Troubleshooting Techniques

I have two Windows 95 PCs connected on a hub. Can I give different IP address? Will they communicate if the default gateway on one PC is that of the second PC and vice versa?
If you are connecting two systems running on Windows 95 with a hub, both the machines will need to have Ethernet cards. This ensures that both the machines have different IP addresses.

You need not specify a default gateway between two interconnected Windows 95 machines, if the accessing is going to take place among themselves only. However, if they are going to access the Internet, then any one of the two machines can be the default gateway.

I use Windows 98 for my LAN. It worked fine until I logged on to the Internet. After using the Internet, my computer lost connection to the LAN. The Network Neighborhood shows My Computer only.
To access the LAN while connected to the Net, please perform the following steps:

For each computer, install TCP/IP (Internet Protocol, the means by which data is transported to and from the Internet) as a network protocol.

To do this:

1. Go to Start - Settings - Control Panel.

2. Double Click on "Network"

3. Click on Add - Protocol - Microsoft - TCP/IP.

4. Edit the TCP/IP properties so that each workstation has an IP address of "90.0.0.X"and a Gateway of "90.0.0.1," which will be the proxy server's address. X is a number between 1 and 255.

5. Restart the computer.

For the proxy server you must purchase a proxy program such as "WinProxy" or "Wingate". The proxy server must have two NICs. It is best to use two different brands in order to tell the difference. This computer will have the modem installed in it. One NIC needs to have the TCP/IP properties specified by the cable modem Internet service provider (ISP) that you can get from the company you use.

The other needs to have an internal IP address of "90.0.0.1." The number beginning with "90" is your internal Internet, or intranet subnet. The reason we use an IP starting with 90 is because it will not conflict with other computers on the Internet. The reason a proxy server is used is because it saves a lot of money. It serves each computer to the Internet simultaneously, so that a cable modem does not need to be purchased for each computer.

I am operating a cyber café with 30 nodes. The LAN gets congested when used by all the users. While playing games on the LANs it drops a player or it hangs. My cyber cafe description are as follows: Network Cards are DLink 530Tx 10/100(30pcs), hubs are DLink Dfe916 dx 10/100 (3pcs) and the Switch is DLink Ds1008 10/100 auto(1pcs).

The following are the tips to overcome your problem:

If your problem is not solved, please give us your client and server configurations for a better solution.

The Network Connection (Password) screen does not appear when my Windows 98 PC is switched on. As a result, I am unable to access the network (Peer-to-peer Windows 98). Others on the network can see me and share my files. I have tried reinstalling the LAN card, the protocols IPX/ SPX, NetBEUI, and client for Microsoft networks. Cabling can't be wrong because others are accessing me and for a day I was able to access the network. Please help.

There could be many reasons why you are not able to logon to the network. Please check if the network is configured properly. To do this,1. Right click on Network Neighborhood icon.

2. Select Properties.

3. Click on the Configuration tab.

4. Highlight "Client for Microsoft Networks", click on Properties.

5. Check "Logon and restore network connections"

Please make sure that the necessary adapters, protocols are installed and configured properly. Make sure File and Print-sharing option is enabled. To do so,

1. Right click on Network Neighborhood icon.

2. Click on Properties.

3. Click on the Configuration tab.

4. Click on "File and Print Sharing" button.

5. Check both the options on "File and Print Sharing" dialog box.

6. Clicking OK, will prompt you to restart the machine.

My friend and I have tried to establish a network using Windows 98 Dial up Networking using a Modem. To achieve this I have made my PC a Dial up Server using the option in Dial up networking. My friend, when he dials, is able to connect, but neither of us are able to communicate with each other. The Dial up server screen shows that he has been connected but I am unable to find his computer in the Network Neighbourhood. We have installed the following on our systems:

1) Dial up Server (My system ONLY)

2) Dial up Adapter (Binded to NetBEUI Protocol).

3) Client for Microsoft Networks.

4) NetBEUI Protocol.

5) File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

Please tell us why the two systems are unable to connect.

You need to use TCP/IP protocols to get connection in a network. If you don't have the protocols you need to install them. To install the TCP/IP protocol, please follow the steps given below :

1) Go to Start - Settings - Control Panel, double click Network

2) Then in the Network Click on Configuration - Add

3) Then in network component Click on Protocol - Add

4) In Network Protocol, select Microsoft under manufacturers and click TCP/IP. Click on "Have disk" if it is installed on your hard disk else Click on CD Rom - Ok

5) Select TCP/IP - IP address. Enter the IP address and Subject net mask. Click on Gateway

6) Enter the new Gateway address

7) This will prompt for a restart.

On our company LAN, I am working on Windows 98, while the rest are working on Windows NT Workstation 4.0. Even though I am connected to the network, I cannot send or receive messages from other users. While my colleagues get the "Message successfully sent" screen when they try to send me a mail, I do not receive their mails.

Probably, you are referring to "Winpopup" utility of Windows 98 and NT. Please open the file "winpopup.exe" under the folder "C:\WINDOWS". When you keep this window open, you can receive the messages from other users in the network.

You can also send messages to other users in the network. However, if you close it, then you will stop receiving messages from the other users. Please let us know what sort of messages your colleagues are getting.