Suddenly can't connect to the 'net

FTIO · 02-27-2020, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baumei

Hi FTIO, I would have checked for cable or configuration issues before ordering a network card. Especially since you wrote the light did come on:

Which lights did you mean should be blinking when starting the Win7 laptop...the router lights or the two little lights where the network cable plugs into the laptop? I do need to check the router, even though I think it's okay, but will do so anyway once you let me know what lights to watch. So far, the Win7 laptop can see the router, but can't 'connect' to it and I have to run the cable straight from the laptop to the modem. I do have my downloaded DD-WRT flashed onto the router, so maybe that's the reason (it's a Linksys-1900 ACS Version 1)? I also do not know how to get the ip address on the windows system.

On the desktop system with either Slackware version, the lights would come on and one side would blink some here and there at the plug-in to the MOBO when it was going to the router or the modem...didn't matter. Eventually though the one little light would stop blinking and the other would just remain 'lit' with nothing happening except when I'd try to 'connect' the system to the router/modem.

FTIO · 02-27-2020, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garpu

Yeah, I'd swap cables, just for giggles. I've never had a NIC fail, but it's possible, too. Power surge overnight? (That might affect something else, first, like video card, but you never know.)

ETA: or plug in the Windows 7 laptop with the linux desktop's cable. If that works, then it's likely the NIC.

Yep, I only have the two cables, so they're used for the desktop or the laptop. I also have a UPS for anything to do with the computer, so I have the modem, router, desktop and when I need/want to use it the laptop always plugged into it, so no surge problems...I hope, heh.

baumei · 02-28-2020, 09:30 AM

Hi FTIO, during bootup Linux and Windows computers go through rather many phases. One of the phases is where these computers set the IP address which is to be used, and these days most computers are configured to get their IP addresses by 'asking' some other device which is on the local network for an IP address to be assigned --> this 'asking' causes the little lights to blink during the bootup process, such as you describe here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTIO

On the desktop system with either Slackware version, the lights would come on and one side would blink some here and there at the plug-in to the MOBO when it was going to the router or the modem...didn't matter. Eventually though the one little light would stop blinking and the other would just remain 'lit' with nothing happening except when I'd try to 'connect' the system to the router/modem.

The above description is the behavior I would expect to see if the hardware inside your Linux computer is functioning properly.

You asked:

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTIO

Which lights did you mean should be blinking when starting the Win7 laptop...the router lights or the two little lights where the network cable plugs into the laptop?

Both... For your Win7 laptop I would expect its two lights to do something similar to the description you gave for the Linux computer. For your router, I do not know if it has 'network activity lights', and if it does have such, I do not know whether these are adjacent to the ethernet ports or on the other side of the device (and probably marked 1, 2, 3, &c.) --- however, if your router has 'network activity lights', then while a computer is in the bootup phase where it asks the router for an IP address I would expect the router's light (or lights) to at least come on, and probably to do some blinking.

Also: (a) for the router and the computer --> I would expect for the light blinking to be the same, no matter which ethernet cable is used; and (b) for the router and the laptop --> I would expect for the light blinking to be the same, no matter which ethernet cable is used. For the blinking during (a) and during (b) I would expect some minor differences, because Linux and Win7 do things somewhat differently.

baumei · 02-28-2020, 10:50 AM

Hi FTIO, it concerns me that you say, "So far, the Win7 laptop can see the router, but can't 'connect' to it and I have to run the cable straight from the laptop to the modem." Was this the case before you installed DD-WRT on the router? Ordinarily, I would expect both Win7 and Linux to be able to connect to the router; so, it appears something strange is going on with some or all of the devices.

On the router: after you installed DD-WRT, did set a good password for the 'admin' user?

On the Linux computer: when you do ANYTHING with a web-browser are you ALWAYS logged in as an ordinary user? (For example, "root" is NOT an ordinary user.)

In any case, I think it would be at least somewhat useful to connect the laptop, the computer, and the router together with your two Ethernet cables. Then, turn on the router, and then turn on the laptop and computer. (Yes, the router is not connected to the modem or the Internet.)

In Slackware, do you know how to get to a command prompt? If so, then run:

Code:

/sbin/ifconfig

In Win7, do you know how to get to a command prompt? If so, then run:

Code:

ipconfig

Please post the output of these two commands.

FTIO · 02-28-2020, 07:37 PM

Okay, here's what I got when doing the router thing you suggested:

Slackware:
(jpg picture of what I got as 'user')

Win 7:

Code:

C:\Users\mork>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.{1779CD00-FA8F-4C32-BE14-1A5B79599EB4}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{3B99E1A8-713F-4743-83C3-9990659F20A7}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 14:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{FD51D84B-BC76-419A-B032-E94C1AEF652B}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter Reusable ISATAP Interface {8B286A56-24C4-4571-8CD4-0CF9FDCD595E}:


   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter 6TO4 Adapter:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{60B05153-EE47-48A7-A40F-CB6793823EE6}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

baumei · 02-28-2020, 08:20 PM

Hi FTIO, from the information you have provided, it *appears* that today your Win7 laptop has connected to the router, and that the network 'card' in your computer has functioned at least well enough to get an IP address from the router.

