ethernet / limited or no condutivity

[Nora]

I've got 3 comps hooked up threw a Linksys work group switch mod #EZXS55W. All have been working fine to get to the internet. 2 days ago all 3 would would not get on line and said this connection has limited or no conductivity. I've called the cable company, they said I'm getting full signal, it's got to be on my end. After unplugging the modem and plugging it back in, I'm able to get only one of the comps to work at a time. Even if the router box is removed all together, and only one comp is hooked up at a time, the modem again needs to be reset each time it is changed to get back to the internet? Has anyone got any ideas as to what is going on? It went from working at night to not working the next day without anyhting being changed.

 

[Michael Daly]

Do you have both a switch and a router or are you using the two terms for the one unit? The EZXS55W is a switch and the routing functions have to come from the modem.

Check the modem configuration and make sure it has its router function enabled properly. Since you can only get one computer connected to the Internet at a time, it sounds like the routing functions are not working.

Make sure that any DHCP settings have not changed on the modem or the switch.

 

[Nora]

I'm using the two terms for the same unit.
The cable comes out of the wall and into an SMC Networks modem mod #SMC8004CM, then to the Lynksys box, then to the 3 comps. I'm not sure how to check the routing funtion on the modem. All it has on it is a power input, a USB and a cat5 output as well as the function leds on the front. and a small hole that saids reset next to it. I've tryed both the reset button as well as unplugging everything for five mins and plugging all back in.
Also, I'm not sure what the DHCP settings are. In this area I am a super noob, please bear with me.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I've got 3 comps hooked up threw a Linksys work group switch mod #EZXS55W. All have been working fine to get to the internet. 2 days ago all 3 would would not get on line and said this connection has limited or no conductivity. I've called the cable company, they said I'm getting full signal, it's got to be on my end. After unplugging the modem and plugging it back in, I'm able to get only one of the comps to work at a time. Even if the router box is removed all together, and only one comp is hooked up at a time, the modem again needs to be reset each time it is changed to get back to the internet?.

I don't know how you got all 3x PCs online at once...unless your account with your ISP allows you to have multiple concurrent connections (more than 1x IP). Most "home grade" accounts don't have this..usually you get multiple IPs with a business grade account. Allowing 1x computer on at a time, which you notice, would be expected.

If you want to share a single broadband connection..you need a router. Cable modem==>Router==>4x LAN ports on the back of your router to your PCs. You get the added benefit of protecting your computers because they're behind the NAT firewall of the broadband router. Plugging PCs directly into a broadband modem...they get a public IP address..which is downright SCARY. Just a few seconds online and your PCs are immediately bombarded with exploits, worms, and kiddie hackers. PCs remain hidden/protected from that if they're behind a router.

 

[Michael Daly]

If you want to share a single broadband connection..you need a router.

Not necessarily. Some modems provide full router capabilities even though they only provide a single LAN port. In this case, you only need to add a switch, not a router. They also provide a firewall. The SpeedTouch ST516 is an example.

Since the OP already had multiple computers connected to the switch and the problem recently started, it appears that the modem's router functions are no longer working.

I just checked the SMC EZXS55W's online documentation and it states: Connect to a hub or switch and extend your
network connection up to 16 PCs. Unfortunately, it says there's a browser-based configuration utility but it doesn't provide the default IP address!

OP - To configure the modem, try connecting you computer direct to the modem, bypassing the switch.

Try opening your browser and using http://192.168.2.1 and see if it brings up the configuration page. If not try the same with the following IPs:

192.168.2.25
192.168.1.0
192.168.1.1
192.168.1.254
10.0.0.1
10.0.0.2

The first two (192.168.2.x) I found on a web page with info on lots of brands of devices and those were the default IPs for a number of SMC devices.

You may need the user ID and password. User is likely "admin" but the password, if used, is anyone's guess.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Not necessarily. Some modems provide full router capabilities even though they only provide a single LAN port. In this case, you only need to add a switch, not a router. They also provide a firewall. The SpeedTouch ST516 is an example.

Since the OP already had multiple computers connected to the switch and the problem recently started, it appears that the modem's router functions are no longer working.

I just checked the SMC EZXS55W's online doc.

I'm quite familiar with many business grade cable Gateways..including a higher end SMC 8014 unit which I have at a lot of clients.

The EZXS55W should only allow connection to 5x computers..it's just a Linksys switch.

The SMC model SMC8004CM however..a quick glance at it via Google did not yield any FAQs that it had any router/NAT abilities...it appeared to be just a pure bridged modem...no mentions of NAT or "gateway" abilities.

