New System, W2K issues:

[Lex]

First, I am an experienced W2K user. But this Abit Raid board, Quantum drive, 512 meg ram, Asus 8200 Ge-force 3 system seems to have problems learning who's boss here. 3 installs, 2 with fresh formats, tried raid 1 fresh install with format, now trying striped or raid zero after fresh install and formatting the 2 40 gig quantum drives as one big drive. But read on:

1. When I go to restart the computer, (shut down but restart option) after windows has been running, it just sits there idling after shutting down to the point he should reboot, monitor is on standby, and it won't restart (boot) until I hard power it off, and back on. However, he will Auto-off when I shut it down properly.

2. Network connectivity: Initially, after lan card installed (tried 2 different cards, an Intel and another, as well as 2 cables, and multiple ports on the hub), he may see the cable modem, (fixed IP), and it's even capable of initiating the login. This process does require 2 way communication. But then, before he gets to the point he says connected, the lan connection dies, and it sees nothing else, and receives nothing else. However, the other computer on the hub does see it, and the modem is connected just fine. It seems that rebooting is the only sequence that makes it so that you can see the cable modem again, but again, it won't ever actually access content. He just freezes up on the receiving end of the protocol (TCP/IP)

I have not done an upgrade of W2K, applying patches. Honestly, I need the net connection before I can gain access to do that. However, I did confirm network card settings and paralleled my main computer which works like a champ.

W2K install appears successful, running in stripe mode (after first trying raid 1) The above problems held through 3 installations. Very perplexing. I am wondering about Mboard issues at this point, honest.

Of course, I can put a modem in and back up to a 56K connection if need be for loading W2K updates.

Lex

[SiliGoose]

Lex,

What brand of LAN card are you using? I seem to remember a specific brand that doesn't get along well with the KG7. Do you have another ethernet card laying around to try?

The restart problem is odd. Double-check your restart header is properly attached (though I'm not sure if this would have any effect in a software reboot).

Finally, I recommend you post your problems at this forum: http://www.amdmb.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=7
There are some serious KG7 experts there.

Then use this specific thread to tweak your KG7 bios to reach its full potential (quite fast): http://www.amdmb.com/vb/showthread.p...threadid=58982




-Sili

[Bing Fung]

Hey Lex, I don't lnow alot about LAN issues, sorry.

The power issue though, check your BIOS power settings and make sure the power assignments are correct, IE. Power interupt set to Reset, instead of Power off..etc.

Sill has some good links, and I think Kevin may be on to something. Are you using a hub?




Bing

[Bing Fung]

Lex, did you try the net card out of the Iwill in the Abit, to rule out a faulty card?

Also did you try logging on with only the Abit?

What do you mean when you say you set you PC to 1 on the network ID? Is that like 192.168.100.1?

Can you explain the setup and connection to me?

I assume the Iwill is the server with the cable modem pugged in to it's network card. From there you have another network card in the Iwill that is serving the Abit, which has it's own network card.

Maybe a bios update will solve the problem as it certainly seems hardware related.




Bing

[Lex]

Ok, my first PC uses a Netgear NIC, I use a Netgear hub. I first tried an Intel NIC in the new PC, next, tried an identical Netgear NIC in the new PC with the Abit, same results.

Modem is connected with CAT-5 to the hub, PC1, addresses the cable modem through the hub just fine. The "1" I mentioned, was what made addressing the cable modem work. I don't have what it's called handy here. It's the first setting you come up to in the NIC Properties. Then there are two others, packet size, and NIC type and speed. (10T, 100T, Auto-sense) Both are set to autosence, and a packet size of 40. DHCP is enabled, and the IP is set to be dynamically allocated. I really don't know what else there is, I compared the settings of both and made them the same. I also tried connecting with just the new PC to the modem, without the second PC on. Same results. Starts to address the modem, can start the log on process, but just as the cable modem connects, the NIC ability to receive goes dead. No more received packets, but it continues to send. Go figure.

Lex

[Bing Fung]

Well if you tried connecting to the internet with just the Abit connected, it sounds like a hardware issue with the card in the ABIT. You may have to download a bios update with the Iwill onto a 3.5 floppy, and then upgrade the ABIt's bios to see if it fixes that.

Strange indeed.

Have you tried having the Abit connected directly to the modem and manually setting up your TCP/IP adress settings? I sometime have to do this manually to get setup.




Bing

[Bing Fung]

Lex, I came acroos this titbit at Hard OCP

I am still using this board in my personal box here at the casa. The ABIT KG7-RAID gets the once-over at ClubOC. Just remember, do NOT use a Netgear FA311 or FA312 NIC in your AMD 760 chipset board or you will have reboot problems.

They don't explain why however...




Bing

[SiliGoose]

Interesting.

Great find, Bing.




-Sili

[Lex]

Ok, some progress folks. Good find on the FA311 Bing. That is my net card, well, one of them. Fortunately, I also have an Intel. I popped the Intel back in, and successfully got communication established between the 2 PCs AND now my PC will reboot correctly when I shut down/reconnect.

This internet sharing situation is proving quite vexing though. In fact, something I did screwed up my cable modem so it wouldn't even connect at one point. Finally, I after turning it off and on, I looked on the connection screen for a restart button, not the re-init. After deleting my Microsoft network and printer sharing protocals/clients, and resetting that, I was able to get back online with my main PC. Now, I am going to backtrack and try and get the file sharing working again, without loosing connectivity. Not sure it can be done, but gonna try.


