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I have an Allied Telesyn 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet Switch. Plugged in is the main line to port one, direct from my Comcast router, an IBM ThinkCentre 8143-28U to port two, an Xbox 360 "classic" (mfr date 2009) in port three, and a custom built with a Gigabyte Z77-DH3 board into port four. Now, the fun part is as such. When my computer, the custom build, is off, no devices plugged into the switch will receive network data, and furthermore are not recognized by the router as even being connected, though they can communicate within the local switch ecosystem.
Thoughts on how to eliminate such a problem?
Cora
Posted 2013-01-23T04:25:21.777
Reputation: 417
1Is the computer in question (the box on port 4) providing DHCP services? Is the computer (port 4 again) connecting through the Comcast router using PPPoE? If it is your Comcast account may be handing configuration information to the custom build, which then serves the other devices. What MAY be going on here is that the Comcast box is just acting as a media converter. – Everett – 2013-01-23T04:32:03.743
I don't believe it is, no, to either question. Networking isn't really my forte. I can tell you that the IP of the custom is *.4 where the others are *.6 and *.5 – Cora – 2013-01-23T04:38:18.427
On the think center on port 2 if you do an ipconfig /all at the command line (assuming Windows) does the gateway address show up as *.4? In *nix based installs you would do ifconfig. – Everett – 2013-01-23T04:39:35.487
Yes it does, regardless of the custom. It does however display DNS errors when trying to view a page via Chrome when the custom is connected but powered down. – Cora – 2013-01-23T04:47:09.563
Sorry, no, it shows up as it should with *.5 – Cora – 2013-01-23T04:47:55.863
I think I'm confused. The IP address of the ThinkCentre is *.5? What does it show as the Gateway IP address? Or if the ThinkCentre shows that the Gateway IP address is *.5, is that the IP address of the Comcast modem? – Everett – 2013-01-23T04:51:49.503
Okay. The modem is *.1, custom is *.4, IBM is *.5, and the Xbox is *.6. I also noticed that when the custom is off and I do a ipconfig /renew and ipconfig /release the IP address changes to 169.254.14.38, an IP I've seen when linking two computers directly via Ethernet cables without a network connection. – Cora – 2013-01-23T04:52:22.843
Could you possibly cut and paste the ipconfig /all output. What I need from the ThinkCentre is the IP address and the Gateway IP address. – Everett – 2013-01-23T04:53:55.633
Based off of what you just provided, when the Custom is off, the rest of the computers are using self assigned IP addresses. The Custom is assigning IP addresses to everyone (acting as a DHCP server). When it's off, the computers on your network know how to talk to each other (using self assigned IP's), but have no route out to the internet (the Custom is what provides it). The route to the internet is being provided by the Custom in the DHCP configuration. – Everett – 2013-01-23T04:57:13.730
This means that the Comcast box is likely just a media converter (broadband to baseband) taking the round cable, and changing it to an Ethernet connection. That is fed through the switch into the Custom that then uses PPPoE to create an Ethernet connection. Once it has done that, it hands out IP addresses to the computers on your network. – Everett – 2013-01-23T05:00:10.030
Any ideas on how to fix that? :/ – Cora – 2013-01-23T05:00:20.877
1It's not broken, it's working as designed. Remove the media converter, replace it with a router, and make the router create the connection OR if the media converter CAN act as a router, turn on that functionality, and stop your computer from doing it. – Everett – 2013-01-23T05:02:48.143
A media converter...? – Cora – 2013-01-23T05:03:35.067
I can't get more specific than that without knowing your equipment, reading directions... maybe call Comcast? – Everett – 2013-01-23T05:04:00.513
If you don't know what a media converter is (I've explained it twice in my answers so far (not being snarky, just pointing it out)) it would be like asking me to help you repair a busted head gasket when you don't know what an engine block is. AND we'd be doing it across the Internet, I can't see what your doing, and I don't know the make and model of your car... :) – Everett – 2013-01-23T05:05:49.047
I can give you the names and models of all the various parts, if need be. I can't say that I know what a media converter is, but I'm sure I don't have one. The Internet goes from the wall via an RF line into the Comcast wireless router, where port one of that goes to the family computer (IP *.2) and port two to a small Dell desktop server I use for a small web host (IP *.3). The third port goes to the Ethernet switch's port one, which connects the IBM via port two (IP *.5), the Xbox via port three (IP *.6), and the custom via port four (IP *.4). – Cora – 2013-01-23T05:08:21.033