I will.. First off I'll try roaring penguin, if not I'll get off my lazy ass and do some research! I'll get it right once I mess around enough, I hope.

It generally isn't that big of a nightmare, as long as you take everything step by step and read ALL of the documentation.

Really, it isn't much worse than it was finding a driver for equipment when XP and Windows2000 came out.

Actually I'm having trouble finding the driver for the 3com 3c857 gateway. They seem... Non existant.

You don't need a driver for it. It is very similar to my SMB Barricade router. (Although it has a few more bells and whistles, yet strangely doesn't appear to provide a print-server. It may have fail-over to dial-up as mine does, but I don't know.)

It provides a gateway to your ISP for everything connected up the the Lan-ports.

According to the specs, you can do the configuration via a web address from your side (the lan-side).

Your user manual should have the default address for the web interface (again from the LAN port side not the WAN port. It also should have the default Administrative password to access the settings.

What's up? Did you read the "friendly" manual????

You don't need the wizards and other crap on the CD. You simply punch in the numerical web address and use the admin password and go from there.

You will probably find a default private network address which will provide your gateway--this is what you set as "the default-gateway" on all of the machines. Windows gives you this option under local area connections properties ->tcp-ip properties advanced. BUT Just try plugging it in and rebooting; many times XP will figure it out on it's own.

In linux, you will probably have to set up the default gateway. There is a gui-tool available from your desktop which will enable you to setup/modify your network settings.

Most likely there will be a page on your 3comGateway to detect all of the machines which you plug into the Lan-ports--all it really does is generate an arp request. It processes the returned MAC addresses and other information sent by the machines an at that point should initialize the built-in DHCP and assign each machine a unique IP-Address for internal use.

You will have to read the documentation on the new and improved gui-network tool in Linux, because I usually make entries in the Hosts file and other files manually, which is really A Bad Idea (tm). There should be a setting to respond to requests from the other machines on the network. You will probably have to install/setup samba for it to respond to the windows boxes properly.

The unit comes with preset defaults, setup wizards, and other features that simplify installation, configuration, and administration. Security features include VPN pass-through and hacker pattern detection.
Networking
Ports: 4 x RJ-45 10/100Base-TX Ports (Auto-sensing) (LAN), 1 x RJ-45 10/100Base-TX Port (Auto-sensing) (WAN)
Media & Performance
Connectivity Media: 10/100Base-TX Category 5 (UTP)
Data Transfer Rate: 10Mbps Ethernet, 100Mbps Fast Ethernet
Protocols & Management
Protocols Supported: TCP/IP, DHCP, NAT/PAT, PPPoE, PAP, CHAP, TCP/IP, TCP/IP, IPCP, PPTP, SNTP
Management: - Browser-based administration

- Device-discovery wizards

- Pre-set defaults

- Remote management

- Save and restore configuration files
Status LEDs: - Power

- WAN port status - link, activity

- LAN ports status - link, speed and activity

- Alert/diagnostics
Miscellaneous
Additional Info.: - Four 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports provide wired LAN connectivity; up to 253 users can share the same cable or DSL connection

- Hacker pattern detection firewall feature automatically detects and blocks denial-of-service attacks and other common intrusions

- Network and Port Address Translation (NAT and PAT) conserve expensive public IP addresses and assure privacy

- IP functions such as PPTP/PPPoE (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol/Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet), NAT (Network Address Translation), and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) enhance addressing privacy and economy

- Virtual server capability enables incoming access to specified servers handling FTP, web, e-mail, and other traffic

- Supports DSL modems requiring PPTP on WAN ports

- Automatically supports FTP and Microsoft NetMeeting; pull-down menu supports other popular applications

- Browser-based user interface, preset defaults, device discovery, and setup wizards simplify installation, configuration, and administration
Bill of Materials: - Cable/DSL gateway

- Power adapter

- One straight-through Category 5 UTP patch cable

- Rubber feet

- CD ROM containing Gateway Discovery program and the user's guide

- Installation guide
System Requirements: - Cable or DSL modem with an Ethernet interface (not included)

- Network PCs supporting TCP/IP with 10 or 10/100 Mbps Ethernet cards

- CD requires Windows Me/2000/98/95/NT 4.0
Certifications & Standards: Safety:

- UL 1950: EN 60950

- CSA 22.7 #950: IEC 60950



EMC:

