I had previously posted about network problems between Slak 10.2 and XP. I'm able to ping XP from Slak and vise versa. I was able to ping router from XP no prob's. I would lose net connection to Slak box after being connected for short period of time (after boot up or reboot/shutdown->restart). Slak box is networked w/ XP via cross cable. Both boxes had static ip's ( no conflicts), mask 255.255.255.0, and gateway 192.168.0.1 [D-Link router and wireless card]. The router was set to WPA2 w/ password. The nic and wireless card are bridged in XP box. I figured there was a problem within bridge or XP but, I was wrong. The problem stems from router. I turned off the WPA2 to configure wireless connection on Slak 10.2 hd in XP box( dual boots ). I couldn't get wpa to work in Slak. Now here's the riddle... Now my stand alone Slak 10.2 box, that's networked w/ XP, can access the net ( WPA or WEP not activated on router ) with no problems... why????

Thanks for you help and advise to fix this scenario. I'm trying to get other Slak 10.2 setup so I don't have to use winbloze.

You don't want to bridge the connections because then the router will assume that the slackware box is another wireless card I think (I could be wrong). What you need to do is set the XPbox up with Connection sharing, and then just dissable the dhcp server that it activates.

Bridge Connection:

............XP
SL-------|------WIRELESS

Connection Sharing:

SL------XP(NAT)-------Wireless


The connection sharing will hide the second computer from the route and use NAT to get the information from one place to another (kind of like an actual router).


I had a whole house getting ip's and sharing a connection from a laptop (I was borrowing my neighbors connection while my net was down). all I had to do was set up the connection sharing and windows pretty much did everything else for me. make sure you don't have any firewall on it though because I came into a lot of problems with that, and instead of allowing the packets through and such I just turned it off.

If ,let's say your right about router seeing slak box, that were the case then the router wouldn't let me access net now w/ encryption turned off on router side, but as sure as your reading this the router is allowing my slak box to access the net through the bridge on XP box. It's only when encryption is turned on in the router that connection starts then stops. I did however try the ICS in XP but that didn't work out to well, or should I say not at all. I don't allow XP to control my wireless connection. My wireless connection is controlled by D-Link software instead. I hope to have my conflicts in other slak box resolved soon and then I won't have to mess w/ winbloz except for Acid and Sound Forge.
Thank you for your input and help.

A friend works in support department for (their company's) devices that are used on networks.

They will *not* provide support if they find out that a crossover cable is being used.

IOW, crossover cable is unsupported (such network is unsupported, and in turn they do not provide support for their device on this network).

Swith or hub *is* supported. IOW, yes, they now provide support for their device that is on a switch or hub ,this network.

This certainly doesn't mean that a crossover cable can't work.

Network switch is relatively inexpensive. I couldn't know if a switch would make a difference in your case.

--
Alan.

Isn't crossover cable just twisted straight which is used for hubs or switches.
Can you explain why isn't support available if you use crossover cable rather than switch/hub?

Yes, there's a couple of wires crossed, thus the name crossover.

Given only two computers, the crossover cable can network these two (the alternative is a switch/hub and two patch cables (regular RJ45 network cables, not crossover cable).

I'm unable to recall why that particular company's policy re crossover cable termed as an unsupported network architecture.

That was late 1990's to about/approx 2003.

Perhaps such policy of theirs had something to do with their devices.

My friend always acted like crossover is something you don't want to do very often (like as if a heftier and more stable network is a switch/hub network).

Hub then switch was inexpensive enough that I always have on hand. (I have a crossover cable but doubt that I could find it). And I'm always network 3 or more computers (needs a switch anyways).

I just now did a relevant Google search turned up nothing negative (that I could see) on two computers via crossover cable.

The OP was having some sort of mysterious or unexplainable happening. What I shared is the truth. My friend worked for Xircom who got bought out by Intel. Whether or not such policy is industry wide or not or if such policy has changed in more recent years, I've no idea.

--
Alan.

Thank for explanation, acummings

It's not that there's anything wrong with crossovers, it's just that they are rarely used, and can't be used to network computers easily. you'd need two NIC's in each computer and you'd have to daisy chain the computers creating a bulky, slow, and expensive network.

Did you get your problem fixed yet?

Thanks for asking tinksmartbstupi but I haven't completely fixed issue yet. I still have the wpa2 w/ passphrase encryption (in router) conflict w/ slak box. Is it XP, router, slak???, or a combo of some sort.?? I know that I can't get wpa to work on other slak 10.2 box to work when setting up wireless. It wouldn't accept my passphrase in any syntax (e.g. - numbers, symbols, letters). I followed docs on madwifi setup by aleinbob, but that's a different post. So, riddle is still unresolved.

Thanks for your help.

I had setup wpa on my old slackware box and I didn't have a problem, but I had to put it in the net config file (wow it's been a while since slackware) I'm not sure the name or placement of that file anymore, but I believe there's a sample file where all your config stuff is that's called wlan.conf or something similar. check in there.

Maybe rc.wireless.conf in /etc/rc.d

I did change my rc.inet1.conf and rc.wireless.conf files w/ appropriate info. It's stated that rc.inet1.conf is used first or is priority over rc.wireless.conf if memory serves me correct. Including wpa_supplicant lines for using wpa & wpa2 psk, but when I tried entering my passphrase it came back with an error stating that my phrase was incorrect or something to that nature. It states that you can use symbols, characters, and numbers but wouldn't accept mine. I tried different phrases w/out symbols and numbers but still no go. I used Alienbob's slackware madwifi howto. I may have to uninstall everything and start from scratch again, I'm not sure what else to do. Any clues let me know.

Thanks for your help guys.!.