This brings up another quesiton. I bought a Linksys router. But does my cable modem have to have 2 inputs to use a router? One person told me it has to have 2 connections. If I connect the cable modem to the WAN. does it have to have a LAN connection going back? If so, I can't use the router.

Lex

[Andrew Pratt]

doug I posted a link to practicallynetworked in the TTP which has some amazing tutorials on this sort of stuff but in general no all you need to share the web is your cable or DSL modem plugged into the WAN port on the router. Connect any PC to the LAN ports on the router and set them to DHCP. This will let the router assign IP addresses as required. Its really that simple LOL

[Lex]

Well, Andrew, with a hybrid cable modem that uses 56K for outgoing, and cable for incoming, I am not convinced it's quite that simple. My cable modem itself acts as a DHCP server, from what I have read. Now, I suppose that means it can dynamically assign different IPs to each PC connected to the Lan via the Wan on the router. But the router itself cannot act as a DHCP server as well, in this situation, as there can only be one DHCP server on a network according to what I read.

Consequently, when I disable DHCP on the router, a strange thing happens. Apparently, the router is sending invalid requests to the cable modem or some such. Yes, I can address the modem through the Wan port, and activate the connection. But when it get's right to the end of the connection a strange thing happens, in the the web page starts searching for the cable modem IP, which is fixed. At that point, your hosed, no connection allowed.

One thing I have determined, (since I am now actually talking to you from my new PC) is this:

The Cable modem depends upon the PC that is initiating the connection having a specific computer name. If the name doesn't match, then no connection. I suppose that's a security measure of some sort on the cable modem. In fact, I remembered, that this strange name cw30144..-a where .. is a couple of other characters was a computer name specified by my cable company.

What I did, was rename my new PC to this, and first let it try to log onto the network with the same name as the other PC. Whala! An error! A beautiful error! Told me that by God this network was recognizing this PC after all. Even though I am having a helluva time getting sharing setup again from actually working earlier today. Of course, I have done a complete system re-install since then, just to reset everything, I Was so frustrated.

OF course, I had to disable the lan connection on my main PC so the duplicate name didn't stop me from addressing the cable modem. Sure enough, this time, it didn't stop short of a connection, it went on through.

Of course, this is not using the WAN on the router, this is just using the router as a standard hub. I am going to look at that router log in page once more to see if there's a place to put a computer name in. IF there is, then I may have a hope. If not, then I am not going to be able to use a router with this cable modem.

That's about as good as this network technically inept person can do.

Lex

[Bing Fung]

Wow Lex, how can baking a cake be so complicated? Call your ISP and ask if your service supports the Linksys router.

Did you replace the Net cards that are non compatabile with the KG7?




Bing

[Andrew Pratt]

wow thats complex for such a simply task You sure that DSL isn't available yet I'd call the techs and see what they have to say with the modem assinging IP's I wonder if you can't just tell the router's wan port what that IP address and plug in a name etc then have the router assign the IPs for the PC that are connecting to it. On my router I can set my WAN up as if my ISP manually assigned my IP address...I don't see what the difference between an ISP IP and a cable modems IP address would be other then that specific name crap.

[Lex]

Yeah Bing, I am using an Intel NIC now, not the Netgear FA-311. My first system uses the 311, no problem, so I have one left for my daughter's system, provided it doesn't hurl on the idea, lol.

I did call and talk to Darrel today, the ISP guy that helped set me up initially, a very nice guy, and the head tech guy of the network department.

It turns out I was so close on the internet sharing. All I had to do was disconnect the router after the cable modem connected, to prevent the modem login page from starting to search for itself, or some such. Anyway, just flip the router off, let it finish with a network error, reconnect it and boom, connection made. Yes, a royal pain, but for high speed sharing, I guess I will tollerate this. Mabye eventually, as I understand the IPs better, I can prevent this. But Darrel's suggestion worked like a charm.

Mats gave an assist letting me know I needed another protocol, that net-beau or whatever it is. When I did that, I had my file sharing and drive mapping licked!

So, maybe the Abit is going to be good after all, now that things are clicking. It sure is fast, I know that!

Lex

[Andrew Pratt]

interesting that you have to use net Buei ...I thought that was out dated now with TCP/IP becoming the standard?

[Lex]

Well, I don't have to unplug my router now. She's working perfectly now, I can log in from either PC, and just press connect. That sure is nice.

I had a real painstaking adventure installing my film reader drivers for my Lexar USB film reader, and an even worse time with my HP Photosmart 1200 printer. It was a total PIA. But now, I got it done, and even one step further than the prior install on my other machine, in that I have the HP print software working, not just the driver.

Bottom line, this PC is leveling out real nicely now. I can't think of an open issue at this point. Might have to try and port a DVD image to the theater soon for grins.

As to the protocols, I don't question what works. I wrestled with this thing for a LONG time before adding those protocols.

Lex

[Lex]

Well, there is one issue, and I am not sure what this could be. When I release a print job to my printer, it's very very slow to process. First, it takes it 20-30 seconds to activate, and then there seems to be buffering slowdowns while printing. Any ideas on this one???

Lex