Net Connection Problem on reboots

[MadMax]

Hi Guys/Gals,

I am having a problem with my Optus Broadband net connection at startup.

Each time I boot up my net connection fails.

Then I go to the network connections in the control panel and disable and then enable the network bridge and it works from then on, until of course I reboot.

I've tried removing the network bridge and then re-adding it but no help.

I have a wireless router I want to add but won't until this more basic connection problem is resolved.

Network connections has 3 icons:
1394 connection
LAN connection
network bridge

I'll furnish more detail when I am at home.

Any ideas what may be causing this type of problem or advice on solving it?

Pentium 2.8Ghz
Windows XP Pro
No other devices on the connection (as yet)
1 Gb memory


P.S. I don't actually understand what this network bridge is, so a simple layman's explanation would be nice too thanks.
(I do understand it is some sort of connection between the LAN and 1394 connections, whatever that means)

Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Max,

First of all is your modem USB or does it connect through your network card ? You should have either connection on the back of the modem. What you should do is if you are going to use your router then dont bother trying to fix this problem because the router set up is going to be compleatly different anyway. Connect your modem to your router connect the router to your pc via the network connection. Go to Control Panel--> Network Connections in there you should then see a single connection. You are right you shouldent have a bridge in there so if you can delete it or dissable it. One thing to be sure of is after you have set up your router be sure that the settings in Control panel ----> Network Settings -----> Right click on your network connection and be sure its set to obtain ip address automaticly, that should be all you really need to do.

[MadMax]

Hey Viss, thanks for the reply.

To backtrack a little.

I originally had the router in this setup but with the bridge also. It had the same problem, hence going back to basics to try to resolve it in a simplistic form (i.e. just optus modem).

I think I was able to get the basic connection (no router) going without the bridge, but once the router was added it wouldn't talk to the net at all, once the bridge was added back it would talk, but would not work at bootup, unless it was disabled then enabled.

The network settings do say obtain automatically.

Something I did notice in the events (win xp) was a DHCP error, so I'm thinking this is the most likely problem at this stage, as well as how the connections all hang together.

I should methodically experiment and document so it is easier for you to see what's happening. It's frustrating me no end. I wanted to remove the network card, uninstall and start all over, but the network card is built into the motherboard and sits with other things so I can't just take it out (easily).

To your question, the modem is connected directly through the network card. I wanted to avoid the USB option where they install the optus specific drivers, which take hold of the browser.

So to summarise:

I can make it work with (but requires disable/enable at boot):

1-just the one connection, and only connected to optus modem via network card.

2-using 3 "connections" (ie with bridge) and only connected to optus modem via network card.

3-connected via router , with 3 connections (using bridge)

It won't work with single connection (no bridge) connected via the router at all, even after disable/enable toggling.

Thanks again,

Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Hmm interesting a couple of questions.

1. If you plug the router in and the modem to the router can you access the set up page in your modem, ie: 10.0.0.1 or what ever is factory default.

2. can you access your router ie: 192.168.0.1 or what ever is factory default.

3. Do you have firewire cards or options on your board ?

4. when its all plugged in can you ping any web address.

5. Do you have more than 1 network card in your machine ie: onboard and pci card.

As far as I see there is no reason at all to have a network bridge there, A network bridge is used to combine two networking items like another network card or a firewire connection.

This is what I would do if I was you.

1. Uninstall all the network cards in your computer if you have 2 in there decide which one you are going to use and either dissable the onboard network card in the bios or remove the pci card all together.

2. Connect router to the network card of your choice and connect the modem.

3. Reboot the machine, once setup has compleated installing the network device the go to the control panel---> Networking----> Network setup wizard and follow the setup all the way through.

As Ive said before you must have another network device in your machine in order to have a bridge. And from what I can gather is that on reboot your pc is gettin confused and dosent know which connection to use.

Failing all of the above your on board lan may be faulty this is not uncommon, soloution dissable it in the bios and buy a network card (dont buy a cheap one spend a few bucks on a decent network card it does make a diffence).

Well good luck keep me posted. :D

Ohh and the DHCP error is what makes me think its getting confused and not knowing which connection to use, its not optaining an ip addy.

[MadMax]

1 & 2


I can access the router through the web browser at 192.168.0.1 but again only after bootup and having diasble/enabled bridge. Without the bridge I cannot get net or router access.

3. Yes there is/are firewire port/s. Nothing is connected to them.

4. I haven't specifically tried pinging "other" addresses. I was able to ping the DNS server address. I can't recall if I was able to do this before or after disable/enable.

