Hello all -
I'm a newbie to Linux, and have tried "getting started" with a couple different distros of Linux in the past (Mandrake 9, Suse, RedHat, Ubuntu) but never stuck with it.
I'm now bound and determined to learn this or die trying!

I've got my system configured to dual-boot between Win2k and Mandrake 10.1. I've got an Intel 2.4Ghz, 512MB RAM, 120GB hd, Asus P4S800MX motherboard, Nvidia GeForce 5500 video card, and 3Com SOHO100 Office Connect nic.

Mandrake works great! However it doesnt connect to my network or Internet. It sees the nic correctly, but says that it is disconnected. Win2k connects just fine! I've tried 3 different NICs, and even reloaded the system.

Also, I've got a Linksys 4-port wireless router and I'm running DHCP.
My other systems connect fine through it (windows systems)

Can anyone tell me what's going on?

Thanks!

ummm.. in mandrake, go to the tool thingy for the network card. make sure you make it active or turn it on. (sorry, I haven't touched mandrake in a while- but it's very userfriendly and obvious)

then run the standard tests. (ask me if unsure)

Oh, and Welcome to LQ!

titanium_geek

Ok so I tried it again, with the same results. When I go in to configure my network, I choose to configure a LAN connection, with DHCP. It goes through, says it is succesful in configuring the network, and then it wants to restart the network. It does, but it NEVER works. On the desktop, over on the right by the time (aka SYSTEM TRAY in windows), and it says the "network is not configured properly. Use network configuration to configure network"

Ideas? What am I doing wrong? My brother tried it on his PC too (dual booted with XP though) and he has same network issues that I do.

Thanks!

I am assuming you are talking about a lan client trying to connect to the host machine ?
Have you issued the ifconfig command on the client to see how the Mandrake utility (which is not very good) is configuring your nertwork card ?
You shoud see info about eth0 and its associated IP address.
You can bypass the Mandrake utility and configure eth0 directly.
You can try :-
ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.2 (or 3,4 whatever)
to create the simplest possible static ip connection (it should work just as well as dhcp).
you can then iisue :-

/etc/init.d/network restart

this should give you output to find out what is going on. Yet on a Mandrake box it will often returm "failed" message. You can then issue :-
ifconfig eth0 up

.. at which point you should be connected to your lan.

OK - I really hate to ask this, cuz it'll show you how NEW I am with Linux, but how/where do I run the ifconfig command? I see the "run command" box, but that command does not work there - and there are also a couple terminals too, which don't seem to work with that command.

I'm starting to think I should have tried a different distro. I do have Ubuntu on CD (free CDs) - does it make a difference that I downloaded Mandrake 10.1 instead of purchased it?

you can run these commands either from within an X terminal (graphics terminal option from the Mandrake menu) or you can get to a "native" linux command line by alt-control-f1 (f2, f3, etc): this will allow you to logon to terminal 1, 2 3 etc. and execute any system commands directly, bypassing graphics mode entirely. From there you can gwet back to X (graphics) mode by alt-control-f7
IMHO Mandrake 10 networking is flakey. The free download is basicallty identical to what you pay for - except you don't get the user guide or free support.
You will probably "have a better user experience" with Ubuntu.
Rod