I need help networking my 2 computers

[bob58]

Hello...I thought I would post an update concerning my network woes.

After somethought, I am beginning to see what this is all about. I can enter the "/etc/init.d/ssh start" command on either the Desktop [server, 198.168.1.100] or Laptop [client, 198.168.1.102] but I can only connect to the computer I type the command on when I log in. For example on Desktop, after I type the ssh start command, I log in like this:

ssh -l Bob Home, or ssh -l 198.168.1.100 and it seems to connect OK.....I can also do the same thing on laptop:

ssh -l Bob Gateway, or ssh -l 198.168.1.102.

And after I type in the password I get this:

Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11 forwarding.

Then It welcomes me to Knoppix and I am at command line.
What does this error mean? I cannot seem to connect to laptop from desktop in same manner and vice versa!

Sorry for being so detailed but I thought this would help diagnose problem. In my /etc/hosts file, I added these 2 lines:

198.168.1.100 Home
198.168.1.102 Gateway

So thats about all I can give for details......I dont know why it still wont work. But if you need further details and if anyone has any more suggestions please post them.....

[Markus]

I'm getting out of ideas here, but there's still something wrong with the computers talking to each other. This sort of thing is what ping should return:
markus@fujibox:~$ ping -c 2 216.239.36.10
PING 216.239.36.10 (216.239.36.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 216.239.36.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=238 time=128 ms
64 bytes from 216.239.36.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=238 time=130 ms

--- 216.239.36.10 ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 received, 0% packet loss, time 1000ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 128.821/129.501/130.182/0.769 ms

I think you should have a look at your router and doublecheck the IP numbers. What kind of router was it?

[Harry Kuhman]

I think you should have a look at your router and doublecheck the IP numbers. What kind of router was it?

Actually, he's already ssaid that it's a Linksys router (model number and firmware revision not given). But yes, you have to be able to ping each other before you can hope to have anything like networking between them. Other tests to do: Can you ping the Linksys from each computer? Can you log into the router setup from each computer?

[Markus]

Actually, he's already ssaid that it's a Linksys router (model number and firmware revision not given).

My bad. If I want the model I should probably say so. But I was also fishing, ie if he'd post make&model someone with the same(ish) router might jump in and reveal the router setup if it needs tweaking.

[bob58]

Hello Gentlemen......My router is a Linksys BESFR41 ......Not sure how to ping the linksys from each computer.....as far as logging into router from each computer for setup...I think I did that when i set it up a while ago......I will have to get the instructions on router ....not sure how to tweak the router....as far as IP numbers.....If I do "ifconfig" i get numbers which i suppose are the IP address numbers: 198.168.1.100 but there is a web site called "My Ip.com" and this is the number i get from them: 66.212.218.230 so i am confused...which number set do i use? I get the same IP number, 66.212.218.230 on BOTH computers from that web site. But if I do an "ifconfig" I get 198.168.1.100 on desktop and 198.168.1.102 on laptop.....I will get out the manual for router tomorrow after work and read it and see if i can get in to setup area on it....i remember doing that once a while ago, over a year ago. Then I will post back here tomorrow evening...bob58

[Harry Kuhman]

......Not sure how to ping the linksys from each computer.....

The router should be at 192.168.1.1 (unless you have changed it). Ping that address, you should get a response on each computer when you do. If you can't ping the router then you will not be able to ping the other computers on the network; although I expect you will be able to if you can log in to the router from each one.

...which number set do i use? I get the same IP number, 66.212.218.230 on BOTH computers from that web site. But if I do an "ifconfig" I get 198.168.1.100 on desktop and 198.168.1.102 on laptop.....

In order to let multiple computers on the local network use the Internet, even though your ISP only assigns you one IP address, the router does something called NAT - Network Address Translation. The router gets the Internet IP address and keeps it. It gives your local computers private IP addresses from a private range (192.168.1.xxx). It sets itself up as the Internet gateway. When your computer(s) whan to access an IP address outside the local lan, they send that request to the router, which builds a packet with the assigned IP address and sends it on. It also remembers which computer originated the request, so when a reply is received it can forward it on to the right computer. As far as another computer on the Internet is concerned, any computer on your network would have the ISP assigned address (in this case 66.212.218.230) because that's the address in the packets it receives and that's the address it has to reply to. But as far as your local network is concerned, each computer has a unique 192.168.xxx.xxx address. Ping each other and the router by the 192.168.xxx.xxx addresses.

[bob58]

Hello Gentlemen, well I just could'nt wait....here is what I was able to find:

Router is Linksys BESFR41

I was able to get into the router setup program from [b]each computer[/b] by going to web browser and typing in address field: http://192.168.1.1/Passwd.htm

Then the setup screen came up and here is what I found under 'Status":

LAN mac address: 00-06-25-83-8B-91
IP Address: 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
DHCP server: Enabled

WAN mac address: 00-090-27-A3-99-99
IP Address: 66.212.218.230
subnet mask: 255.255.252.0
Default Gateway: 66.212.216.1
DNS: 66.212.192.40
66.212.192.41
I was able to 'PING' from desktop and laptop to the LAN and WAN IP adresses and this is what I got on each computer:

Bob@Gateway:~$ su
Password:
root@Gateway:/home/Bob# ping 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=9 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms


Bob@Gateway:~$ su
Password:
root@Gateway:/home/Bob# ping 66.212.218.230
PING 66.212.218.230 (66.212.218.230): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=0 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=1 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=2 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=3 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=4 ttl=150 time=0.7 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=5 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=6 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=7 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=8 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms
64 bytes from 66.212.218.230: icmp_seq=9 ttl=150 time=0.6 ms



Even tho the above shows I pinged from root@Gateway:/home/Bob, which is my laptop, I also did same thing from desktop and got same results. So I obviously was using the wrong IP numbers. Why do I get different ones?

LAN IP: 192.168.1.1, WAN IP: 66.212.218.230, IFCONFIG IP: 198.168.1.100 [on desktop] and IFCONFIG IP: 198.168.1.102 [on laptop] and on the internet, there are websites that give your IP and I got this one: 66.212.218.230 which is the WAN IP.

So what gives with all these numbers? I must have had the wrong ones plugged in so If anyone can sort 'em out and put 'em in the proper order.....I still am not sure of the individual IP's of the desktop and laptop.....So I dont know how to ping the laptop from desktop and vice versa......I hope all this can help...thank you for all your help so far.....bob

[bob58]

In Reply to Harry....I was reading your post and realized that I MUST have made an error copying down a number! When I did an IFCONFIG, i MISREAD the IP address on it. I thought it was 198.168.1.100 for desktop. It is 192, not 198!!! This must be the problem. So I will edit my /etc/hosts file and start over with ssh. Thats why I was getting blank lines/no response when i pinged 198.168.1.100!!!! It doesnt exist!!!!! I am sorry for all the confusion but my eyesight isnt the best! I will pay closer attention to the numbers.
OK so my next challenge is to figure out what to do once i start the ssh server.....bob58

[Harry Kuhman]

....I still am not sure of the individual IP's of the desktop and laptop.....So I dont know how to ping the laptop from desktop and vice versa......I hope all this can help...thank you for all your help so far.....bob

Pinging the router looks good. If you can also ping it from the other computer then your next step should be on the desktop (192.168.1.100) ping 192.168.1.102. The do the same in reverse, from the other computer ping 192.168.1.100.

If this works you have a network, the next problem is getting applications working.

If it doesn't work, I can only see 2 potential problems, either:

1) There is a firewall running on each computer blocking incoming pings (but letting outbound traffic pass fine). I don't believe this is the Knoppix default configuration. However, to be safe, if you are having this problem and you have installed Knoppix to the hard disk, try booting one of the computers from CD and ping that computer (ping from the other one) and see if you get a response back then.

2) If you can't ping a Knoppix system when booted from CD, but you can ping the router, then the only thing I can guess is that the router is very confused and is not routing traffic out to the right port. I actually just saw another user who had this problem; resetting his router resolved the issue (be sure to record and set-up information you need for the router before you do this).

[Harry Kuhman]

Thats why I was getting blank lines/no response when i pinged 198.168.1.100!!!! It doesnt exist!!!!! :

Glad you caught it. What's worse is that that address does exist, or at least the address range does, it's assigned to a person or organization in Quebec, Canada. So if that particular address was up you might have got a ping back from it! Surprised you didn't catch it when you were entering the 192 addresses to get to the router, but at least you know now.