If you are willing, then let us see whether the apparent connections are functional.

Based the information provided, the near-side IP address of your router is "192.168.1.1".

Has your Linux computer and router been running and connected the whole time since you took the picture? If so, then in a command prompt, please run:

Code:

ping -c4 192.168.1.1

If the above test is successful, then you will get four lines similar to "64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.468 ms"; otherwise, you will get four lines describing some sort of failure. Please let me know what the response is.

I am guessing you disconnected the Win7 laptop from the router in order to post your reply to my questions. If so, then please connect the laptop back to the router, and rerun the "ipconfig" command to verify it got an IP address (probably "192.168.1.100"). If so, then in a command prompt on the laptop, please run:

Code:

ping 192.168.1.1

and let me know the response.

michaelk · 02-28-2020, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Since you can plug the Windows 7 computer into the MODEM and the internet works it appears to be configured for DHCP and I assume the address posted is not static. The posted ifconfig command from the linux PC does show an IP address which is similar to the Windows 7 PC but we can not say for certain that it is using DHCP except for the fact that it is using consecutive IP address which is indicative of a router's using an older version of DHCP server software. There is also some TX/RX packet numbers which means it receiving something.

What is the make/model of your router. What happens if you put the router's address i.e. 192.168.1.1 in the web browser's address box. If a web page pop up and probably aalso see a login window you pretty much conclude the router's has failed. Although I don't understand why the linux PCs will not connect directly to the MODEM unless the power was not cycled.

FTIO · 02-29-2020, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baumei

Hi FTIO, from the information you have provided, it *appears* that today your Win7 laptop has connected to the router, and that the network 'card' in your computer has functioned at least well enough to get an IP address from the router.

If you are willing, then let us see whether the apparent connections are functional.

Based the information provided, the near-side IP address of your router is "192.168.1.1".

Has your Linux computer and router been running and connected the whole time since you took the picture? If so, then in a command prompt, please run:

Code:

ping -c4 192.168.1.1

If the above test is successful, then you will get four lines similar to "64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.468 ms"; otherwise, you will get four lines describing some sort of failure. Please let me know what the response is.

I am guessing you disconnected the Win7 laptop from the router in order to post your reply to my questions. If so, then please connect the laptop back to the router, and rerun the "ipconfig" command to verify it got an IP address (probably "192.168.1.100"). If so, then in a command prompt on the laptop, please run:

Code:

ping 192.168.1.1

and let me know the response.

I'm sorry, I'm a little confused, again...the ping c4 thing you want me to do with the linux box plugged to the router but not the modem, correct? If so, no, I've not had it on this whole time, unfortunately. I did get the new network card and it too is not allowing me to connect to the internet.

I did see something that I somehow missed though, two small popup windows when I'm connecting the linux box to the modem only (skipping the router)...the thing where it keeps trying and these two boxes keep popping up...

One box says 'DHCP failed to start', the other says 'Connection deactivated'.

I also was wrong about the blinking lights...with the MOBO connection *and* the new network card connection, only the 'link' light blinks and only every so often. The 'act' light is not even on.

I'll do the Win7 box now. Turning it off and only connected to the router.

FTIO · 02-29-2020, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

Since you can plug the Windows 7 computer into the MODEM and the internet works it appears to be configured for DHCP and I assume the address posted is not static. The posted ifconfig command from the linux PC does show an IP address which is similar to the Windows 7 PC but we can not say for certain that it is using DHCP except for the fact that it is using consecutive IP address which is indicative of a router's using an older version of DHCP server software. There is also some TX/RX packet numbers which means it receiving something.

What is the make/model of your router. What happens if you put the router's address i.e. 192.168.1.1 in the web browser's address box. If a web page pop up and probably aalso see a login window you pretty much conclude the router's has failed. Although I don't understand why the linux PCs will not connect directly to the MODEM unless the power was not cycled.

It's a Linksys WRT 1900 ACS (version 1), but not with the original 'WRT' in it. I flash it regularly (maybe two or three times per year with an updated WRT I get from the WRT website. It's been working fine this way for years, never a problem or even a hiccup).

No webpage will come up when trying to get to the routers configuration site.

As for the linux box not connecting to the 'net when directly connected to the modem...I recycled and it still made no difference.

baumei · 02-29-2020, 09:39 PM

Hi FTIO, yes, I have in mind that the router is not connected to modem during the test.

