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View Full Version : Need Help Setting Up a Home Network


JasonChildress
July 7th, 2007, 01:03 AM
I setup a home network, or at least I set it up properly, and I'm trying to share my internet connection with all PC in my house. I don't want to have one PC host the internet connection over the network. I want the internet feed to come directly from my router.

Here's how it's setup:
I have CAT5e wire running from a network jack (wall plate) in every room in to a patch panel in my basement. I have tested each connection from the wall plates to the wires to the patch panel and can verify that all connections are installed properly and working. From the patch panel I have each room running into a 16 port switch (6 rooms total). Again, I tested and verified that all cables going into the switch are working (I can see the link and activity lights for each wire plugged into the switch). From my office, where I have my cable modem, I'm running the cable modem into a Linksys wireless router, and from the jacks in the back of the router, to the wall plate in that room. So the internet connection is running into the switch. Or at least I thought this is the way it should work. I verified this by going down to the patch panel and getting an internet connection from there.

Here's my problem:
Even though any computer that I plug into a wall plate in any room can get an IP address, which I'm told is because the PC is finding the router through the switch, I still can't get any of these computers onto the internet. I know I have my network settings on the computers setup properly becuase each computer can get online either by wireless or thru an ethernet cable attached directly to the router.

So my questions are:
Where is the connection going bad?
Is it the switch or the router that's ignoring the internet connection?
Do I even have the correct setup?
Is using a switch the correct thing to do?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jason

Archangel122184
July 7th, 2007, 01:27 PM
It looks like you have all the physical connection set up properly for your connection to work, but it is still possible that your wiring is bad. DHCP uses extremely short messages so even on weak connection is it possible to get an IP address.

Lets do a basic network test to see if this is the case:

start -> run -> "cmd" -> enter
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /nenew
ping -l 100 -n 50 [ip address for router]

Post up the results when you have finished.

JasonChildress
July 8th, 2007, 03:50 PM
I entered the information you requested. I got an error while trying to enter the last command, but I may have entered it incorrectly.

Here is the Renew command:
An error occured while renewing interface Local Area Connection: unable to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specifc DNS Suffix :
Autoconfiguration IP Address : 169.254.214.111
Subnet Mask : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway :


I entered the the last command two different ways and got the following error:

ping -| 100 -n 50 169.254.214.111
ping -| 100 -n 50 [169.254.214.111]
'100' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.


I'm no expert but it looks like my PC cannot find the router once the router goes into the switch. Is there a special setting I have to adjust on the router to allow it to go thru the switch? Or something I have to change on the switch. As far as I know there is no configuration options on the switch. The switch does not have a specific "input" plug, So I'm assuming that any plug will do. I read the manual for the switch and it said to connect two switches together (my router has a switch), to connect the input of switch 1 (router) into plug 8 of the sencon switch (real switch). That made no difference.

These are the pieces that I have setup:
Linksys Wireless Router (WRT54G):
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1149562300349&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=0034939789B01

Zonet 16 port Ethernet switch (ZFS3016B):
http://www.zonetusa.com/DispProduct.asp?ProductID=212

bobo
July 8th, 2007, 04:48 PM
try the letter l - looks like you put in some sort of slash after the ping command. I just tried it for my problem and it worked fine.