problem: two Mandrake Linux boxes on the network cannot 'see' each other
-- ping each other.
OSes: Linux Mandrake 6.0
NIC: Linksys LNE 10/100TX using newest tulip module for Linux
switch: Linksys 10/100 switch
Note: the 2 NIC's and the switch came together in a box 'Switched 10/100
Network in a Box'; model number FESWSK5
I am trying to build the simplest of networks right now. I have two
nodes, 192.168.1.10 and 192.168.1.11, with a switch between them. I run
the Linksys diagnostic program and they pass the Register, Loopback, and
peer-to-peer tests but not the ping or bandwidth tests. According to
the documentation this means the NIC card is all right, but problems may
exist in the switch or cabling. Since the two machines must talk to
each other in the peer-to-peer I would have to venture a guess that the
cabling and switch are functional. No further information is given in
the supplied, in the box and on their web site, documentation as to what
the ping or bandwidth tests are or what their failures might mean. I do
believe that the hardware is functioning correctly, but I cannot prove
it.
With the premise that the hardware is functioning correctly, the only
reason why the two machines cannot ping each other is my systems are not
configured properly. I originally used linuxconf to set up the
adapters. When ping did not work I verified the setup using ifconfig,
arp, and route. Everything looks okay.
ifconfig:
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr <removed>
inet addr:192.168.1.10 Bcast:192.168.1.255
Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:6 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
Interrupt:10 Base address:0xf800
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:3924 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
route
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric
Ref Use Iface
192.168.1.10 * 255.255.255.255 UH 0
0 0 eth0
192.168.1.0 * 255.255.255.0 U 0
0 0 eth0
127.0.0.0 * 255.0.0.0 U 0
0 0 lo
There are no arp entries.
Everything looked okay to me. It sees the net 192.168.1.0 being
directly connected.
No matter which way I do the ping, I see the activity lights on the
switch blinking away to indicate data is traveling along those wires
(both). I look at the ethernet cards and those lights are blinking
too. This would indicate the receiver NIC is seeing packets arrive.
Since there is a switch in the middle, I would also assert that they are
destined for that specific NIC. So, why doesn't the ping succeed?
These are the only two machines to put on the network.
I will take any good suggestions to help me with this. I am not opposed
to returning Linksys and using something that works better with Linux if
anyone knows of something.
Al Niessner
