diagnose the problem ?

Tks!

[JAD]

reset both lan and modem pull power on the hub/switch/router and
the modem
"Emil Lam" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi,
>
> I met on serious problem with my computers. I have one desktop & one
> notebook both with windows ME installed. Each of which has a LAN
card
> installed. I could use each of them to browse internet separately
(IP
> auto assigned from ISP).
>
> However, as I connected them to my LAN hub AND configured different
> IPs, both of them couldn't ping the other so they couldn't
> communicate. I observed my LAN hub LED. When ping command was typed,
> the packet LED flashed. Other LAN hub LED also worked normal. The
same
> situation happened when I connected them with cross LAN cable.
>
> I have checked the manual configured IP addresses & subnet mask, no
> conflict.
>
> I don't have any cable tester to test the LAN cables but those 3
> cables (2 straight, one cross) had been used previously with no
> problem.
>
> Could anyone advise what should be checked / tested to further
> diagnose the problem ?
>
> Tks!

[Jerry]

Try here http://www.careyholzman.com/netfixes.htm or here
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/

"Emil Lam" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi,
>
> I met on serious problem with my computers. I have one desktop & one
> notebook both with windows ME installed. Each of which has a LAN card
> installed. I could use each of them to browse internet separately (IP
> auto assigned from ISP).
>
> However, as I connected them to my LAN hub AND configured different
> IPs, both of them couldn't ping the other so they couldn't
> communicate. I observed my LAN hub LED. When ping command was typed,
> the packet LED flashed. Other LAN hub LED also worked normal. The same
> situation happened when I connected them with cross LAN cable.
>
> I have checked the manual configured IP addresses & subnet mask, no
> conflict.
>
> I don't have any cable tester to test the LAN cables but those 3
> cables (2 straight, one cross) had been used previously with no
> problem.
>
> Could anyone advise what should be checked / tested to further
> diagnose the problem ?
>
> Tks!

[Z]

Emil Lam wrote:
> Could anyone advise what should be checked / tested to further
> diagnose the problem ?

Does your ISP provide multiple IPs?

If not, then you need a router, not a hub.

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

In article >,
(Emil Lam) wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I met on serious problem with my computers. I have one desktop & one
>notebook both with windows ME installed. Each of which has a LAN card
>installed. I could use each of them to browse internet separately (IP
>auto assigned from ISP).
>
>However, as I connected them to my LAN hub AND configured different
>IPs, both of them couldn't ping the other so they couldn't
>communicate. I observed my LAN hub LED. When ping command was typed,
>the packet LED flashed. Other LAN hub LED also worked normal. The same
>situation happened when I connected them with cross LAN cable.
>
>I have checked the manual configured IP addresses & subnet mask, no
>conflict.
>
>I don't have any cable tester to test the LAN cables but those 3
>cables (2 straight, one cross) had been used previously with no
>problem.
>
>Could anyone advise what should be checked / tested to further
>diagnose the problem ?
>
>Tks!

To ping each other and communicate via TCP/IP, the computers must have
IP addresses in the same subnet. If they get their IP addresses from
your ISP, it's possible that they're in different subnets.

If your ISP is assigning public IP addresses to both computers, then
it probably isn't safe to use TCP/IP for file sharing, because other
Internet users might be able to access your files. They're public IP
addresses if they're NOT in these ranges:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

If they have public IP addresses, then you need to take steps to share
files safely. Possibilities include:

1. Replacing the hub with a broadband router, which assigns private IP
addresses to the computers.

2. Installing a second network adapter in one of the computers,
connecting it directly to the Internet, and enabling Internet
Connection Sharing on the second network adapter.

3. Installing a another protocol (either IPX/SPX or NetBEUI) on both
computers and un-binding file sharing from TCP/IP.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

[Jim Berwick]

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" > wrote in
:

> To ping each other and communicate via TCP/IP, the computers must have
> IP addresses in the same subnet. If they get their IP addresses from
> your ISP, it's possible that they're in different subnets.
>

Bull****. You do /not/ need to be in the same subnet to ping each other,
case in point:
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 209.204.68.239
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Pinging www.google.akadns.net [216.239.39.99] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 216.239.39.99: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=242

Clearly 216.239.39.99 is not in my subnet.

I do understand your point though, I'm just being anal.

[Norman Miller]

In article >, Steve Winograd
[MVP] says...

> If your ISP is assigning public IP addresses to both computers, then
> it probably isn't safe to use TCP/IP for file sharing, because other
> Internet users might be able to access your files. They're public IP
> addresses if they're NOT in these ranges:

> 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
> 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
> 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

As well:

0.0.0.0 - 0.255.255.255 (IANA reserved; see RFC 3330)
127.0.0.0 - 127.255.255.255 (Loopback; see RFC 3330)
169.254.0.0 - 169.254.255.255 (LinkLocal; see RFC 3330)
224.0.0.0 - 255.255.255.255 (spans more than one range reserved by IANA for
special use; see RFC 3171 and RFC 3330)

None of the above should be routed publicly.

--
Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

In article >, Norman
Miller > wrote:
>In article >, Steve Winograd
>[MVP] says...
>
>> If your ISP is assigning public IP addresses to both computers, then
>> it probably isn't safe to use TCP/IP for file sharing, because other
>> Internet users might be able to access your files. They're public IP
>> addresses if they're NOT in these ranges:
>
>> 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
>> 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
>> 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
>
>As well:
>
>0.0.0.0 - 0.255.255.255 (IANA reserved; see RFC 3330)
>127.0.0.0 - 127.255.255.255 (Loopback; see RFC 3330)
>169.254.0.0 - 169.254.255.255 (LinkLocal; see RFC 3330)
>224.0.0.0 - 255.255.255.255 (spans more than one range reserved by IANA for
>special use; see RFC 3171 and RFC 3330)
>
>None of the above should be routed publicly.

An ISP can't assign an IP address in the ranges that you mentioned,
Norman -- those ranges are reserved for special purposes and aren't
routeable.

Only the LinkLocal block can be used on a LAN, and then only if there
isn't a DHCP server on the LAN.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm