strange ping problem ( lan / router / wan )

**Harry Kuhman** · 02-26-2005, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by CapNemo

translated to somewhat like:
--- snip ---
Sending DHCP Broadcast from nic etc0etc0: link uo
Operation failed.
Failed.
Enter to finish.
--- snip ---

cannot try on other machines atm, they're in use or wireless, going to try later on.

Ok, thanks for the translation, I was heading for the babblefish as I saw that you had included it. I'm really stumped on this, it makes absolutely no sense since you can ping other systems, even ones that you are reaching through the router (like the wireless ones).

It seems we have 2 problems here, you can't ping the SMC router, but only from the Knoppix box. And you can't get to the Internet through the router although you can get to other local machines going through the router.

OK, here's yet another strange experiiment to try:
Ping 66.220.1.171 from Knoppix.
That's the IP address of www.knoppix.net. If you can ping it but not www.knoppix.net then we have some sort of name resolution issue (along with the router ping problem). If you can't ping it then name resolution isn't the problem but it's even more of a mystery why you can ping local addresses but not the router or Internet addresses.

If the ping works (and maybe even if it doesn't) try putting the IP address 66.220.1.171 into the Konqurer address line and see if you can get to Knoppix.net that way (I just did it in Knoppix and it works for me).

I'm still hoping you can learn something from ethereal, as I'm quickly running out of ideas. Since you have not been able to run Knoppix on the other systems, have you ever or are you able now to run Windows or anything else non-linux that you could try to ping the router with on the "failing system"?

And you might tell us what the exact model and even firmware revision of the SMC router is. I'm currently on a Dlink router, but have an SMC wireless router here that has worked fine with Knoppix; if they are the same model I might even hook up the SMC again. Tell us all you can about the Knoppix computer too. CPU, memory, make of NIC, and plenty of other things that shouldn't be important. There is something that we are missing and too much information is far better than missing the key fact. For that matter, what's the make and model of that switch?

Please post back any progress (or even lack of same) as I really want to follow this and understand what you are seeing.

Harry

No more fast responses for me, I'm going to dinner.

**CapNemo** · 02-27-2005, 10:07 AM

hey's again ;)

i tried knoppix on another machine (same switch) and netcardconfig worked without problems.
the other box was able to ping the router and could connect to the wan too.
ping was working for internal and external ip addresses, resolving of hostnames was working, and www was working too.

using ethereal on the "original" box, displayed not that much useful information, besides that it looks like the "arp who-has 192.168.2.1 tell 192.168.2.111" fails (no response to the request)
i tried to add the routers lan mac address manually using arp -s but that didn't change a thing.
i can ping other boxes, other boxes can ping the linux machine, i cannot ping the router, or wan ip addresses.

could it be some "driver" issue?
the box has only a cheap nic installed, but it works fine when booting windoze...

/me scratches head some more ;)

and thanks ;)
Nemo

**CapNemo** · 02-27-2005, 10:17 AM

the "stats" about my hardware are:

- router:
-- SMC2804WBR V.2
-- Runtime Code Version: V1.00.001
-- Boot Code Version: V0.00.06

- "linux" box:
-- pentium3 866 mhz
-- 384 mb rambus
-- cheap nic, "NationalSemiconductor"(?)

- "working" box:
-- pentium4 3.2ghz
-- 1024 mb ram
-- asus p4p800-e deluxe mainboard
-- nic on board

dunno if that information is of any use, except for the nic maybe...

\\//,
Nemo

**CapNemo** · 02-27-2005, 01:03 PM

missed some information in the post before...

cant remember the brand of the switch, it's a kinda "standard" one, 4 ports + 1 uplink.
all other boxes using that switch (2 pc's and a "multimedia device") are working just fine.

both, the "working" and the "linux" box are using fasttrack raid controllers, onboard for "working", as pci card for "linux".

would any more information be useful?

Nemo

**Harry Kuhman** · 02-27-2005, 05:19 PM

Have you tried to ping the www.knoppix.net IP address that I gave you? What were the results?

I may have some insight, if this is it you're not going to like yourself. I hope that you at least are willing to post back and not leave me wondering. SMC routers have a feature that lets you build a list of MAC addresses that the router will respond to. Have you populated that table with the MAC addresses of the other systems, turned the feature on, and then forgotten about it? I think that it might do exactly as you have describe if that was the case.

**CapNemo** · 02-28-2005, 12:24 AM

hey's again ;)

i tried to ping both the hostname and the ip address, it didn't get thru.
and yes, i've got mac access control enabled, but the mac address displayed by ifconfig matches the one entered in the router.
if i'm booting windoze on the same box without the knoppix cd the network connection works fine.

if i'm using the knoppix cd on another box (same switch) it's working too.
even booted without cheatcodes, killed pump, ran netcardconfig et voila, there's the connection.
pining the knoppix.net hostname and ip address is working then too, and konqueror displays the page properly.

i guess i'll try changing the "linux box" nic, maybe that'll do the trick...

\\//,
Nemo

**Harry Kuhman** · 02-28-2005, 01:57 AM

Originally Posted by CapNemo

if i'm booting windoze on the same box without the knoppix cd the network connection works fine.
if i'm using the knoppix cd on another box (same switch) it's working too.
even booted without cheatcodes, killed pump, ran netcardconfig et voila, there's the connection.
pining the knoppix.net hostname and ip address is working then too, and konqueror displays the page properly.
i guess i'll try changing the "linux box" nic, maybe that'll do the trick...

Wow , I did not expect this response. I really thought it was going to be the nic table in the SMC.

So so far we know Knoppix works fine into your router (and switch) when on another PC. And Windows on that PC can connect. I do know of a problem where Windows can use a NIC but Knoppix can not use it (any longer). That problem is talked about in these two threads (amoung others): http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...er=asc&start=0
and http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...er=asc&start=0 . But this can not be your problem, since you are able to ping other local systems and they can ping your Knoppix box, even running the pings through the router. The above problem completely stops the NIC from working (kills speed and duplex negoiation). What a mystery!

If, as it sounds, you are using the SMC NIC table to control access, you might want to disable that feature in the router for a few minutes and see if the Knoppix box can ping the router and access the Internet then. This just sounds so much like it could be the NIC table, although the fact that Windows on the same box can use the router makes no sense with that theory. Still, it's a very easy test to do. You might want to look very closely at the packets with ethereal too, to be certain that the NIC is reporting the same MAC address on the wire when it is running Knoppix and Windows. Even look at a Windows ping packet and a Knoppix ping packet and see what is different between the two.

I can't argue against changing the NIC, although turning off access by MAC address is a simple to do first step (the NIC might well still be the fastest way to "fix" this though). I just hope we end up learning enough to figure out what the problem is. If the NEC swap does reesolve it for you, consider trying that NIC in a different computer and see if Knoppix still fails with it (either leave the old NIC in the table or enter it again when you do the later test). And don't forget to put the MAC of the new NIC in the table, or turn off access control by MAC address long enough to test the new NIC.

It also might come down to having to manually reset the SMC router and reconfigure it. But to be honest, I can't come up with any state that the SMC would get into that would allow it to work with Windwos but not with Knoppix, on this one computer only.

Please keep posting your progress.

**CapNemo** · 02-28-2005, 11:35 AM

hey's,

congrats on the 1000 ;)
as far as i can see till now, you're doing a great job and i really appreciate your suggestions and ideas :)

i'll disable the mac access control later on, and if that doesn't resolve it i'll even try other things like enabling dmz host etc, i'll keep you posted...

thanks a lot :)
Nemo