Antisocial windows

I have a small lan set up of 5 computers, 3 windows based and two unix. One of the windows computers (98) networks pefectly with the world and so do the unix boxes but I am having a problem with the other 2 windows computers. One is 98 and one is NT Server, and neither will ping the other boxes or send echo replys or arps to the others. With a sniffer on the wire, I see some SMB traffic from the two miscrients but nothing as far as tcp/ip is concerned. All have basically the same configuration (with tcp/ip and netbeui protocols) and identical (but personalised) routing tables so I am rather stuck for ideas. Driver misconfiguration and hardware problems have nothing to do with it I think because they manage to get their browser traffic out.
Any suggestions out there?
thanks

1. RE: Antisocial windows
lbyard Oct-25-01 09:23 PM
In response to message 0

Could you provide some detail on how everything is networked together and how you have TCP/IP setup? Larry

2. RE: Antisocial windows
Operati Oct-25-01 10:03 PM
In response to message 1

Ok it is a hub network with no particular heirachy, except that 192.168.0.3 is the dns and the NAT server to the internet.
The interfaces are addressed as 192.168.0.* with the problem computers having 192.168.0.1 (98) and 192.168.0.5 (NT).
The TCP/IP configuration on all machines points dns resolution and gateway packets to 192.168.0.3.
On the NT machine i have enabled DNS for windows resolution and disabled LMHOSTs lookup.
WINS is set up on none of the boxes.
IS there anything in particular you need to know?

3. RE: Antisocial windows
lbyard Oct-26-01 04:31 PM
In response to message 2

The configuration info is still a bit fuzzy… Are you able to ping a host on the Internet? Try 216.92.56.121. I think I would work on the 98 computer first—fix one thing at time—and work it with the other 98 computer (isolate the two if feasible—KISS principle). Try uninstalling reinstalling everything network (including and dialup adapters) on the 98 computer that has the ping problem and setting aside the “identical (but personalised) routing tables”(?). Check subnet masks. Are you sure the NAT is not running a DHCP server with a conflicting scope? No web servers, etc. with those IPs? Larry

4. RE: Antisocial windows
Operati Oct-26-01 11:08 PM
In response to message 3

The problematic windows computers are unable to ping hosts on the internet because they do not make contact with the NAT.

I have re-installed NT server multiple times, and the 98 computers have exactly the same protocols installed and the same route tables (personalised meaning they have their own ip addresses in them).

There are no other hosts with the same I addresses, I have changed the adapter addresses a few times to confirm that.

When I try pinging a computer under the watchful eye of a sniffer, I see the troublesome machines send out an arp request for the desired host, and those hosts reply, but and 'arp -a' still reveals no entrys.

The subnet masks are equal on all windows machines.

5. RE: Antisocial windows
lbyard Oct-27-01 04:39 AM
In response to message 4

Then what do you mean by, "Driver misconfiguration and hardware problems have nothing to do with it I think because they manage to get their browser traffic out"? So, by personalized route table you mean you are using static IP addresses? How many layers (hubs) are in your “network with no particular heirachy.” Are the Link LEDs on the network adapters and hub(s) on solid? Do the adapters pass diagnostics? Do you see shared Windows network resources (with NetBEUI)? Try swapping cables with a computer that works or moving a computer to a location that works. Larry

6. RE: Antisocial windows
Operati Oct-27-01 05:21 PM
In response to message 5

I do not think it is a driver or hardware problem because arp and smb traffic flows between the problematic computers. The problem is that those computers do not seem to be receiving the packets (as network monitor on the NT machine shows).
Yes the ip addresses of the adapters are static.
The network has only one hub that all the computers are connecteed to.The adapter and hub lights are all on solid and pass diagnostics.
The only shared windows resources I see on the problem coputers are their own.
As I said, the problem is not in the hardware because when i try pinging a computer, an arp request is broadcast. The problem stems from the fact that the arp responses from other computers are ignored.

8. RE: Antisocial windows
lbyard Oct-28-01 06:24 PM
In response to message 6

Verify that all of the IPs are unique. Can each computer ping its own IP? Can they ping the loopback IP (127.0.0.1)? Larry