Traumatized by networking

[Q]

Yesterday my power went out for an hour for no apparent reason. After it was restored I lost my internet connection on the host computer of my network. The guest computer connects just fine, so I'm assuming there was no damage to the cable modem or the router. I attempted to restore the settings in the host computer and the only thing I can determine that isn't like it was before is the nic no longer has a listing as TCP/IP-> realtek RLT8029(AS)PCI ethernet nic. TCP/IP has a listing and the nic has a listing, but there is no listing of the 2 combined as there was before. When I try to add an adapter to TCP/IP, windows says I have selected a new plug and play adapter, turn off the machine and install it. It is installed. It shows up in device manager, which tells me this device is working properly. Is it necessary to physically remove this card and reinstall it? I would guess not, since I didn't have to do that before and the network worked...but I obviously don't have an aptitude for networking. Please please please help.

 

[HomeLAN]

You don't need to resinstall the NIC - it's already there. It sounds like the NIC just lost it's TCP/IP protocol.

To re-add this (under Win98), go to Control Panel/Network. On the main screen click "Add". Then click "protocol". Go to Microsoft, and select TCP/IP. It'll want your windows disk.

Then you'll need to reboot and set the TCP/IP properties to mimic the machine that is working right.

This assumes that the setting is t obtain an IP address automatically [i.e., the router is a DHCP server]. If the IP address is static (there are numbers in there), you need to type in an identical subnet mask, and the first three numbers of the IP address must be the same. The 4th number of the IP address must be different. Doesn't matter what, just pick a number from 1 to 100. My best guess is that the router is a DHCP server, and you won't have to worry about this.

 

[Q]

when I told it to add protocol and and selected TCP/IP under microsoft, it didn't add the nic, it just gave me another TCP/IP window just like the one I already had. (with DNS, Bindings, IP addy..all that stuff) One thing I did notice though, is that the gateways were kinda hinky. The host machine did have a gateway of 192.168.2.1 (obtained from the router)...the guest machine has a gateway of 65.10.121.0 ( the one I had from @home from before I set the router up). Since the guest machine is the one working and it has the @home gateway, I'm wondering if possibly the router isn't working correctly and the guest machine is just picking up the connection like the router doesn't even exist?? Hope I explained that alright...it should be painfully obvious to anyone that knows what they're doing, that I don't

 

[HomeLAN]

So, when you go into Control Panel/Networking, and you highlight TCP/IP for the NIC, and click properties, what does it say on each machine? Are they set to obtain IP addresses automatically, or is it typed in there? If typed, the first 3 sets of numbers have to match, the last has to be different, and the subnet mask has to be the same.

If they're both set to obtain automatically, then the host isn't getting through to the network. This would suggest a blown NIC.

 

[Q]

They are both set to obtain IP automatically. I originally thought maybe the nic puked. (hence why it disappeared from the protocol and not device mgr)...but I called the router tech support and the girl (whom I believe knows less about this than I do ) had me ping the nic and she determined it was fine. Where she got these numbers to ping my card, I don't know...she was flipping through a book like a lunatic. Does the nic get assigned a standard IP through the router?
I do have a spare nic....if indeed this is most likely the problem, I can switch it. It's a major project to move the desk to access this box, if there's any chance I don't need to, I'd rather not. Is there a way to determine that the nic is damaged besides changing it out?

 

[HomeLAN]

Hmm. If the NIC is pinging, it should be OK.

Go to the host computer and click Start/Run. Type winipcfg and hit enter. Make sure the internal NIC is selected, and wrtie doen the IP address for it.

Then go to the guest. Open a DOS window and type "ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" where the X's denote the IP number of the host (and without the quotes). If it returns OK< the NIC's probably OK, but Winblows is screwing up.

If that's the case, remove the NIC from device manager, make sure nothing related to it appears in Control Panel/Network anymore (delete it if it does), restart and reinstall the NIC. See if that does the job.

 

[Q]

request timed out
request timed out
request timed out
request timed out

*SOBS*

 

[Huge]

Keep your chin up Q; you'll get it soon!

 

[s4]

I will pray for your NIC.

 

[HomeLAN]

Yup. Dead NIC. Unfortuantely, not uncommon for a power outage. Replce the little darling, and try again.

Hey, at least they're cheap.

 

[Q]

Oooh ooh ooh...I just happen to have not one but 2 spare nics!
All I gotta do is scrap with that desk and win.
[little caboose] I think I can, I think I can [/little caboose]

Thanks!

 

[Huge]

Donja mean "little engine?"

 

[Q]

Yeah, I guess I did ...is it any wonder I can't master networking? I can't tell one end from the other.

 

[Gonzo]

Pinging means nothing. My broinlaw had me over to fix his & nothing ever worked so he called @Home support who pinged his modem & there was no problem with it.......until the service guy showed up & replaced the modem & he was online instantly...

do a complete nic & ms windows client uninstall. start fresh

 

[Q]

*UPDATE*

The host computer( a K6-233) lost its HDD as a result of the power failure, so it's out of commission temporarily. However, the other two machines (both 1gig t-birds) are networked and working just fine.