Can't get onto the internet-?configuration problem. Help!
 

:newbie: Ok, so I admit I am clearly a complete monkey, but I am new to linux, in fact new to computers. I really wanted to get to know Linux , but I am about ready to give up. I have read the forums endlessly, the manual, another "quick teach" books, and aside from the fact that I am not finding my way onto the net, I'm getting more and more confused. So many of the forum users with questions and replies contain lots of /usr/blah/blah/ type text, and it's greek to me. So as you can see, I'm probably in deep trouble.
I think my problem is fairly basic, so here goes- if anyone has the patience, I have the enthusiasm!

I just built my first computer, and loaded SuSe 9.0 onto it from discs. The installation went well, dead easy, and had no problems. I have a few machine linked via an ADSL router (4 wired ports). I am using 2, so the Linux machine will be the third. According to router, I have an available line, and a windows machine links, so there is no issue with the actual router connection (for sake of clarity, I have gone through the ipconfig /release bit to free up the ip address).

I have onboard LAN on my motherboard, and fearing that that may be the reason I can't get onto the net, I got a linux compatible network card shoved into the machine. Linux sees them both, and allows me to configure them (it's the settings in the configuration that I think are where I am lost). I'm not that knowlegable about what settings should really go into the configuration boxes, but have followed the manual, failed, tried different combinations of things i found in forums, and still failed.
When it comes to configuring the router, same problem. The settings are confusing to me, probably cos I am not comfortable with DHCP,DNS, etc.

I know I sound like a numpty, but we all have to start somewhere. If you are falling off your chair laughing at the beginner, sorry, but I'm going to get there, just can't get past this silly hurdle. I live on an island, and nobody even knows what I am talking about when I talk about Linux, so guess no local Linux group for me to try get help from.

Desperately yours

I also use SuSE and found their books are not always a comfortable read, either due
to linguistics or that they tantalise you with what you can do then suggest you look
elsewhere for more info. They say you don't need to know about the details but I think you DO! Unfortunately I found the only way I could understand WTFIGO WAS to read the files in /etc. IMHO YaST is useful ONLY if you know how to setup a network, modify scripts etc. I suggest the KISS approach and if your LAN onboard card can be configured in SuSE toss the second card away and configure LAN card as eth0.

You do not need to setup a DNS server. I haven't configured a router only proxy servers for a network of windows and linux PC's so can't help you there. If the router has an IP address you may need to set up your browser and other programs to
use that IP address and its port as for proxy server in order to access the internet, but not sure on this.

Sorry, can't help you any further.

Hello,
How far you have been progressed so far ???
It seems to me that your system is not configuring your lan card ( even after you are assigning IP address to that ).
Do few things:
1. Do you know which module your lan card is using ??? If not then while trying to configure the lan card ( using YaST, or what ever other way you could do ) note down its moudule name.
If you still don't get it like that way...then try using Knoppix to get the module for your lan card.

2. now run on console
#lsmod
and then check whether this module is there or not.

If its not there then it means that you will have to manually add that module ( easy task ).

First try upto here.........then we will proceed

regards

Thanks for the help you have already extended. Although I have to say that I think I am sooooo out of my depth here. Your advice Ruudra is much appreciated, but I don't even know how to follow it-that's how much of a newbie I am.
In desperation, I have installed a new version of SuSe (10), in the hope that that would be a magical fix it, but of course, it has made no difference, as the problems is the same.
What I have done, is take out the extra network card, and am running just the onboard LAN. This seems to be seen by Linux just fine and was automatically configured and to the newbie-eye, think it's ok.
On a more positive note, however, I watched the installation process carefully this time round, and Linux does not even see my ADSL at all! No wonder it won't connect.

So now the question, I guess has changed a little, in that, how do I get it to see my ADSL connection?
Just to let you know (in my inexperienced way) what I have set up here:
-I have a ovislink router with 4 wired network ports. I have up to 2 windows machines running via the router, with no problems.
-wireless windows machine also connects no problem.
-if i connect a windows machine to the network cable that i am wanting to use for the linux machine, it connects without problem.
So I gather i have set up my network incorrectly???!!!????

The confusing part is that some of the things I have read in Suse manuals, say that I should NOT use the DHCP options, but other sources seem to suggest I should. So I really don't know anymore.

Any suggestions, and please, be as specific as possible- I really am clueless, so when you tell me, for example, check a module, I don't even know how to do that.

Sorry- please be patient with me.

