networking problems between 98, XP, and Linux

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February 18th, 2003, 12:15 PM
HatfulOfHollow

networking problems between 98, XP, and Linux

I am running a home network and I have just hit a bit of a bug that I need to have fixed. I just can't figure this out and I've stumped everyone I've asked.

My network configuration consist of 3 computers:
'bronson' a Redhat Linux 7.2 Router/Firewall
'hat' a Windows XP workstation
'frink' a Windows 98 workstation.

hat and frink are connected to a switch
the switch is connected to bronson
bronson is connected to my dsl modem

The problem is that frink can connect to anything outside of the LAN but it can't hit anything inside. Likewise nothing inside can hit frink. Not even the router.

If I 'arp -a' from hat I get an entry for bronson and frink but I still can't ping frink.

If I 'arp -a' from frink I get no entries.

If I run tcpdump on bronson I see packets coming in off the internet and going out from frink but that's it.

There is absolutely no communication between frink and any of the other PCs on the network (including the router) but for some reason frink can still reach the interweb.
February 18th, 2003, 12:19 PM
TeeDub

Does "frink" have any firewall of its own? (Zonealarm, BlackIce....)
February 18th, 2003, 12:24 PM
HatfulOfHollow

Quote:

Originally posted by TeeDub
Does "frink" have any firewall of its own? (Zonealarm, BlackIce....)

No it doesn't. I should have mentioned that because that's what I thought the original problem was.
February 18th, 2003, 01:28 PM
TeeDub

Obviously "frink" can ping the router. (Otherwise it would not get DHCP right?)

Try some "tracert"s (traceroute on the linux box). Might also want to try flushing the arp cache. (It should repopulate on its own.)

Is the linux box handing out DHCP properly? Does the DNS server point back to the linux box? Can the XP box get to the internet?
February 18th, 2003, 01:43 PM
HatfulOfHollow

Quote:

Originally posted by TeeDub
Obviously "frink" can ping the router. (Otherwise it would not get DHCP right?)

Try some "tracert"s (traceroute on the linux box). Might also want to try flushing the arp cache. (It should repopulate on its own.)

Is the linux box handing out DHCP properly? Does the DNS server point back to the linux box? Can the XP box get to the internet?

frink not being able to ping the router was precisely the problem. the network wasn't DHCP so it didn't matter. It was just weird. The router knew what to do with the packets it was recieving but didn't know where they were coming from. In any case I tracked down the problem (faulty windows TCP/IP drivers) and fixed it.

Thanks.