can't connect to router via ethernet switch

firbyfred

I'm pulling my hair out! please help,
I have a Netgear wireless N ADS2 + modem router DGN 2000,
2 xboxes and a laptop running fine wirelessly
my computer hard wired running fine

A desktop upstairs struggled with the wireless so I decided to connect it with a cable, but found out only 2 of the ports work, (been onto Netgear, thats an other story).
I bought one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GXR1SO/ref=oss_product but it still won't connect. I'm using a cat5e RJ45 ethernet lan network patch cable to connect to the router, I've tried 2 which I know work okay.

I keep getting a message when I try to repair the connection "renewing you IP address" but never gets past this.

any ideas what the problem is?

kwikbreaks

Dumb switches just work so long as they are correctly cabled.

If the machine connects correctly when connected to your original router but not when connected via the switch using known good cables then the switch must be faulty. Are the lights looking correct? Amazon are excellent on returns.

firbyfred

I've checked with the cable I use to connect to router.
I sent the first switch back because I was having the same problem, which makes me think that something is not quite set up right, although I can connect the upstairs computer into the router port I use and it connects no problem.

Mr_Oink

Are you using a crossover cable, or straight cable to hook the switch up? You are not accidentally in an 'uplink' socket anywhere (one end or the other)?
Are you sure the cable is good? Seriously, you'd be amazed how many times a rotten/wrong patch cable has been used, from the tiny little home network, right up to the big enterprise switched Cisco environments.

Other than that, those little switches are great - but the cam table is known to fill from time to time. You've not set up a loop (broadcast storm) by linking it back to itself (basically giving multiple paths back to it through other kit) or anything nasty ?

KillerWatt

Mr_Oink wrote: »

Are you using a crossover cable, or straight cable to hook the switch up? You are not accidentally in an 'uplink' socket anywhere (one end or the other)?

Auto MDIX so none of that applies.

Mr_Oink

KillerWatt wrote: »

Auto MDIX so none of that applies.

On that Newlink switch? Wow, that's new. I have an 8 port Newlink here on one of the subnets here that does not 'do' MDIX - but I guess the later ones offer it:

"Supports auto MDI/MDIX connector for easy expansion"
http://www.newlinkproducts.co.uk/prodinfo.asp?catID=2&prodID=193

That said, my 8 port with a x-over to a linksys won't work - it will only play nice with a straight cable.

firbyfred

Mr_Oink wrote: »

Are you using a crossover cable, or straight cable to hook the switch up? You are not accidentally in an 'uplink' socket anywhere (one end or the other)?
Are you sure the cable is good? Seriously, you'd be amazed how many times a rotten/wrong patch cable has been used, from the tiny little home network, right up to the big enterprise switched Cisco environments.

Other than that, those little switches are great - but the cam table is known to fill from time to time. You've not set up a loop (broadcast storm) by linking it back to itself (basically giving multiple paths back to it through other kit) or anything nasty ?

It is a straight cable (should it be?) I am trying to use, I have also just double checked with the cable I use to hook up to the router, (it came with the router).
I have used different combinations with the cables between the router and switch, using and not using the uplink port on the switch, I can't see a uplink port on the router itself.

Just to say the computer upstairs connects fine using the port I use to connect to the internet.

I don't understand the paragraph about the cam table, broadcast storm etc.

Mr_Oink

Can I ask how you've spliced the switch into the picture and wired this up?

UPSTAIRS PC =====> [switch] =====> [router]

---

tele

---

EXISTING WIRED PC==============/\


UPSTAIRS PC =====> [switch] =====> [router]

---

tele

---

EXISTING WIRED PC====/\

I'm slightly concerned that you say there is an issue with two ports on the Netgear. It's not unheard of, but I'm surprised and I wonder if something else underlying is going on.

You say that if you do this it works:
UPSTAIRS PC ===============> [router]

---

tele

---

EXISTING WIRED PC==============/\

Mr_Oink

Just crossed my mind - are there any security features in the DGN2000 that limit/restrict the MAC address of wired clients?

Looking through the full manual from the website shows a few address reservation features where IP's can be reserved on a MAC address basis. It's not inconceivable that this has a hand in it. If you've reserved an IP to the mac for wireless, and it appears on a physical interface it may be an issue.

The physical side of this (light comes on on switch when cable plugged in, goes green and blinks a bit - not flashes madly) looks in order - assuming the cables are really good that is. I'd spend a few minutes checking for any reserving MAC address features and any setting for the LAN ports (auto neg/duplex etc). The lights on the switch should, however, give any obvious mismatches there away (yellow, flashes like crazy etc).

Just a thought.

firbyfred

Mr_Oink wrote: »

Can I ask how you've spliced the switch into the picture and wired this up?

UPSTAIRS PC =====> [switch] =====> [router]

---

tele

---

EXISTING WIRED PC==============/\


UPSTAIRS PC =====> [switch] =====> [router]

---

tele

---

EXISTING WIRED PC====/\

I'm slightly concerned that you say there is an issue with two ports on the Netgear. It's not unheard of, but I'm surprised and I wonder if something else underlying is going on.

You say that if you do this it works:
UPSTAIRS PC ===============> [router]

---

tele

---

EXISTING WIRED PC==============/\

At the moment my computer (a) and one other computer (b) are hard wired into the router using ports 1 and 2, and both connect to the internet.
When I plug the upstairs computer (c) into the router ports 3 or 4 it will not connect to the internet but will connect using ports 1 and 2.
Using the switch plugged into router port 1, upstairs computers (3 and 2) will not connect to the internet through the switch using any combination of cables and ports.


When the switch is connected to the router port 1 the green light flashes faintly about once a second, the port light connected to computer (3) has a fast flashing green light.

Not sure if I understand fully your other post about the security features etc. but to say there is also 2 xboxes connected wirelessly to the same router with no problems.

Mr_Oink

The reason I mention security features - and I'm going to admit this is a stab in the dark - is because other than faulty cables/speed/duplex mismatches - it looks like some kind of security 'feature' is stopping data flow when the switch comes into play. Without having that switch and your setup right here, it's hard to see what else could be wrong.

I'm suspicious because ports 3 / 4 don't 'work' on your router and you've tried two identical switches now. A simple switch like this is bread and butter and just 'works' as a rule.

You've not done anything unusual to the MTU settings on either machine in the past, or played around with the networking setting in the clients?

Personally I think I'd plug both machines into the switch WITHOUT plugging the switch into the router, power cycle the switch and then observe the indicators. Solid green with little blips should be the order of the day. On a good day the machines may even assign themselves 169.254.x.x 'APIPA' addresses and allow you to browse shares on each machine. That would rule the switch, nics and machines out of the issue - but other than for troubleshooting it won't fix the issue beyond pointing a finger at the Netgear gateway device.

I can't see how any internet security type firewall software would interfere with layer 2 packets. Appreciate that some terms may be a bit Greek to you. but others reading the thread may get a flash of inspiration and spot the missing key that solves this.

To be clear, with the switch in place neither machine acquires an IP address via DHCP, but you have three green switch lights on and steady with the occasional blink? (One for each pc and one for the link to the switch) ? ?