Thanks so much.
simone

It appears you have setup the windows part ok, but the linux box needs to be setup to see the network.
I suggest you setup a hosts file as per manual /etc/hosts. This way the PC's know each other. Give your
domain name the same name as the windows PC's. eg: workgroup, you will also have to give the linux box a name as well.

I have not setup a router, only proxies so my advice on the following could be wrong. It seems that you need to get a linux driver for your router. If there are not any you can sometimes use a windows one, but check if your router is supported in linux first. The only thing that needs a static IP address is the router. It should have an internal address like 192.168.1.1. This is the address you put in your browser setting under proxy. You will also need to open a port in the SuSE firewall on the linux box to support internet access. This is usually port 3128. Read the firewall script in /etc/sysconfig/ called SuSEfirewall. Also read /usr/share/doc/packages/ ..

A final note. Linux boxes and networks are harder to setup than windoze but are usually more secure.
SuSE start a firewall automatically, and believe me it works! The hardest part may be getting it to
allow access to the internet. Unlike Windoze useless crap that you then have to add another commercial software firewall to, even on a personal LAN, plus antivirus, plus antispyware, plus antitrojanware, plus antibrowserhackware.

I suggest you tackle one task at a time! and really bore down into it. All this should keep you occupied for a while..do it then check back here.

Cheers

Huge thank you for reply- and on Christmas! Hee hee.
I am realising rather abruptly that my lack of knowlege of the basics of Linux is getting in the way- and trying to set up my network connection without knowing anything else is asking for trouble. Bit like jumping into the sea, only to realise that I can't swim. So, even when someone refers to a path (know what that is now) like manual/etc/hosts, I didn't know where to start dealing with that. So anyhow, been reading "for beginners" type information most of today- reading like a mad-woman. Hopefully, I will be less stupid next time I post.

Regarding the router manufacturer, I called them last week, and they say that the router doesn't strictly need to be linux compatible, as it is strictly external hardware (not sure if I believe that, since he was a little uncertain himself), but a friend of mine has connected to my wireless with a mac. I'm not sure, but thought that if a Mac could hook up, I should be OK for linux compatibility.

Indeed, my router has a static IP, of 192.168.1.1

I disabled the firewall feature on Linux, thinking it might enable me to hook up, but no luck. I also disabled the firewall, for testing only, on my router. Again, no difference.

Anyway, thanks for your post. Will look into your advice. Going to spend this week trying to get familiar with the structure of linux and the port you mentioned.
Think I have been spoilt with the brainless spoonfeeding of windows. I can't stand not getting this right, and will persevere till it kills me.

:Pengy:

Disabling the firewall in SuSE will actually make things worse as it then defaults to closing ALL ports.
Set LAN card as internal and open port 3128 if that is what is open on your router http 3128 https 3128 or 443. No firewalls especially on high speed connections IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

In konsole type cd \
then /etc/usr/share/packages/..

Sorry I think that should be

/usr/share/doc/packages/.. for instructions on packages. Learning basic linux stuff is essential for setting up a network.

Cheers

Hi. Just a quick note to say that it is sorted :D :Pengy: :p
I am over the moon. Will make an entry here in next few days outlining how I sorted it, for others who may be looking for a solution to a problem similar to mine.

Thanks so very much again for your help!!! Good to know there are people out there to ask!

Simone

Ok, it's taken me a few days to get back, but a lot has happened, and all for the better, because it's been a whirlwind of learning.

I now understand my connection issues. Here is what the problem was:-
-when i installed SuSe 10, I followed the introductory advice and used gnome, which has default browser Firefox. I could not hook onto the web at all with it. I didn't think that trying any other browser would make a difference. But
-later I reinstalled SuSe 10, this time electing to install KDE desktop, which uses konqueror browser. Suddenly I was online. It took a day or two to realise that when I tried to use Firefox, I could not browse with it (konqueror still able to though)
- I searched the forums again, and found advice from "craigevil" about how to turn off IPv6. Dead easy advice to follow, and now all my browsers work just fine.
-I am a happy camper now.

So I guess if anyone has the same problem, thing to do is just skip all the rest, and check out the IPv6 advice, because that should get the browsers working.

Thanks to all for your help, and now that I am up and running (have now dual booted too), guess I'm just a sitting duck for the next challenge. Bring it on baby!

Glad you are up and running, bit surprised about IPv6. Tested earlier version of SuSE10 (alpha version) but would have had to do work to get to where I was at with SuSE9.3 so postponed it for a while. I'm sure SuSE9.3 disables IPv6 when booting.