eth0 config probs (dhcp nature)

[masticate]

hello
i have two linux boxes both running knoppix 3.6
one connects to the internet via a cable modem and remembers it's ip addresses after reboot no probs

my other box will not connect to the internet after a reboot unless i netcardconfig and tell it to do a dhcp boradcast. on eth0 interface.

this is very frustrating as i hope to use the new box for a server.

i have compaired the /etc/network files and all seem to be the same (accept one of the if file on the problem box had lo=lo but not any of the others)
also if i do ifconfig before i use netcardconfig all the ip addresses are there and correct and if i keep ifconfig i still get recieved packets comming in on eth0

can someone help as this is reallt getting frustrating

regards m

[marhleet]

Please post a full output of "lspci -v" if your hardware is not detected, and all relevant information about your hardware

yup, it might be nice to know what type of nics you are using.....

[masticate]

as requested my lspi -v output

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 730 Host (rev 02)
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64M]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:00.1 IDE interface: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE] (rev d0) (prog-if 80 [Master])
Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS5513 EIDE Controller (A,B step)
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 16
I/O ports at ff00 [size=16]

0000:00:01.0 ISA bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS85C503/5513 (LPC Bridge)
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0

0000:00:01.1 Ethernet controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900 PCI Fast Ethernet (rev 82)
Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900 10/100 Ethernet Adapter
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 3
I/O ports at d400 [size=256]
Memory at cfff7000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Expansion ROM at cffc0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:01.2 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller (rev 07) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 5
Memory at cfffc000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]

0000:00:01.3 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller (rev 07) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] Onboard USB Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 5
Memory at cfffd000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]

0000:00:01.4 Multimedia audio controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS PCI Audio Accelerator (rev 02)
Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS PCI Audio Accelerator
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
I/O ports at d800 [size=256]
Memory at cfffe000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:02.0 PCI bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] Virtual PCI-to-PCI bridge (AGP) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, VGA palette snoop, fast devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
I/O behind bridge: 0000b000-0000bfff
Memory behind bridge: cfe00000-cfefffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: bfc00000-cfcfffff

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 630/730 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter (rev 31) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 630/730 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter
Flags: 66MHz, medium devsel
BIST result: 00
Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
Memory at cfee0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
I/O ports at bc00 [size=128]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

running knoppix 3.6

any more info please ask

[Harry Kuhman]

hello
i have two linux boxes both running knoppix 3.6
one connects to the internet via a cable modem and remembers it's ip addresses after reboot no probs
my other box will not connect to the internet after a reboot unless i netcardconfig and tell it to do a dhcp boradcast......

Please explain in a bit more detail. Are both computers at the same location? Do they both connect to the cable modem (with no router involved)? Do you have multiple IP addreses assigned to you by your cable company, and if so how is the second computer to know which IP address is for it? It seems strange to expect 2 computers to both connect by a single cable modem and no router; it seems like some important details are missing.

[masticate]

ok i have an one cable internet connection
i have a v old pc running knoppix 3.6 which works using this connection /shutdown/halt/reboot she will fire up and connect to the internet. she is also my server (she is a 386 with about 64 meg of mem and a 10gb hd!!!)

i want to upgrade to a faster pc so i have a 512 meg mem/120gb hd also with knoppix 3.6 on

the thing is once installed and rebooted i have to reconfigure eth0 each time to pick up the dhcp for the ipaddress (btw i have reformated the hd with various flavours of knoppix from 3.3 to 3.8.1 and non of them hold the settings for the eth0 i hae compaired /etc/network files between the 2 machines and there is no difference)

to clarify only one pc is on at a time as i only have on connection to the internet (i have not even attempted to plug this in to my lan until i can sort this out)

as i have a smattering of network knowdge i find this very frustrating!!!

your hopefully

m

[Harry Kuhman]

ok i have an one cable internet connection

so far so good

i have a v old pc running knoppix 3.6 which works using this connection /shutdown/halt/reboot she will fire up and connect to the internet. she is also my server (she is a 386 with about 64 meg of mem and a 10gb hd!!!)

i want to upgrade to a faster pc so i have a 512 meg mem/120gb hd also with knoppix 3.6 on

the thing is once installed and rebooted i have to reconfigure eth0 each time to pick up the dhcp for the ipaddress (btw i have reformated the hd with various flavours of knoppix from 3.3 to 3.8.1 and non of them hold the settings for the eth0 i hae compaired /etc/network files between the 2 machines and there is no difference)

Now several factors rear their ugly head. You're talking about a hdd install of Knoppix? Then I would suggest that the best place for discussing it would have been the hdd install forum. Sure, there is some cross over, but if networking works fine from the CD but not from a hdd install (as is typical) then it's not a networking issue, it's a hdd install issue. And if networking doesn't work from the CD then lets not even bring in the hdd install, lets just get it working from the CD.

But the topic is started here, so lets see if we can resolve it. All home routers I've seen have a feature to let you change the router's MAC address, and the purpose seems to be to match a MAC address the ISP alread is seeing. This leads me to believe that maybe some cable companys do use the MAC address for determining what system to set up. There is no difference between the network files in the 2 systems, but there is a difference in the mac addresses of the 2 NIC cards. So my guess is that this could be the issue.

If you want to try an experiment and the 2 nics are on cards that can be swapped (rather than built into the MB or different bus structures), then get the old system working on the cable system, shut it down, swap nics, and bring te new system up on the cable. See if it now configures correctly. Then see if the old system "fails" in the same way the newer system did.

....to clarify only one pc is on at a time as i only have on connection to the internet (i have not even attempted to plug this in to my lan until i can sort this out)

You have a LAN? How do you manage to work putting one or the other computer on the canle modem but not even trying to connect the lan to it?

What is the central connection device of your LAN? That is, do you have a router, or is your LAN just built around hubs and or switches?

I've posted many many times before that I strongly believe that most Internet problems posted in these forums would simply vanish if people used simple inexpensive DSL/cable routers. These things, recently costing hundreds of bucks, are now frequently as low as $10 US or less after rebate (in some cases free). I didn' see any $10 ones this week, but I did see a name brand Linksys with wireless support for $15 in the ads this weekend and Best Buy has a high speed 802.11g Wireless and wired Dlink router and it includes a high speed 802.11g pcmcia card for $20 after rebate this week. Such a device will hook up to your ethernet based cable or DSL connection and let all systems share the connection. They form the central basis of a LAN. They take care of all dealings with the ISP for you and assign local IP addresses to all systems through DHCP. For Knoppix (and even windows) that means that getting on the Internet is as simple as booting your computer, you boot, you're on the network, no extra setup needed, even when running from the live CD (actually, from what I have seen in the forums, running from a HD install may add it's own problems). The router will also provide an important hardware filewall. And if it does turn out that your problem is a MAC address issue, the router can be set to show the same MAC address to the ISP and keep them happy (while your local netwirk, of course, sees a different MAC address). In any event you do a very simple setup on the router once and then all your knoppix systems will boot and run find, and all at the same time.

....as i have a smattering of network knowdge i find this very frustrating!!!

I suspect that you are about to get more network knowledge..

[masticate]

lot of info to take in there will try all and get back asap

my isp does not need mac address recognition

my concern is that every other pc i have ( will if plugged directly into the cable modem reboot and keep the connection without a prob

i will try and change net cards and see if it is the prob

i might (do not flame me for this ) another linux distro to convince me it is not the wonderful knoppix (ubantu looks nice!!)

to clarify the problem box will connect to internet but only if i run netcardconfig each boot up

would a work around to be write a bash script to do this in the rc5.d file?

[masticate]

ok i have managed to put in a different HD (still with knoppix 3.6) and after a reboot seems to have held the ip settings

??!!!!!

what i might do is slave up the 120gb after a reformat to logical ext3 and use it that way??

will report back after a few more shutdown/reboots