 

[Michael Daly]

I guess that SMC's statement that "Connect to a hub or switch and extend your network connection up to 16 PCs" is a lie and you know better than they do.

I guess the fact that the original poster had stated that three PCs had been connected and working until 2 days ago was also a lie and you know better than the OP too.

Thanks for all your assistance in these matters.

 

[Nora]

New update....
I wasn't able to get anywhere with those IP's, all I got was the white screen of "cannot display the web page". I did however dig out a crossover cable and hook the two main comps together. Now both have internet. This is how we did it for a couple of years befor adding the third comp and the Linksys switch. Would it be a safe bet to assume that it is the the switch that is bad? Other than to just buy another one and do the swap and see bit, is there any way to test it to be sure? All the lights come on in the right order and at the right time for each out put, but that doesn't always mean anything. Or is how the network works vs. how the switch work unrelated?

 

[Michael Daly]

It may or may not be a hardware problem with the Linksys switch. It could be that the settings got trashed somehow: power failure? I seem to remember hearing about a Linksys susceptibility to this (though I may be confused about the brand/product so affected).

I don't suppose the SMC manual was anywhere near where the crossover cable was found? - having the manual with the real IP address and user ID & psw would be good. Just to double check - you did bypass the switch and connect the computer directly to the modem to check the configuration before trying those IPs, right?

If you have the third computer not connected to the modem/internet, you could use it to try to see the configuration of the switch. If you have the manual for that or can download it from the Linksys web site, you could check out its settings without interfering with Internet access for the other two.

BTW, if you have three Ethernet ports on one of the computers (or a spare Ethernet card you can put into the computer with the modem connected), you could get the third computer on the shared Internet connection.

 

[Nora]

Yup still have all that came with the modem, to include the twisty ties that were on the cables. There is nothing listed for an original IP nor pass word. All that was in the box was a quick install guide, a drivers dics for usb, the modem and a cable for both cat5 and usb.

Yes, I took the switch out of the equation and hooked the comp directly to the modem befor trying the IP's How are the settings made on a switch? I'ts got an uplink port and 4 usable outputs, a 5th to add another switch or router, and the funtion leds on the front.

I've still got 3 loose lan cards floating around in the parts drawer, but am lacking a 30 foot cross over cable. That thought did cross my mind.

 

[Michael Daly]

Did that modem come from the cable company? If so, they may have pre-configured it and may not want you touching it. It does have SNMP configuration capabilities, so you could search the web for a free or trial version of SNMP Server software and see what you can do with that.

I looked at Linksys's web site and it appears that there are no configurable options for that switch.

That would suggest that either the problem is in the modem's configuration being changed somehow or the switch being knackered. If you know someone who could use the switch on their network to check its functioning or borrow a similar switch from someone to see if it works on your network, you could isolate the problem.

 

[Nora]

Well, oddly enough it's working again.

We got Vonage for a phone service and the switch is working again with the phone modem between it and the cable modem. Take the phone modem out and it doesn't work again??????

Could the phone modem have some kind of a signal booster in it and the switch just needed a little more ass in the input?

Oh well either way problem solved.

Thank you MD for all your input and continuing to post back!!

 

[Party2go9820]

I guess that SMC's statement that "Connect to a hub or switch and extend your network connection up to 16 PCs" is a lie and you know better than they do.

I guess the fact that the original poster had stated that three PCs had been connected and working until 2 days ago was also a lie and you know better than the OP too.

Thanks for all your assistance in these matters.

I realize that the problem has been fixed and all, but I can't just let an attitude like this go by. Michael, your comment is out of line and YeOldeStonecat deserves a bit more respect than that. The statement on SMC's site is correct - it will allow you to "extend your network" - assuming you don't need anything higher than layer 2. Nora does need those features to get multiple devices working from one outside IP address - routing, NAT, etc. You spent quite a bite of time trouble shooting the problem and Nora lucked into fixing the issue himself.

Nora - next time to get better help, list ALL of the devices in the chain. That Vonage box is apparently acting as your router and DHCP server - all things that were noted as missing from your config early on.

 

[Nora]

Nora - next time to get better help, list ALL of the devices in the chain. That Vonage box is apparently acting as your router and DHCP server - all things that were noted as missing from your config early on.

Vonage was not added until today. Befor it was running 3 comps on the switch from the SMC modem with out any probs for almost a year.

cable from wall > SMC > Linksys > 3 comps on line. X 1 year

cable from wall > SMC > Vonage > Linksys > 3 comps on line X 1 day

 

[Michael Daly]

That would suggest that a change in the SMC modem is the cause of your problem.

I stand by all my comments in this thread. Given the facts that were presented, I see no reason to retract anything.