# Trouble connecting to the internet via a linksys switch and router...



## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

I have been using a four-port Linksys router for several years, without issue. Now, we want to add a fifth device to our LAN. Rather than buy a new router, I thought I could just get a cheaper 4-5 port Linksys Switch to extend the number of ports available to the LAN. So, I have the switch plugged into the router, and I have a XP Pro machine plugged into the switch. Basically, the XP Pro machine recognizes that it's been plugged into something, because there's no 'X' over the LAN icon. However, even though it recognizes the LAN connection, it won't connect to the internet.

Anyone have any advice? It would be much appreciated.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

How did you connect the switch to the router? If the new switch (or the LAN por of the router) does not have auto sense, then you may need a crossover cable to connect the two together


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

Well, I'm not using a straight-through cable(usually used for PC-to-PC connections and stuff like that, right?) - I think I am using a crossover cable - it's the same exact cable that this XP Pro machine was using before, only before it was connected directly to the router and now it's connected to the switch, which is connected to the same port on the router the XP Pro machine was connected to earlier.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

Did you use the uplink port to connect switch to router? It says straight cable

"Connecting Computers to Your Switch
Your Switch&#8217;s rear panel has five standard RJ-45 ports, plus a shared uplink
port. Each port automatically detects the speed and duplex of the attached
cabling to a network card, switch, hub, etc. The ports operate in either full or
half duplex, which lets you run at speeds of 200mbps, 100mbps, 20mbps or
10mbps.
Each port on your Switch can connect to workstations, file servers, hubs,
repeaters, bridges, routers or other switches. Connections to the switch
require Category 5 UTP network cabling with RJ-45 tips, not to exceed 100
meters (328 feet) in length. See page 10 for more details on cabling.
To connect a computer directly to the switch, plug one end of the cable into
the switch, then plug the other end of the cable into the computer's network
adapter.
Uplinking to Other Switches and Hubs
Switches, hubs, and similar network devices are uplinked to your Switch
with straight-through Category 5 cabling. Attach the Category 5 cabling to
the uplink port of the network device that you are uplinking to the Switch,
and plug the other end of the cable into any standard RJ-45 port on your
Switch. Using the uplink port will automatically disable the port directly
next to it, since the uplink port is a shared port"


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

I assume your new switch is Linksys. This is form EZXS55W v2. You do not need crossover cable with this. I think you have to use the uplink port to connect to router.

"Your EtherFast 10/100 Switch&#8217;s auto-sensing feature gives you a key advantage
over other forms of networking by upgrading speed-critical network segments
to 100mbps while allowing existing 10BaseT networks to operate with
the Switch. Allowing 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware speeds to run
alongside each other eliminates the need to purchase new hardware, rewire
and reconfigure an entire site all at once. This scalability factor ensures that
Fast Ethernet will not fall obsolete to upgrades in speed standards and maintains
use of all your old equipment until you decide to buy speedier replacements.
Otherwise, throwing away all your older, slower equipment in an oldfashioned
&#8220;forklift upgrade&#8221; is the only other alternative."


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

I understand all of that.

I should mention that I have hooked another device to the switch(my TIVO box) and it seems to be connecting to the net because it is displaying its information just fine, and it is using the same kind of cable that the XP Pro machine is using.

But this XP Pro machine isn't connecting to the internet.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

Well, let us all together take a look at the IP setting for your XP, I am sure you know how to do it, but here is couple of things from Johnwill's secured vault:


Type the following command:

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here. 

It won't hurt to do a WINSOCK & Stack repair, just in case.

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2.

For these commands, Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

Reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ip reset reset.log

Reboot the machine.


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

DHCP Enabled - Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled - Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address - 169.254.54.251(I don't think this is even close to what it should be)
Subnet Mask - 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway - nothing there


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

That 169. 254.x.y IP address means that the computer was unable to locate the DHCP machine. So that is where the problem is. Now, we need to make sure the router's DHCP is enabled. If so, then the problem might be cable. Alss, do the commend above. Did you do a repair on the LAN of the computer?

It won't hurt to do a WINSOCK & Stack repair, just in case.

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2.

For these commands, Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

Reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ip reset reset.log

Reboot the machine.


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

There are several other computers hooked to the router that use the DHCP just fine, so I'm pretty sure the router's DHCP is enabled.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

OK, so then the problem is in the LAN of the computer, or you have a bad cable.

Did you do the above commend? Also, use the Tivo cable and port to see what happens.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

You can also, go to the "altenrnate configuration" of the IP/TCP properties of the LAN in the computer with trouble. PUt in router address as gateway, assign an address with the range of router's DCHP to see what happens


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

How about the model of the switch?


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

I did those commands and now the ip and subnet are both 0.0.0.0. Default gateway is 255.255.255.255.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

Please provide the switch model # requested by john.

After the command, the computer should have been rebooted.

John is going to get involved in this so that is good news.

One thing I suggest is to plug the computer into the router's port. let it pick up an ip address directly form the rotuer and let it get into the internet. Then switch it back to the new switch and see what happens.

Also, as I said, john showing up is good news.


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

I did reboot the machine after the commands.

BTW, a rather important development - I was incorrect in saying that the TIVO box was connecting to the net successfully through the switch - it too is unable to get to DHCP.

I'll get a model # in a minute.


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

Model:

http://www.compusa.com/products/pro...t_5_Port_10_100_Auto_Sensing_Workgroup_Switch


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

It is the same as the one I was looking at. 

While we are waiting for john:

get into your lan card make sure everything is set correclty (the card is enabled, dhcp is enabled, dns is enabled)

alos try to ping the router

turn router, swithc, computer off
turn router on, wiat untill on LEDs settel
turn swithc on
turn computer on

when you connect the uplink port of the switch to the router, first use a straingt cabble, then try a corssover cable


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Since the switch has auto-MDX ports, any cable will do the trick here. I'm starting to think the switch may have a problem.

Let's summerize:

You can connect directly to the router and get a good connection.

You use a known good cable to connect from the router to the switch.

You use a known good cable to connect from the switch to the computer.

The same computer cannot connect when attached to the switch.

If this scenario is correct, take the switch back.


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

I tried rebooting the router(unplugging the power and replugging it), changing the cable used between the switch and the router, giving the XP machine a static IP, and nothing worked.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

One last thing I would do:

Connect two computers to the switch. Assign IP address to each computer. Try to ping each computer from the other thru the switch.

If nothing works, as john said, the switch is bad


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Make SURE the cables you are testing with are good cables. Other than that, I don't see what could go wrong, the switch is a VERY simple device.


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## Jrru2 (Jun 15, 2004)

I think I got it working.

First I tried a third cable for the router-switch connection. While the first two cables I tried there were the crossovers, this third one, I believe, was a 'straight-through' cable that came with a wireless access point I purchased several years ago.

Anyway, that didn't work.

But, staying with that cable, I unplugged the XP machine and the TIVO box from the switch, and plugged them into different ports on the switch - they were in ports 4&5, and I moved them to ports 1&2.

THAT did the trick it appears, but I don't know why. But the XP Machine is connecting to the router now.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

All the ports on the switch should work exactly the same. If they don't, it's broken.


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

Now that is working, go back to the port that was not working befor, with the cable that is working on this new port to see what happens. Things might have been just trying to settel and work out, as you were doing diffrent things. The port might be ok now. Try it to see what happens.


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