Bizarre Network Behavior

Lmandrake · Post by **Lmandrake** » Fri May 23, 2003 10:36 am

I hope I can describe this accurately. My home network consists of a DSL modem, an SMC router, a hub, 4 PC's and a Series 2 Tivo DVR. Starting from the "top" I have my DSL modem and that is connected to the SMC barricade router. The router has 4 ports. 3 of those ports connect directly to PC's. One port connects to a netgear 4-port hub. The hub has two ports occupied. One port is connected to the Tivo, the other to a PC.

None of the devices has a fixed address. DHCP is used throughout and everything worked fine when the network was first set up this way. The router has never really had a problem with the hub before.

Here is where things get strange. None of the PC's that connect directly to the router can see the PC or the Tivo on the other side of the hub. When I go into the router to pull up a client list, the router only lists one of the PC's directly connected to it. However, the Tivo is able to connect to and transfer data from a "Tivo Server" PC hooked up directly to the router.

All network connections and cables seem secure. The hub is properly configured to uplink to the router.
The router has been hard and soft rebooted. The hub and the PC downstream from the hub have been soft and hard rebooted as well.

At this point, I am mystified. Its not a huge problem, but the PC downstream of the hub is just used for folding and has no monitor or keyboard and I usually just check on it everyday from another PC to see if it is still folding at its customarily glacial pace.

BTW, all pcs are running Win 98 save one, which has XP. I might try to reflash the router on the theory that it has developed some bizarre software psychosis.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

smb · Post by **smb** » Fri May 23, 2003 10:32 pm

Do all your computers belong to the same workgroup ?

rogue · Post by **rogue** » Fri May 23, 2003 10:34 pm

How are you connecting the hub to the router? Uplink port or just standard port?

Lmandrake · Post by **Lmandrake** » Fri May 23, 2003 10:37 pm

yep. same workgroup. Using the uplink port on the hub. I might have a bad cable below the hub, I jiggled a cable into the hub and was able to communicate with the pc below the hub. My router still doesn't see the devices below the hub.

Whether the router sees it or not, I got it working well enough for what I want.

Thanks for your suggestions.