Well, since mid November I have nothing but problems with my Arch Linux machine. I can't get any internet connection on that machine. I have a network at home with 2 windows machines (XP & Vista), a Windows 2003 server running as an Exchange server and DNS server and Domain controller and ps3, xbox 360 and Wii. The two windows machines run on a static IP, the ps3, xbox 360 and Wii run on dhcp. All machines run on LAN through a switch except the Wii it runs on wireless. Now my Arch Linux machine also runs on static IP set up as described in the installation guide via rc.conf, hosts and resolv.conf. As mentioned earlier since mid November I haven't been able to get any internet connection on that machine. I haven't changed anythnig in my setup on the machine or the network. when i start the machine for the first time during a day I actually do the get internet connection and network connection but if I restart then I lose it. I am not able to ping the gateway or the DNS server. I can get interrnet back again I turn off the machine and turn off the motherboard and let the machine cool off for 20 minutes. Then if I turn it on again I have internet again but if i'll have to restart then the problem reappears.
After two weeks with this issue I decided to get network card but that didn't help either I still had the problem. Then I simply bought a new machine (DELL Studio) and did a fresh installation of Arch and STILL the problem exists and it is driving me FREAKING CRAZY NOW!!! I tried to my machine on dhcp but still the same issue. internet on first boot, reboot no internet or network, shutdown machine and motherboard (unplug machine) --> internet again after waiting 20 minutes. None of my other machines running windows or the consoles have problems getting internet. I've tried to run distros on the machines (Ubuntu Live CD) but I have the same problem. I am very close to going back to windows and I REALLY don't want to (been using Linux since 2003) but this problem here is a show stopper/EPIC FAIL. I am very very happy with Arch Linux and really don't want to change distro either. I need suggestions now on what I can look for in order to find the problem. I've already changed network cards, bought a new machine and even bought new switch because we thought it might be the switch causing the problems (8 port switch) because turning off the switch would give me my internet back. Again it is only my Linux machine that is having the connection problems none of the other machines have those.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Kind Regards

André

Turning off the switch gives you back internet ?
Same thing with the new switch you bought ?
Do you have a router giving the ips on the network or another server ( in dhcp case ) ?

You sure have one hell of a network at home btw.

Yeah it's the same thing with the new switch. Yes, I have a router, the server handles just the DNS, the windows domain and the exchange server.

Kind Regards

André

What kind of switch did you buy ?

The 2 of them.

The old switch was a 3Com gigabit switch one of the first on the market and the new one is a HP gigabit switch (1400-8g). Both of them have 8 ports.

Regards

André

PS. I missed one machine there is another windows machine runinng in the network as a media center (with Vista MCE on dhcp), so 3 windows machines and not just 2.

A suspition: maybe the problem is with the server configuration; I don't know how to configure a Windows server, though, so I couldn't really help with that.

Well, it could be the server but the configuration of the server hasn't been changed since we got it. The server has only been regulary updated when Windows Updates have been available. Like I said before it started in mid November and we've had the server much longer then that.

Regards

André

If you can access the tubes when connected directly at the router and cant when connected to the switches ( static/dhcp configuration ) There is something funky going on. It gets even weirder because you said you installed another Linux and have the same issue. Did you try installing windows on that machine and see if you can access the internet ?

Try using the SAME ip settings has another machine that has internet access on the network ( unplug the other one so you dont have an ip conflit. ).

Yes I tried to install windows on that machine and there i had no problem connecting to the internet. I'm gonna try to around the server now (typing in the DNS addresses directly from my provider).

Well, I fiexed it and it was the server. I ran some dianogstics on the server and did some changes (recommended the dianogstics) and I got internet and can reboot and I still have internet. Many thanks for all the suggestions.

Regards

André

Well, I celebrated a bit to fast after 30 minutes or so I lost internet connection but not by restarting. I didn't use the computer for like 30 minutes and when I did tried to open a browser nothing happended. I tried then to ping the gateway and the server but couldn't reach them. So I turned off the computer completely for 20 minutes and then I started again and chenged the DNS address from my server to the DNS addresses I get directly from my ISP. So I'm going around the server now and seems to work for now. This morning I could start the machine and restart it 2 times and every time I had internet. Hope this solves it for now, still don't understand what the problem is though.

Regards

André