Admin
21-08-2008, 12:30 PM
Q:
I decided to make a new post since my other topic isn't really the correct one to point out that my Netgear GS605 won't connect my other computer online.
I connected the Netgear GS605 to my Prestige 645, but only one computer works, and the other computer doesn't connect to the internet. I made sure to replace my Linksys Router with the Netgear Switch, but only the main computer that is connected with the Prestige 645 works.
Could it possibly be that its because I only have a paid subscription for only one computer to go online? Because with my previous router (Linksys BEFSR41 v2) I could go online with both computers, and I read the specifications for the ZyXEL and this is what it says under Internet Access Sharing.
Internet Access Sharing (Router only)
* SUA (Single User Account)/NAT (Network Address Translation) enables multiple PCs on the LAN to access the Internet for the cost of only one IP address
* NAT supports PAT (Port Address Translation) and Multimedia Application, ie NetMeeting, ICQ, CuSeeMe, etc.
Help is heavily appreciated it, Thanks in advance!
on Jul 11th, 2006, 11:07pm, BobR wrote:
Hmmm... try this-
With just one computer plugged directly into the Zyxell, reboot the computer, then do this:
Click the Windows START button, then click on RUN.
In the box that pops up, type CMD then click on OK.
In the DOS window that opens, type IPCONFIG and press Enter.
On the report that scrolls up, the number in the line that says IP Address is the IP Address of your computer. Write it down, then post it here.
The number will tell us how the Zyxel is configured.
Thanks for the previous reply BobR. Grin
My IP Address it 192.168.1.2 when I'm directly connected to the ZyXEL Prestige 645.
A:
Your IP address shows that the Prestige is configured as a router, so that shouldn't be a problem.
When both computers are plugged into the switch, and have been rebooted, do IPCONFIG procedure on both computers, and post what the report on each of them says the IP address is.
Also in the IPCONFIG reports, note what it says on the line that reads: "DHCP Enabled", and post that here too.
From looking at the Prestige 645R manual, I'm surprised to see that your computer's address is 192.168.1.2, unless you've already set up a Static IP address on it.
The Prestige normally assigns addresses starting at 192.168.1.32
Seeing what the IPCONFIG report says about both computers should help tell us what's happening.
Q:
So heres what I was able to get by connecting both computers to the switch.
A:
Yes- very good. Those screenshots do help. We just need to see what the computers see from their ends of the connection.
The first one looks absolutely normal.
The second one reveals that there seems to be a problem with the second computer talking to the router.
The IP address of 169.254.xxx.xxx is a special address Windows uses when it can't get an address from a "DHCP Server", which in the case of your network should be the router.
The screenshot also shows that the second computer is correctly configured to get its IP address from the router.
Does the little "link light" next to the socket on the Netgear switch light up when the second computer is plugged in..?
Does moving the cable from the second computer to a different socket on the Netgear switch help at all..?
If you connect the second computer directly to the Prestige router and reboot the computer, does it work then..?
Hmmm... I've been trying to think of what else to check...
It's beginning to sound like a conflict in the connection speeds of the two computers.
One more thing to check- if you connect Computer "B" to the switch, but NOT Computer "A", does Computer "B" then connect to the Internet OK..?
I think what may be happening is that Computer "A" is negotiating a Gigabit connection with the switch when it boots up, which effectively "locks out" Computer "B", since Computer "B" only has a 100mbit ethernet card in it.
Try doing this:
On Computer "A", open the Windows Control Panel and then open the "Network" icon.
There should be a line in the box that says something like "Marvell Yukon .... Gigabit Ethernet Controller".
Highlight that line, then click the "Properties" button below the window.
Then on the next box that opens, click the "Advanced" Tab.
On the next page should be a box on the left that says "Property".
On the list in that window should be something about "Media Type". (The actual wording varies depending on the brand of ethernet adapter in the computer.)
Click that entry and the entry in the "Value" box on the right should change, probably to something like "Auto".
Click the "dropdown menu" arrow for the "Value" box, and find an option that says something like "100BaseTX-Full Duplex", and click that entry.
(The important part is the 100 and Full Duplex. The actual wording may vary.)
Then "OK" your way back out.
What this will do is set the ethernet adapter in Computer "A" to always use 100 mbit/sec speed, which matches the ethernet adapter in Computer "B".
And hopefully, it will let both of them share the system without fighting..!
When you plug both computers into the switch, are BOTH lights AMBER now..?
That's the situation you need to see.
When you plug in JUST Computer "B", you should see an AMBER light and the computer should connect to the Internet.
If you then plug in Computer "A", does the light by "A"s socket come on as AMBER, or GREEN...?
And does the light on "B"s socket change at all when you plug in "A"..?
You should probably also repeat the process of going into the Network setups on Computer "B" and setting the network card for 100mbit/Full Duplex also, just to be sure both are "on the same page".
Sigh... and there IS a possible solution...
Since you said both computers worked before, when you had them both plugged into your Linksys router, it means the Linksys must have been handling the mis-match between the network cards in the computers a lot more "gracefully" than the Netgear switch seems to be.
There IS a procedure to "convert" the Linksys into a switch which might solve the current problem.
It's more complicated than just plugging in a replacement switch like you've done, but if it makes things work....
We have a guide showing how to do this process here:
[Only Registered And Activated Users Can See Links] 8703
Essentially you have to plug in the Linksys differently than is "normally" done, and make a couple of changes to its setup to "neuter" the router portion and make it easier to connect to in the future.
As I said, it's more complicated than the switch solution, but it may actually work..!