For the initial testing it is not necessary that the Win7 laptop and Linux computer are both plugged into the router at the same time, and it does not hurt anything that you turned some or all the devices off.

So for the first test, please turn off the router and Linux computer, and take out the new Ethernet card. Then, turn on the router. Then, turn on the Linux computer, and in a command prompt run:

Code:

ifconfig

In the output, look for the block which is tagged "eth1", and in the second line of this block see that it begins with "inet 192.168.1.100" or "inet 192.168.1.101" or similar. If things are not clear to you, then please report the output; otherwise, if things are as expected, then in a command prompt run:

Code:

ping -c4 192.168.1.1

Then, please report to me the output.

I suspect the error messages you have been seeing are related to the problem, but lets do the above test first. :-)

The light blinking you describe is what I would expect for an Ethernet port which has a configuration problem. So far, it appears the hardware is functional, but we will know more after the above test.

If you have already run the ping test with the Win7 laptop and router, then please report the results.

FTIO · 03-01-2020, 06:41 AM

Hi baumei,

Thanks a million for sticking with me and this problem. I'm only two days away from having to get the last of my stuff to the new place and feeling desperate and scared/worried sick, as things just seem to keep piling on.

Anyway, here's the results from the linux and windows 'ping' tests you wanted:

Linux test:

Code:

me@me:~$ su -

root@bluh:~# ifconfig
eth1: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.1.101  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.1.255
        inet6 fe80::e800:c7ff:fef8:661e  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether ea:00:c7:f8:66:1e  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 8  bytes 1056 (1.0 KiB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 11  bytes 1448 (1.4 KiB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING>  mtu 65536
        inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0
        inet6 ::1  prefixlen 128  scopeid 0x10<host>
        loop  txqueuelen 1  (Local Loopback)
        RX packets 4  bytes 200 (200.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 4  bytes 200 (200.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

root@bluh:~# ping -c4 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.422 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.184 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.173 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.174 ms

--- 192.168.1.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3000ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.173/0.238/0.422/0.106 ms
root@bluh:~#

win 7:

Code:

C:\Users\mork>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::a571:9ea0:ad9a:5ad7%12
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.{1779CD00-FA8F-4C32-BE14-1A5B79599EB4}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{60B05153-EE47-48A7-A40F-CB6793823EE6}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 14:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{FD51D84B-BC76-419A-B032-E94C1AEF652B}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter Reusable ISATAP Interface {8B286A56-24C4-4571-8CD4-0CF9FDCD595E}:


   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{3B99E1A8-713F-4743-83C3-9990659F20A7}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :


C:\Users\mork>ping -n 4 192.168.1.1

Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
General failure.
General failure.
General failure.
General failure.

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Users\mork>

I hope I did the correct way to do the 'ping' on the windows.

michaelk · 03-01-2020, 07:07 AM

Windows uses / instead of - for options and it defaults to four anyway so just
ping 192.168.1.1

I would expect you should be able to connect to the routers web configuration page from that linux PC.

baumei · 03-01-2020, 09:13 AM

Hi FTIO, on the Linux computer the ping test succeeded. This tells us that a great many things in the router and the Linux computer are functional, some of which are: the computer's network 'card', the router's near-side network 'card', the Ethernet cable which was used, the Linux computer's network stack, the router's operating system, and the router's network stack.

On the Win7 laptop the ping test you ran was not quite the one I had in mind. I had intended

Code:

ping 192.168.1.1

Please run the above command, and give me the result. In any case, the results from the ping test you did run make me wonder whether your Win7 laptop is running some firewall software. In my experience, the default configuration of the MicroSoft firewall is to block ping packets, and this may be why the ping test did not succeed. Is this laptop running some firewall software? If so, is it one piece of firewall software, or more than one? If more than one, then how many?

For the Linux computer and router, have they been connected and running since the ping test? If not, then please connect them as before, and start them up in the order specified before, and run again the ping test, and see that the ping test succeeds. When there has been a successful ping test between the Linux computer and the router, then as an ordinary user bring up a non-fancy web-browser (I suggest Konqueror). When you have a non-fancy web-browser running (What have you chosen?), then have it connect to: http://192.168.1.1/ Afterward, please tell me the result.

_peter · 03-01-2020, 09:47 AM

could you also share ?

Code:

more /etc/resolv.conf

Code:

head -2 /var/lib/slackpkg/ChangeLog.txt

and a screenshot of the network-manager setup form from your problematic Slackware 14.2 32 bits machine.

not working straight connected to the modem with a newly purchased network card does not make sense to me.

FTIO · 03-01-2020, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

Windows uses / instead of - for options and it defaults to four anyway so just
ping 192.168.1.1

I would expect you should be able to connect to the routers web configuration page from that linux PC.

Ah, okay.

Yes, I was able to get to the webpage on the Linux system.