Can't get to Internet, but can see local PCs

TualatinMan · Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 5

I have a cable modem with wires running to different rooms in my home. Currently, there are two XP systems connected that work fine. My son gave me an old laptop with WIN98 on it and a Linksys PCMCIA ethernet card. He said he has used it to connect to the internet.

When I connect this laptop, I can see the other two PCs and they can see the WIN98 laptop. But the WIN98 laptop can't get out to the internet. I have tried IPCONFIG /release and /renew and PING - I can't Ping either by name or IP address. I can ping 127.0.0.1 and the cable router though.

It has been a long time since I have used WIN98. Is there supposed to be an icon in the system tray for the network like in WinXP? Are there special settings I need for TCP/IP?

Thanks,

Alan

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 633

I believe it's Winipcfg for win 98. What do you get for info when you run it? Sounds like a DNS problem, or a problem with the way the wireless is setup.

Edit: changed Winipconfig to winipcfg. Wink

wizbit · Joined: Aug 21, 2007 Posts: 1

winipconfig is correct, sounds like your system does not have any correct IP information.
You are able to see the other systems via netbeui this is a broadcast protocol, and I suspect your machine and the others will be set-up as a workgroup.
So you know your PC's network card is OK, and it's just a TCP/IP issue, As you don't state how your PC get's it's IP address I will guess via DHCP.
Personaly I would make a note of the other device IP address and just manualy add the Next IP in the list (include DNS and Default Gatway info as well).
Your PC should now work try doing a ping of the other devices including your default gateway.
If all Ok try the internet, now if all this works you have two choices either just leave it as is or take a look at the device that should be doing the DHCP requests, it could be to do with the scope configured on the device.

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 633

While win 98 does install netbeui XP PC's don't so I don't think netbeui factors into it. Wouldn't it have to be installed on all PC's on the LAN to be usable?

TualatinMan · Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 5

Thanks to all of you that responded. Here are some more details and what I found out to fix the problem. BTW, this is not a wireless connection, but an actually CAT5 cable connection.

Besides the router in the house that is feed directly from the cable modem - this router than has wires going off into other locations, I have a wireless router attached with one of the XP systems cabled to it. I noticed that the Gateway for the Win98 system aws 192.168.1.10 while the router attached directly to the cable modem is 192.168.1.1. No matter what I did, like setting the Gateway to 192.168.1.1 manual in the TCP/IP settings, the Gateway always was 192.168.1.10. So I turned off the second router and now I can access the Internet! I can then turn this router back on as long as the Win98 router is properly connected to the internet. But I have to do this every time I want to use the Win98 to access the internet. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening and what I can do to fix it?

BTW, I tried to use WINIPCONFIG, but it wasn't on my Win98 system so I copied it from my XP system. It won't run because it said it had to linked to NTDLL.DLL:sfprint and couldn't. I tried copying this file from my XP system, even though it was on my Win98 system, but still didn't work.

Also, I did try NetBui, and it didn't help (I knew it wasn't needed). And I am dynamically getting my IP address and using DHCP.

Thanks again!

Alan

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 633

Try running winipcfg instead of winipconfig. XP uses ipconfig and I doubt it would run on a 98 PC. Is the wireless router configured as an access point? If it isn't and its DHCP function is enabled that may explain your problems. The win 98 PC is getting it's IP assigned by the wireless router instead of the one thats connected to the internet. Why not replace the first router with the wireless one so there is only one router on the network? A temporary fix would be to use a static IP on the 98 PC.

TualatinMan · Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 5

Thanks.

How I can I tell if the wireless router is configured as an access point or has DHCP enabled?

It isn't that easy to replace the routers - the one acting as the Gateway is built in.

Alan

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 633

You need to log into the router and look at the settings. You need to know that routers IP address. For example if it was 192.168.0.1 you would open IE and type http://192.168.0.1/ in the address field and hit enter. That would get you to the routers web interface. Both routers can't have the same IP address or the same DHCP scope. How is the wireless router connected to your network? What if anything is connected to its WAN port and what is connected to its LAN ports?

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 633

I believe if you go into the settings for the cable modem (router) you can set it to bridged and effectively turn off the built in router. Then you connect the WAN port or the wireless router to the cable modem and your PCs to the LAN ports or the wireless router. The wireless router will then get a public IP from the cable modem and your PCs will get private IPs from the router.

TualatinMan · Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 5

I logged on to the wireless router and immediately saw that the DHCP was enabled so I disabled it. The Win98 laptop now sees the correct router (one attached to the cable).

Thanks everyone for your help!

Alan

alphanumeric · Joined: Jun 02, 2004 Posts: 633

OK, good to hear you got it sorted. May want to test the wireless to make sure it still works.

TualatinMan · Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 5

I did and it did. Thanks again.

Alan