Networking Gods Please Help!!!

[pcuoco]

I’ve recently set up a new client machine. Due to the nature of my apartment, I'm forced to use a wireless router to feed my server and client with Internet. My main workstation (non-SageTV machine) is hardwired to the wireless router. I only have one working phone line for DSL (don’t ask), and it would be a major undertaking to hard wire all three machines, not to mention I’m a renter.

When I first set up the client I connected it wirelessly to the Sage server, everything talked fine and I could connect perfectly every time. But streaming the video over the wireless G to my client was unbearable. I did the registry fix, and while some days it would work like a champ, other days it would stutter so bad, I'd give up my new HDTV to watch on my old TV and server. I have 900mhz phones so I think I’m getting interference from my neighbors. Since hardwiring the server to the client only involved getting around 1 wall, I decided to wire it up.

I hardwired my Sage server and client with a hub in between, and wanted to continue to use the wireless connection for the Internet access for Sage EPG downloads and other surfing. Hardwiring back to my DSL connection is not a viable option. Sounded simple enough, but after doing the wiring I’m now running into problems.

While I can get the Sage server and the client to connect and playback together very well, now my wireless connection won’t connect to the internet on either machine. The wired workstation is fine.

I’ve tried everything I can think of and cannot get the wireless connection to work anymore. Disabling the hardwired LAN used to enable the Internet connection, but not anymore. Unfortunately I’m not that up to speed on networking, so I tried what I thought might help. I set a different static IP addresses for each nic on both machines, made sure that both networks are on different gateways. Nothing. In utter frustration I ran the XP Network Diagnostics tool, and noticed a third network connection listed that does not show up in my network connections screen or in the device manager, even if I select “show hidden devices”. It’s the “M$ TV/Video Connection” which I’ve learned gets installed with a TV capture card which both my client and server have. On both the client and the server this M$ TV connection and my wireless nic’s show as “Failed” in the report. Upon further inspection both my wireless connection and this M$ TV connection both have the exact same IP address. If I change the wireless IP, the M$ TV IP changes with it. They are always the same. Same exact problem on both the server and the client.

I’ve found while scouring the Internet that I’m not the first to have this problem. Others have solved it by disabling the TCP/IP on the M$ TV connection. But I can’t get access to the connection or it’s properties. It will not show up under network connections or in the device manager. I am at my wit’s end, and I am hoping that one of you smart folks out there can point me in the right direction.


Here are my server and client specs:
Server: custom build
Sage v2.2.2, PIII 650, XP Pro SP1, 512MB RAM, Matrox G450, WinTV-PVR-350 (latest official Hauppauge drivers), ATI e-Home Wonder, Linksys nic, Airlink+ PCI wireless nic

Client: Refurbed Gateway FMC-901
Sage 2.2.2, 2.6Ghz Celeron, MCE 2004 (XP Pro SP1), 640MB RAM, Nvidia 5200 (66.93 drivers), PVR-250 Roslyn, on board 3COM nic, Airlink+ USB wireless nic

Wireless Router: Airlink+ 4 port wireless Router
Ethernet Hub: Lynksys BESFR411 (old wired router)

Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks in advance.

Paul

[mikejaner]

Basically it sounds like your client and laptop are using the wired connection as a default route to the internet, with a higher value, ie lower cost, than the wireless.

Open up a command prompt Start-Run and type route print then hit enter.

You should see something like this:

Active Routes:
Network Destination Netmask Gateway Interface Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.5.4 192.168.5.60 20
10.10.0.0 255.255.255.0 10.10.0.1 10.10.0.1 20
10.10.0.1 255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1 20
10.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 10.10.0.1 10.10.0.1 20
127.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1 1
192.168.2.4 255.255.255.255 192.168.5.9 192.168.5.60 1
192.168.5.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.5.60 192.168.5.60 20
192.168.5.60 255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1 20
192.168.5.255 255.255.255.255 192.168.5.60 192.168.5.60 20
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 10.10.0.1 10.10.0.1 20
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 192.168.5.60 192.168.5.60 20
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 10.10.0.1 10.10.0.1 1
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 192.168.5.60 192.168.5.60 1
Default Gateway: 192.168.5.4
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
None

if you see two listings of 0.0.0.0 at the top of the table then you have two default routes. Look to the far right of each entry under Metric. the one with a lower number always wins, unless the other one dies.

You have two options if this is the case where your wireless connection has the higher number. One you can take the gateway entry off of your wired network settings. Two if you have DHCP enabled, you can change it to a manually configured address, and leave default gateway blank.

[pcuoco]

Thanks! mikejaner,

I'll give this a try when I get home!

[pcuoco]

Okay, I tried this, but it still isn't working. Now my wireless network is the only default route and gateway for both machines, but they're still unable to connect to the internet and neither wireless connection can ping the router.

I can ping both wireless connections from my workstation through the wireless router. I still have the IP conflict with the wireless devices on both computers with that M$ TV Network Connection that won't appear in the device manager.

Any other thoughts?

[pcuoco]

Anyone have any other ideas? Please?

[remmy925]

I'm not that good with wireless connections, but are you still hard coding in IPs. Are you set to use DHCP or static still?

[pcuoco]

Well I finally got it fixed!

Being the networking noob that I am, even though I had made static IP's I just hadn't made the two networks different enough. By changing my Sage Server and client to an IP range of 10.10.0.x I was finally able to get it all to work.

In fact I'm typing this on my Sage Client! Thanks mikejaner and remy925 for your help.