M'aidez!

[featherynscale]

EHQ got a new router for Winter Avarice this year. In theory, what this means is that all the computers in the Command Center will be able to talk to each other, share files, and perhaps even print.

In practice, what this means is that for some reason, only one of the three computers now believes in the existence of the Internet. This has necessitated an operating system change for me. That change seems to have largely reduced my PC to schizoid delusions involving the unavailability of drivers, presence or absence of hardware real and illusory, and the fundamental rightness of the 16-bit color system. And, worse, all of this is contributing to me not getting laid.

Because in theory, there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.

So at the moment, I'm posting from kittenpants' PC, while burning relevant documents and applications from mine to CD. Because tomorrow, I'm applying ECS therapy to it. Or re-formatting the Damned Thing™ and re-installing the OS. Whichever comes first. I'm pretty sure there are some conductive cables and alligator clips around here somewhere.

However, this does not solve the networking issue. So, er, orcjohn, if you've got some free time soonish and would like to consult on the matter of windows/linux networking.... we could use a bit of help.

Comments

OK, I'll Ask:

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

How's The Busted PC Stopping You From Getting Laid?

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

If you power down everything and power it back up, can you get a different set of PCs up?

My network issue stemmed from RoadRunner, after getting my IPs tweaked up to two, somehow they lost this change a month later, and I was back down to one. To make matters worse, the docking station has a different MAC address, so it takes a different IP than the laptop, despite it just being a docking station FOR the laptop.

Now I'm up to four IPs. Go me!

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

No, cycling everything doesn't change anything. I had wondered (because I've had nothing to do with managing the cable connection) if changing out the switches would mean we'd need them to configure a new MAC address, but I thought that was keyed to the NICs (since that has always been the Thing On Which I've Had To Call Time Warner before). But if that was the issue, this one wouldn't connect either, right?

Re: OK, I'll Ask:

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Apparently when I am trying to fix things, I am too single-minded to notice that I'm being propositioned. Or so they tell me.

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

It depends on where your IP is set. With a 'hub', the hub itself will gain the IP, and all the PCs share the bandwidth, with a true 'switch', it is a 'dumb' piece of equipment that simply lets the signals pass through and the individual PCs get the IPs.

A good test is to haul a 'good' PC to your connection, and see if it can read from that cable (or visa versa). It sounds like you have true switches and the IP is attached to the NIC, so my question is, is it the cable, or the PC that is pooping out?

The neat thing about RoadRunner's IPs is that they are dynamic, so you can actually take your PCs out, replace them with three new PCs, and if you 'reboot' the modem, it will accept your new PCs, no questions asked. This was what caused the uber-weirdness with my network, EITHER PC could work, but only the first one plugged into the network would get to keep the connection. It could plug into any port, and work, the other would NOT work in any port. Then I'd reboot the modem, and the scenario flip-flopped. It was a real WTF moment until they told me that I was back down to just one IP allowed. Grr...

Um, did I answer your question?

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think so. That implies that a call to TWC may be necessary, and that I've got the network set up in the wrong order. Hrm.... Thanks!

I have to do it.

[opaljax.livejournal.com]

Here's my first thought: I've seen the computer room. I understand the reasoning why you would like to get the computers to talk. But the funny thought entered my head: you have three computers in the same room, wouldn't it be easier if you three (E3) just talked to each other?? Then rationality took over. I need to go home. Hugs. Hope it works for you.

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

I ended up telling TWC to set me up with four IPs even though I only use two at any one given time.

They keep telling me that they reserve the right to charge for additional IPs, at which point I will switch to a hub or move to Kansas and have a better CHOICE of providers. ;-)

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

These are dark mysteries of which you speak. I will continue to nod my head and appear to understand what you're saying.

I'm not fluent in PostScript.

[kittenpants.livejournal.com]

I don't speak PostScript well enough to just shout at the printer when I want to print a document. That's the problem. One printer, three computers. If D or I want to print anything, we have to email it to K or burn it to CD just to print the damn thing. If I want to put a picture into Adobe Photoshop, I need to email it to K or burn it to CD and take it to K's computer. If K wants to translate a document to PDF, she has to email it to me or burn it to CD and carry it to my machine. If D or K want to take a picture with the digital camera, they need to take over my machine, download the picture, upload it to the internet or burn it to CD before they can open it on their machines. When I hook up the scanner, it'll be the same deal. If D and K are working on, say, the Gaia Budget, they have to burn the Excel spreadsheets from K's machine and the Gnu Cash files from David's machine and run them through translation software before they can even open them on each other's machines.

It's a matter of file sharing, networking, and device sharing. If we can get the network up and running, then we can all use the printer, we can all use the scanner, we can all access shared files from each other's machines.

Despite what some people think about us, just because we use computers does not make us so emotionally crippled that we don't speak to each other in the real world. But no amount of my talking to my husband or girlfriend will magically print my documents.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I still love you even if you don't speak network.

Re: I'm not fluent in PostScript.

[opaljax.livejournal.com]

Wow, ok, I get it, no more jokes. Hugs.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, the original configuration turns out to be the correct one. A proper router/switch will split the IP locally so that multiple computers can use it... it does share out the bandwidth somewhat, but I don't know that this will affect your household terribly. We haven't tried it on a high-speed game, yet...

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

It's effect is mostly noticable if you use the internet for it's TRUE use.

Ready Trekkie Monster?
The internet is for p0rn, the internet is for p0rn....

hub switch router

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

Er, a hub is sort of a dumb version of a switch -- it doesn't get an IP address, and just sends all traffic to everything connected. A switch is smart enough to figure out what traffic goes to what port, but it still doesn't get an IP address of its own (not counting managed switches) or interface with the outside world. Then there are routers, which connect your network to other networks, and NAT routers (often called broadband routers in the store), which let all your computers share one external IP address.

Re: hub switch router

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

ACK... Yeah, got the terms flip-flopped. It's been a while. ;-)

What had me a bit off was that CompUSA? had a wireless USB 'hub' that took one broadband connection, turned it to 802.11, and 'shared' the one IP with 4-5 USB based receivers.

I liked the 'wireless USB network' part... sounded a bit odd.