I'm trying to set up a home ethernet network between my linux box which is running slackware 10 and my laptop which runs windows xp home edition. Eventually I hope to use my linux box as a router. I'm following the linux network administrator's guide 2nd edition by the letter, even using the same ip adresses but with different names. But i can ping the windows machine from linux even if the two aren't connected by ethernet! How do i know the network is working if i can't ping correctly? Here's my /etc/hosts file:

#for loopbacking.

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.16.1.1 lucy.example.org lucy
127.16.1.2 lenny.example.org lenny

#end of hosts

and my /etc/networks file

loopback 127.0.0.0
git-net 172.16.1.0

here's the output from ifconfig eth0:

Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:33:E3:FD5
inet addr 127.16.1.1 Bcast:172.16.1.255 Mask: 255.255.255.0

Thanks for helping a poor newbie! I'm looking forward to the day when I can answer other people's questions.

oh and the output from route:

Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
127.16.1.0 * 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0
loopback * 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo

are you sure the address(es) 127.16.x.x are not a typo. I think they should be 172.16.x.x.
that is 172.16.1.1 for lucy and 172.16.1.2 for lenny

the entire 127 ip is used as a loopback. So, if it is not a typo and are pinging 127.16.1.1 or 1.2 from your linux box, you will certainly get a reply - the reply comes from your own linux box.

This point is further prooved here
git-net (im assuming thats your network given the ip)
is pointing to 172.16.1.x - each computer should have an ip following this ip scheme

Doh! Thanks for your quick responses. I now have my network set up and got linux working as a router after buying another nic. Thanks!