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peter_cph · 03:57 PM

Hello ... I still have strange problems with my little setup here ... a beige G3 and a G3 PowerBook.

Both are running 9.2.2
Both are connected to a 10/100 switch (straight cables)
Both are set to use DHCP Server in TCP/IP
They have different IP adresses
Both can access internet simultaneously (via switch and ADSL)
Both have filesharing turned ON

Copying a file from one computer to the other should be a cakewalk, right?

Well ... it isn't.

I can easily mount the shared folder from "beige" on the PB and vice versa.

But moving just one MB easily takes 10 minutes ....

Another related problem:

I have FileMaker on both machines and a database which is set to be multiuser.

Opening it on the host is fine ... opening it at the same time on the other machine takes a hundred years ...

(This is not a copy problem ... we want to have the same file open on both machines ... and it IS possible ... but on our setup it takes almost forever to open the file on the "remote/client" machine.

Filemaker is set to use TCP/IP on both machines

AppleTalk is set to use Ethernet on both machines.

I have checked cables ... and tried a different set. No change.

I have restarted both machines and rebuilt the desktop on both machines and "Speeddisked" both machines and prayed (sorry) and cursed (sorry again) and the rug is full of holes now and I practically only have pubic hairs left ...

What little obvious detail is it that I am missing here ... what is it that will make me go ... "aaaaaarghhhh ... of course!"

What info do you need that I didn't provide in this email?

Thanks in advance,

ghporter · Feb 3, 2003, 05:20 PM

Peter, the only thing that comes to mind right now is if one or the other computer's network card is not set to full duplex. You're very specific that you have a switch rather than a hub, so that shouldn't be a problem-hubs are inherently slower than switches.

peter_cph · Feb 3, 2003, 05:29 PM

Originally posted by GHPorter:
Peter, the only thing that comes to mind right now is if one or the other computer's network card is not set to full duplex. You're very specific that you have a switch rather than a hub, so that shouldn't be a problem-hubs are inherently slower than switches.

Well ... both computers only have 10 MB built-in ethernet ... but even that should be noticably faster than what I get ...

Where/how do I set the card to full duplex?

Thank you in advance

Peter

aaanorton · Feb 3, 2003, 09:42 PM

I'll make a suggestion, but I can't guarantee accuracy on this. You'll need to read some more here or elsewhere about this issue...
I think you're problem is your switch. I bet that all your sharing etc. is going from computer to computer via the internet, instead of simply through the LAN. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to fix this, short of changing the switch out for a router.
Good luck.

ghporter · Feb 4, 2003, 08:49 AM

Originally posted by aaanorton:
I bet that all your sharing etc. is going from computer to computer via the internet, instead of simply through the LAN.

EWWWWWW! That's a good possibility (or a bad one!), and something I hadn't even thought of. Peter, what you'll have to do is research your switch to see how your configuration works. Basically, if both computers have their own IPs, and those are global IPs instead of local, nonroutable addresses (line 192.168.X.X or 10.0.X.X), then aaanorton's probably spot on. Ewwww!

peter_cph · Feb 4, 2003, 03:22 PM

Originally posted by GHPorter:
EWWWWWW! That's a good possibility (or a bad one!), and something I hadn't even thought of. Peter, what you'll have to do is research your switch to see how your configuration works. Basically, if both computers have their own IPs, and those are global IPs instead of local, nonroutable addresses (line 192.168.X.X or 10.0.X.X), then aaanorton's probably spot on. Ewwww!

Eeeeewwwwww ..... so ... a router between the switch and the ADSL modem? Is that it?

I have a router somewhere ... a Zyxel Prestige 310 (http://www.zyxel.com/product/model.p...lue=1021876908).

Will I be able to use that? Will it help any?

I seem to recall that this box had to be "programmed" some years back (when we used it) ... and that we had to have a guy do it for us because it was only possible from a WIN PC ...

Sigh

Peter

aaanorton · Feb 4, 2003, 10:10 PM

If you could get the router working, you probably wouldn't need the switch. It looks like there are multiple ports on it.
So, your switch is distributing IPs? What is the switch's IP? Maybe you could change the comps from DHCP to manual and put then in the switch's range:
switch: xxx.xxx.xxx.1
comp 1: xxx.xxx.xxx.2
comp 2: xxx.xxx.xxx.3

I don't know... If that doesn't work, gateway routers are sure cheap these days.

arclight · Feb 6, 2003, 12:14 AM

I would have to agree that it's your switch that's causing all the trouble. The DHCP server that issues the IP's to the computer isn't there on the local network. When you use a router, it acts as the DHCP server and hands out local IP's to your computer that only people on the LAN can see. The catch is that there is only one WAN IP so the cable company sees only one computer/device (the router).

The reason it's so slow is because the files that you are transferring are going through the DHCP server at the cable company at a lightning fast upload speed of 128k or thereabouts. The upload speed on cable modem service is very slow, usually 128 or if your really lucky, 384.

Get the router going and you won't need the switch, as the other posters recommended.

John Strung · Feb 6, 2003, 09:15 AM

For confirmation, see This Thread

aaanorton · Feb 6, 2003, 11:30 AM

One other thing to mention... It sounds to me like you're paying for two IPs from your ISP. With a router, you could eliminate one of those (and the cost) and have the router distribute local IPs.

arclight · Feb 6, 2003, 05:29 PM

Originally posted by aaanorton:
One other thing to mention... It sounds to me like you're paying for two IPs from your ISP. With a router, you could eliminate one of those (and the cost) and have the router distribute local IPs.

Actually most broadband accounts come with at least two IP's included with basic service (not always). I had three with my Earthlink DSL account. Seems that ISP's fail to tell anyone though.

peter_cph · Feb 6, 2003, 05:48 PM

Originally posted by aaanorton:
One other thing to mention... It sounds to me like you're paying for two IPs from your ISP. With a router, you could eliminate one of those (and the cost) and have the router distribute local IPs.

Friends

Yes, apparently our two Macs were connected via the ISP, not via the switch.

I was unable to make the router work - it was probably programmed wrong. Also, the Zyxel 310 router have one WAN and one LAN port, so the setup would have had to be "filter box (watever that is) - ADSL modem - router - switch" ... that's a lot of hardware for this little network ...

I remember it cost around 200 dollars a couple of years back ... but today i bought another cable/DSL-router with a built-in 4-port switch for just 85 dollars ... and that did it.

We're on and I will thank you all for great input, excellent advise and ... least but not last .... patience.

Peter

aaanorton · Feb 6, 2003, 08:09 PM

Great, now make sure you're only paying for one additionl IP. I've never heard of ISPs offering additional IPs for free, additional mailboxes sure, but not IPs. I could be wrong, but it's worth checking, as you now only need one, since the router can distribute local IPs.