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I've had four windose computers networked for years just for play and learning, a hobby if you will. An on-line friend turned me on to Linux and I'm hooked. I need to keep one windose for the kids and my games and then I'd like to network the other three with Linux. I tried it with just two computers and failed miserably, I want to try again. Internet connection sharing is the most important but I would also like to share files and folders. The two distros I like are Slackware and Mandrake, Mandrake is easier for me to get around in but I'd rather do Slackware. Wait.. I'd rather do which ever is easiest to network. Sooooo what are my first steps using a compound cable plugged into two nec cards, and be easy with me it's my first time.
Distribution: Slackware, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X
Posts: 5,296
Rep:
hi mgrist, welcome to lq. the networking, should be the same, ip addresses and such. what specifically are you trying to do? is the cable a crossover cable?
The cable is a compound or twisted type. It's the correct one for networking so I've been told. It's not the standard ethernet cable.
What am I trying to do, that's a very good question I just want access to both and then later on three Linux computers through my one main computer. I need to share an internet connection I guess will be the main goal, if I can't access files I can live without that. The four computers I have are all on a KVM switch so it's not hard to switch between them.
You say should be the same, ip addresses and such. but with windose all I did was put a floppy in and it did all the work. I said whether the computer was host or client and that's all I did. So I don't know where to start. Once I hook the cable up what do I do then. Will Linux find the cable like windose? do I have to point it in the right direction? I don't know where to start. I hope that alot of it will make sence to me as I go and that I'll get through it correctly, but the last time I started this I had to reload Linux.
Thanks for the welcome, look to seeing me around alot
Distribution: Slackware, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X
Posts: 5,296
Rep:
i'm assuming the main box is a windows box, and is already configured to share internet access. the first thing to do would be check that the nic cards are up and running
ifconfig -a
from each of the linux machines should return info about your nics configuration. if that output looks good, the next step would be to ping each box from the other, to see whether the boxes are talking. are you using dhcp, or have you assigned static address on your network? i reccomend slack if you wish to learn, be advised there is a learning curve. it also sounds like you may need some basic networking fundamentals, this is a great site that has alot of info reguarding networking in general
hope some of this is making sense. do you actually have the distros installed? if not, i'd reccomend getting them installed first, we'll troubleshoot once that's done.
good luck.
Originally posted by PEACEDOG i'm assuming the main box is a windows box, and is already configured to share internet access. the first thing to do would be check that the nic cards are up and running
ifconfig -a
from each of the linux machines should return info about your nics configuration. if that output looks good, the next step would be to ping each box from the other, to see whether the boxes are talking. are you using dhcp, or have you assigned static address on your network? i reccomend slack if you wish to learn, be advised there is a learning curve. it also sounds like you may need some basic networking fundamentals, this is a great site that has alot of info reguarding networking in general
hope some of this is making sense. do you actually have the distros installed? if not, i'd reccomend getting them installed first, we'll troubleshoot once that's done.
good luck.
No windows box involved, one was Mandrake and the other is now Mandrake. The cable is plugged in and of course there is no sharing, yet. Both computers have found the individual nec cards. I'll do the command above now and see what I get. I have no idea what dhcp is.
Well one of the problems that stopped me before is back. My one computer was already set up and connected to a modem, in other words I had internet. This time as with the last as soon as I plug in the compound cable I don't have any internet. I can get signed on but I can't go any where. I messed with it so much the first time that I was no longer having fun and just quit. I got a slew of stuff after doing the config command but I can't post it because I now don't have internet on the Linux computer. This is where I need pointed in the right direction
Distribution: Slackware, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X
Posts: 5,296
Rep:
so on the one machine connected to the modem, you have two nic cards? are they both configured
ifconfig -a
should return something for eth0, and eth1. can you ping the machines? dhcp is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, in a nutshell, it's what windows uses when you "obtain an ip address automatically" so to speak. i hope your not getting too frustrated, this can be tedious until you get the hang of it. let's get the machines talking first,i.e. pinging, then we'll work on the rest.
good luck.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by PEACEDOG
[B]so on the one machine connected to the modem, you have two nic cards? are they both configured
ifconfig -a
No just one card in each machine. I did that command and get a whole list of stuff. It is different on each machine. I did the DHCP when I loaded Mandrake on the second computer and from what I read all appears correct. I'm going to look again but after doing the command you gave me I think I remember that my mask was different on each computer. They need to be the same, correct? Now as you say I need to ping, could you tell me how to do that? I'll be looking in my book for it, if you post it before I find it you win
Yep you won I'm still getting the IP addys together I got the internet back up on my main Linux and here's what ifconfig gave me:
I'll ifconfig the other and write it down then post it.
OK I can ping the second Linux from the main Linux: But I can't ping back
PING 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.034 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.034 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.034 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.034 ms
--- 127.0.0.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 2999ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.034/0.034/0.034/0.000 ms
u r not actually pinging ur other machine there ur r pinging ur `loopback` so in theory u r pinging the machine that u r entering the command on
are both the green lights on at the back of ur machine to show that ur cable is working...u need to assign ip addresses to both machines in the network
for example in the network device control of both machines u need to assign an ip address such as 192.168.0.1 for one and 192.168.0.2 for the other they both need to be on the same subnet which will be 255.255.255.0
when u have done this then try pinging each other by those addresses in a terminal window. If then u can not ping, then it would seem u may have a prob with ur cable connection
You pinged your main computer from your main computer. That output shows that you pinged the IP address 127.0.0.1, that is a loopback address and it how a computer refers to its self.
In simple terms your computer pinged itself. You need to do a ifconfig on your other machine and find where it says inet addr: under eth0 and ping that IP address from your main computer.
Are you using Ethernet? Are you using IPv4 or IPv6?
Originally posted by mermxx u r not actually pinging ur other machine there ur r pinging ur `loopback` so in theory u r pinging the machine that u r entering the command on
are both the green lights on at the back of ur machine to show that ur cable is working...u need to assign ip addresses to both machines in the network
for example in the network device control of both machines u need to assign an ip address such as 192.168.0.1 for one and 192.168.0.2 for the other they both need to be on the same subnet which will be 255.255.255.0
when u have done this then try pinging each other by those addresses in a terminal window. If then u can not ping, then it would seem u may have a prob with ur cable connection
Just saw your reply. Yes both green lights are on.
The IP addy on my main computer is as you have posted above but the mask isn't. Hey you want to win a contest? Tell me how to set or change my IP addys and mask (subnet) before I can find it in my Linux book.
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I just want access to both and then later on three Linux computers through my one main computer. I need to share an internet connection I guess will be the main goal, if I can't access files I can live without that. The four computers I have are all on a KVM switch so it's not hard to switch between them.