- EN 55022 Class B: EN 55024

- FCC Part 15, Class B

- ICES-003 Class B: VCCI Class B

- CNS 13438 Class A



Environmental :

- EN 60068 (IEC 68)

- UL Listed

- CSA certified
Power Description
Input Voltage: 10 to 30V DC
Frequency: 47 to 63Hz
Power Consumption: 6.5W Maximum (Operating)
Environmental Conditions
Temperature: 32 to 105°F (Operating), -40 to 158°F (Non-operating), 0 to 40°C (Operating), -40 to 70°C (Non-operating)
Humidity: 0 to 90% non-condensing (Operating)
Physical Characteristics
Form Factor: External
Dimensions: 1" (Height) x 8.7" (Width) x 5.3" (Depth)
Shipping Dimensions: 3.75" (Height) x 6.00" (Width) x 14.00" (Depth)

You're awesome! Thanks a lot for that.

Well, I have read the manual for the 3com 3c857, but there really is no info. I have the discovery disc, but my stepdad has managed to hide(read: throw it away) it somewhere >_<. I've tried to get to the router via the browser, it can't find it, although it works just fine under my Win2k. Also I think I've made some progress because yesterday I noticed that Canna failed to shut down because it was controlled by a different machine... (not that I know what canna is..)

I'll take a look at samba later on.

I think that's what I did the first time I tried to set it up... I'll see if I can figure it out.

Thanks for your help!

When I've gotten this fixed I can finally start fixing all the other small problems... Like changing the ownership of my partitions(No help required,)

Learn how to search the net. I MEAN IT. I will make note of your name and will not every do a search for you again.

THIS WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM YOUR MANUAL:

Running the Configuration Wizard
1. If you haven’t already done so, restart your computer.

2. Launch your web browser and attempt to contact the Gateway by typing
the following URL in the location bar: http://192.168.1.1

>>Since you said your Windows 2000 machine is able to reach the internet start from that machine.

If you can access the Login page, then your computer has correctly
received an IP address from the Gateway.

3. Login using the default password (admin). The Wizard will attempt to
launch automatically, but if it fails, select the Wizard tab and click on the
Wizard... button.

4. Where possible, the Wizard will recommend settings for most parameters.
However, there are some settings which you must provide. Most of these
will have been provided to you by your ISP when you set the account up.

5. By default, 3Com recommends that you leave the LAN IP address for the
Gateway as 192.168.1.1. However, if you should choose to change it,
make a note of the new address :

SO MUCH FOR THE MANUAL HAVING "NOT MUCH INFORMATION".

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN GET A NEW COPY OF YOUR MANUAL IN A PDF FILE:
http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/r...-US&order=desc

THIS IS THE PAGE FOR YOUR EQUIPT:
http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/s...d&search=3c857

NOTE: Don't upgrade the firmware on the device unless you need to--and know exactly what you are doing. If you f*ck up--you have a paperweight.

I'm sorry, that I might have seemed to be requesting help, but I weren't. *points to first post on the page*... I meant that. And I am doing so.

Just as a footnote; My win2k and RH is on the same machine, so I think it's kinda weird that one of the system's work and the other don't. But as I said, I am doing my own research, and actually making a little progress. But right now I think I need some sleep.

Thanks for all your help.

You didn't read my other post did you?

You don't have a driver for the integrated ethernet device on your motherboard.

I informed you of where to search and in what order.

My posting on this page was specific to your gateway device.

-There is no driver for windows or linux for that device because it is a stand alone device that is not connected directly to your computer rather it connects to an ETHERNET port on your computer (the built in networking aka nForce2 Ethernet on your motherboard)

what you need is a driver for the onboard network:
Googling for nforce2 ethernet linux came up with some references about a binary driver from nVidia, I'd check www.nvidia.com or your motherboard manufacturer's site for how to obtain the linux driver.

Once you get the ethernet driver working you should be able to set it up to use DHCP and if it's plugged into the 3Com router you will get an IP address from it and be able to use the router's config page to modify it if needed. Since you said it works in Windows I assume the router doesn't need tweaking, you just need to get the onboard networking running in linux.

It sounds like the part that is confusing you is that you are thinking of the 3Com router as a part of your computer. The 3Com router (aka gateway, officeconnect switch or whatever else it's called also) is not a part of your computer and not configured in your OS, it is an external device that plugs into the network port of your computer so all you need to do is get that network port to work and the 3Com box will also work.