I decided to make a new post since my other topic isn't really the correct one to point out that my Netgear GS605 won't connect my other computer online.
I connected the Netgear GS605 to my Prestige 645, but only one computer works, and the other computer doesn't connect to the internet. I made sure to replace my Linksys Router with the Netgear Switch, but only the main computer that is connected with the Prestige 645 works.
Could it possibly be that its because I only have a paid subscription for only one computer to go online? Because with my previous router (Linksys BEFSR41 v2) I could go online with both computers, and I read the specifications for the ZyXEL and this is what it says under Internet Access Sharing.
Internet Access Sharing (Router only)
* SUA (Single User Account)/NAT (Network Address Translation) enables multiple PCs on the LAN to access the Internet for the cost of only one IP address
* NAT supports PAT (Port Address Translation) and Multimedia Application, ie NetMeeting, ICQ, CuSeeMe, etc.
Help is heavily appreciated it, Thanks in advance!
on Jul 11th, 2006, 11:07pm, BobR wrote:
Hmmm... try this-
With just one computer plugged directly into the Zyxell, reboot the computer, then do this:
Click the Windows START button, then click on RUN.
In the box that pops up, type CMD then click on OK.
In the DOS window that opens, type IPCONFIG and press Enter.
On the report that scrolls up, the number in the line that says IP Address is the IP Address of your computer. Write it down, then post it here.
The number will tell us how the Zyxel is configured.
Thanks for the previous reply BobR. Grin
My IP Address it 192.168.1.2 when I'm directly connected to the ZyXEL Prestige 645.
A:
Your IP address shows that the Prestige is configured as a router, so that shouldn't be a problem.
When both computers are plugged into the switch, and have been rebooted, do IPCONFIG procedure on both computers, and post what the report on each of them says the IP address is.
Also in the IPCONFIG reports, note what it says on the line that reads: "DHCP Enabled", and post that here too.
From looking at the Prestige 645R manual, I'm surprised to see that your computer's address is 192.168.1.2, unless you've already set up a Static IP address on it.
The Prestige normally assigns addresses starting at 192.168.1.32
Seeing what the IPCONFIG report says about both computers should help tell us what's happening.
Q:
So heres what I was able to get by connecting both computers to the switch.
A:
Yes- very good. Those screenshots do help. We just need to see what the computers see from their ends of the connection.
The first one looks absolutely normal.
The second one reveals that there seems to be a problem with the second computer talking to the router.
The IP address of 169.254.xxx.xxx is a special address Windows uses when it can't get an address from a "DHCP Server", which in the case of your network should be the router.
The screenshot also shows that the second computer is correctly configured to get its IP address from the router.
Does the little "link light" next to the socket on the Netgear switch light up when the second computer is plugged in..?
Does moving the cable from the second computer to a different socket on the Netgear switch help at all..?
If you connect the second computer directly to the Prestige router and reboot the computer, does it work then..?
Hmmm... I've been trying to think of what else to check...
It's beginning to sound like a conflict in the connection speeds of the two computers.
One more thing to check- if you connect Computer "B" to the switch, but NOT Computer "A", does Computer "B" then connect to the Internet OK..?
I think what may be happening is that Computer "A" is negotiating a Gigabit connection with the switch when it boots up, which effectively "locks out" Computer "B", since Computer "B" only has a 100mbit ethernet card in it.
Try doing this:
On Computer "A", open the Windows Control Panel and then open the "Network" icon.
There should be a line in the box that says something like "Marvell Yukon .... Gigabit Ethernet Controller".
Highlight that line, then click the "Properties" button below the window.
Then on the next box that opens, click the "Advanced" Tab.
On the next page should be a box on the left that says "Property".
On the list in that window should be something about "Media Type". (The actual wording varies depending on the brand of ethernet adapter in the computer.)
Click that entry and the entry in the "Value" box on the right should change, probably to something like "Auto".
Click the "dropdown menu" arrow for the "Value" box, and find an option that says something like "100BaseTX-Full Duplex", and click that entry.
(The important part is the 100 and Full Duplex. The actual wording may vary.)
Then "OK" your way back out.
What this will do is set the ethernet adapter in Computer "A" to always use 100 mbit/sec speed, which matches the ethernet adapter in Computer "B".
And hopefully, it will let both of them share the system without fighting..!
When you plug both computers into the switch, are BOTH lights AMBER now..?
That's the situation you need to see.
When you plug in JUST Computer "B", you should see an AMBER light and the computer should connect to the Internet.
If you then plug in Computer "A", does the light by "A"s socket come on as AMBER, or GREEN...?
And does the light on "B"s socket change at all when you plug in "A"..?
You should probably also repeat the process of going into the Network setups on Computer "B" and setting the network card for 100mbit/Full Duplex also, just to be sure both are "on the same page".
Sigh... and there IS a possible solution...
Since you said both computers worked before, when you had them both plugged into your Linksys router, it means the Linksys must have been handling the mis-match between the network cards in the computers a lot more "gracefully" than the Netgear switch seems to be.
There IS a procedure to "convert" the Linksys into a switch which might solve the current problem.
It's more complicated than just plugging in a replacement switch like you've done, but if it makes things work....
We have a guide showing how to do this process here:
[Only Registered And Activated Users Can See Links] 8703
Essentially you have to plug in the Linksys differently than is "normally" done, and make a couple of changes to its setup to "neuter" the router portion and make it easier to connect to in the future.
As I said, it's more complicated than the switch solution, but it may actually work..!