weired internet connection problem

[morganlefay]

Try a different NIC....

MLF

edit> geez...i am losing track on whos 'it"

[linux1880]

To Nokia,

You are right, excpet the 3rd computer is winXP not win2K server, with win2k server total computers will be 4.

No I haven't registered MAC address with NTL.

[morganlefay]

May be a limit to how many computers\connections you can have with NTL

Get a router....use one IP address.....and have as many boxes that can fit in your house....

We have an ISP that tells its customers they can only have x number of computers...anything above that they charge extra.


May be the same with your ISP???

MLF

[Nokia]

OK - IIRC NTL set-top boxes do not have a NAT capablity - you are just assigned one IP from them and that it is.

If you power all three boxes on together, do they all have active internet connections?

You are getting a invalid IP (0.0.0.0) as there is nothing to assign an IP to the host.
Untill you register the MAC address with the NTL box you will never get the box online.

You can buy a router that will connect to the set-top box - which will be able to assign the IP's you need to all your hosts but it has to be an NTL one (IIRC) or at the very least a cable one - (not ADSL) NTL retail theirs for around £70 if memory serves me right.

Another way around it is to use one box and 'share the internet connection' thereby connecting your other boxes to it.

Try just connecting the box that you are having trouble with to the set-top box - without the hub - register the MAC address with it and see if it gets a connection.

You wont have an internal IP address whilst using an NTL box - it will always be an external one - think they have part of the 81.x.x.x range so look for this.

If after registering the MAC addy and just going down to th eone host you still are not assigned an IP (and after checking it is set to auto recive an IP, your NIC works and the cable is good) you have to phone their tech support and explain the problem to them to get a new box.

Tell them stright off you have registered the MAC - power cycled the box and tried another computer but you are not getting an IP. When I phoned them it took me over an hour to get them to belive me (at 50p a minute!) eventually the relented and agreed to replace my box! They will still tell you to power cycle the set-top box an then your computer and then the box again - just to keep you on the 50p a min line!



But I am not 100% sure that it does not have a NAT capability, especially with you saying two boxes work fine (is this when they are both on at the same time?).
If it does you will be assigned an internal ip in the 192.168.x.x range providing the MAC is registered with it!