Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

slider · Nov 11, 2003, 08:12 AM

Hello all,

I am trying to move our network from a hub to a switch. We are using a mac with file sharing turned on with everyone else getting work files off it. We have a cable modem, which is also a router and from that the hub. I tried to replace the hub with a Linksys EtherFast 4124 24-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switch. Most of the people on the network were no longer able to connect to the shared folder or the internet. I checked the IP addresses and they were all in a different format, something 163.xxx.xxx.xx.xxx, a much longer number than the usual 192.168.0.x. The mac with the file sharing on it was in the 192.168.0.x format as were the computers that could connect to it and the internet. DHCP was set up, so I tried to set the IP addresses up manually, to avail. Other notes, we are using Appletalk and running OS 9.2.2 on the file sharing mac and most of the macs in the office, some with OSX and two PC's running XP. Our router is handle by Charter, so if it's something I need to do there I need to do it on the phone with them. I just don't understand why some machines could connect and others could not. Thanks for any help you can offer.

ghporter · Nov 11, 2003, 08:26 AM

You could be running into a problem with the cable router simply not recognizing the other computers. Try turning off the cable modem/router, the switcdh, and all the computers. Turn on the modem/router and let it do all its startup stuff-let it sit there for at least two minutes. Next, turn on the switch and make sure your connection between the two is working (you should have some "link" indication between the two). Now, one at a time, turn on each computer. You may have to go into the settings on each computer and tell them to use DHCP-this will also release the old address and request a new one, which you really want to do here.

Finally, your ISP may have limited you to only a few IP addresses. If this is the case, you need a gateway router between the cable modem and the switch to share the addresses the modem provides. This doesn't have to be a fancy, expensive device, just so long as it is a "cable/DSL router," and it offers a DHCP server. A cable goes from the LAN port of the modem to the cable/DSL router, another from a LAN port on the cable/DSL router to the uplink port on your switch, and you should be in business.

fergnetserv · Nov 11, 2003, 09:17 AM

Another think to look at is if there are Appletalk zones set and if there are, are the other computers on the right zone.

That would not effect the IP problem but it would cause some problems with file sharing.

slider · Nov 11, 2003, 01:37 PM

Thanks for your replies. I did shut everything off and started turning on the equipment starting with the modem/router. The network is on the hub now with all the computers connected, so I don't think it's the amount of IP addresses allowed, besides, it's a business connection. I am at a loss, I don't understand way it is not just working as it is with the hub.

slider · 07:37 AM

Contacted Charter and we tried a variety of things. A very friendly and knowledgeable tech person who was very familiar with Macs. Anyways nothing worked. We decided that it may be a lack of a crossover cable, so I am going to try that, putting a different router between the modem router. If the router thing works, the tech guy thought that maybe the because it was an older router it did not work with the "EtherFast Switch". We'll see.

Edit:
Meant to check and see if any of you could confirm that I could use the Airport Extreme I have here to be the router for the whole network through the Switch. Will it be able to hand the traffic of about 15 computers with all but two connect to the switch? I mean what kind of slow downs am I looking at here? Trying to may my question clearer: I know there is a slow down with the more people you have on the wireless side, but is that also true for the switch?

slider · Nov 14, 2003, 04:19 AM

Well, didn't work with the Airport acting as a router. Decided to exchange it with a new one. I could hear a sight rattle inside so I emailed for an RMA number. eBuyer is turning out to be pretty good. I'll post back when the replacement comes in.