5. I don't have more than one card. However, the motherboard comes with the facility to add wireless networking, and came with the card to install, but hasn't been physically connected. I think I did install the software for the wifi (?) maybe this is interfering?


What I might do is:

Install my wireless card and disable the onboard network card and see if I can get that working through the router (which is my goal anyway).

I have an oldish 3com network card I could install too if above fails.



I also believe some confusion is causing the system to have a problem resolving DHCP, in fact I think I see the connection in the tray, trying, then give up and disappear. Interesting thing is that by disabling and re-enabling the bridge that it resolves it, which puzzles me.

Thanks Viss,
Cheers,
Max

[MadMax]

Grrrrr posting this at 4th attempt (will save it to clipboard first this time!)

A google search I think shows 1394 connection as being realted to firewire (which I guess is why you were asking about firewire).

My motherboard http://au.asus.com/products/mb/socket478/p4p800-e_d/overview.htm has a wifi slot
http://au.asus.com/products/mb/event/wifiHome/index.html

I wonder if the 1394 connection is related to this, (software I think installed, hardware not installed, i.e motherboard contains wifi connection, but wifi card not installed)

Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Ok dissable the 1394 if you dont use it and also remove the wifi software untill you intend to use it.

[MadMax]

The "1394 connection" in the network connections area of the control panel I assume is the following (as per my motherboard):

IEEE 1394 interface
IEEE 1394 interface provides high speed digital interface for audio / video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices.

I have no idea why this is/was bridged to the LAN connection. The other annoying thing is I was actually successfully connected to Optus via a different brand router before getting this new optus connection at a different house.

Last night I found that without the bridge my net connection works perfectly, while I am connected directly to the modem. It doesn't work at all connected to the router however now, and can't talk to the router via 192.168.0.1 to config it either.

I tried installing the wireless LAN card which makes my system unbootable altogether GRRRR networking sux lol. Downloaded latest BIOS and stuff to try them before a reinstall of the card. Neverending!

Cheers,
Max

[MadMax]

Oh and I just noticed something.

Happy Birthday Viss!

Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Thanks Max,

Dun worry we will get this sorted. If you cant connect to your router then it may be your firewall blocking it. A couple of more questions.

Have you tried unistalling everything in the network connections and dissableing the firewire.

This is what you should have in your network connections 1 connection for your lan 1 connection for your firewire. If you have a bridge right click on the bridge and select uninstall bridge. Once you have done that then run the network setup wizard this is important because you are telling the system which connection and how to connect to the net.

[MadMax]

Okay, after a lot of fartarsing about, rebooting, changing, deleting, reconfiguring, resetting router configs, I have got it working through the router. Including disabling the 1394 connection.

Installing the wireless LAN card however renders my system unbootable. Have updated to most recent BIOS too, and still happens.

At least I'm working through the router and it works immediately after the reboot now!


Getting there!

Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Interesting, what brand of card is it and is it brand new ?

It is quite possibe that the card could be dead. Have you got another pc you could try the card in ?

[MadMax]

thanks again Viss.


The card came with the motherboard and is intended for these ASUS motherboards.

I will try another install now that the 1394 is disabled.

Also I read somewhere it was advisable that the "3com utilies" be installed from the support cd before installing the card. I couldn't find the utilities it was referring to. Will have a closer look at that.

Failing that I will write to ASUS support.

No I don't have another PC I can try it with.

I guess it being dead is a possibility too. With the card in the slot and a reboot, not even the hard drive starts to whir. Just totally nothing, dead!

The last time a system did that on me (previous comp) , it was a shortage of grunt in the power supply, but my power supply is bladernr approved (well the entire system components were chosen by him (thanks again Justin)) so is nice and beefy!



Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Well good luck and yes Asus Tech Support should be able to offer some assistance. Keep me posted when you get the answer I would like to know for future referance.


Cheers Viss :D

[MadMax]

I finally got a chance last night to try reinstalling the card.


I had previously installed any utilities I could find on the supplied disks.

I inserted the card, and I noticed one pin missing, and one bent up and POSSIBLY not making proper contact. I took out the card and straightened the pin (which could have been straight on previous attempts) and plugged in the power supply and noticed the light go on for the card. A good sign!

After a little bit of configuring (turning on WEP (encryption) it worked (and I ensured I wasn't connected by cable during the tests).

So all is working and I'm not sure which of the two things fixed it, although the behaviour (system totally dead) would suggest hardware related I think.

Should I use 64bit or 128 bit encryption do you think?

Thanks Viss.

Cheers,
Max

[Viss]

Excelent news and yes it would have been the bent pin that caused the system hang. I would go the 128 bit you never know who might be sniffing around the wirless network :P you can never get enough security I recon.

Goodluck.