Problems connecting Win98SE and XP Pro using crossover

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Jeffrey Spoon - 17 Apr 2005 18:03 GMT

Hello I'm trying to set up a Win98SE and XP Pro machine to talk to each
other over TCP/IP so I can run a program I'm working on. However, I
can't seem to get them working.

I have set the XP Pro box up with a network connection, manual IP
address 192.168.1.1, subnet 255.255.255.0. I set the Win98SE box to the
same subnet and 192.168.1.2 IP address. I then set them to the same work
group name. I then put the crossover adapter on the Win98 NIC.

The XP box immediately noticed the connection in the Network connections
and connected. I could ping the 98 box. But the 98 box was non the wiser
and couldn't ping or see the XP machine. So I swapped the adapter to the
XP NIC. The XP box still detected the connection, but I couldn't ping
the 98 box any more. So I swapped the adapter back to the 98 NIC, but
still couldn't ping either box. Also the NIC in the 98 box activity LED
remains solid for most of the time (accept when receiving something from
the XP box).

I'm sure I haven't set up the 98 box properly and something is missing.
The only thing I can think of is swapping the 98 box NIC to another slot
and see if it is the card, or swapping it with the NIC in the XP box.
Other than that it may be an XP/98SE config problem but I'm not sure
what.

I should also mention I did this originally with Win98 on the old box,
but thinking the installation was fritzed, I formatted it and installed
98SE. But the result was the same, so it must be a config problem.

Cheers

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Jeffrey Spoon

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CJT - 17 Apr 2005 18:20 GMT

> Hello I'm trying to set up a Win98SE and XP Pro machine to talk to each
> other over TCP/IP so I can run a program I'm working on. However, I
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> Cheers

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a cabling problem.

Try it with a switch or hub and regular cables.

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Jeffrey Spoon - 17 Apr 2005 22:51 GMT

>I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a cabling problem.
>
>Try it with a switch or hub and regular cables.

I've just noticed the MAC address for the 98 NIC is 00-00-59-fe-00-00.
Default setting mebbe?

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Jeffrey Spoon

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Al Dykes - 18 Apr 2005 00:37 GMT

>>I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a cabling problem.
>>
>>Try it with a switch or hub and regular cables.
>
>I've just noticed the MAC address for the 98 NIC is 00-00-59-fe-00-00.
>Default setting mebbe?

Next time run ipconfig /all on the XP machine
and winipcfg on the 98 box and post the results for us to
look at.

I assume you have a store-bought xover cable and it's OK. If you
wired it yourself all bets are on the cable being wrong.

XP will "autoconfigure" if it doesn't see a dhcp server. (so will
w2k. 98 won't) I suggest you boot XP and allow that to happen
(ipconfig/all will tell you that autoconfigure worked) and then set
the 98 machine to identical IP number plus 1 and identical mask.

I'm drawing a blank on what the gateway should be for a two-computer
LAN. Someone here can chip in and state what it should be. It's not
used because there is no routing. Maybe it does't matter.

Ping with IP numbers, not computer names.

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Jeffrey Spoon - 18 Apr 2005 16:18 GMT

>Next time run ipconfig /all on the XP machine
>and winipcfg on the 98 box and post the results for us to
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
>Ping with IP numbers, not computer names.

That's pretty much what I did, only I set the IP manually on the XP box.
When I tried the auto configure it fails to connect properly and gives
an error about not being properly connected (yellow exclamation mark
etc.) I think because it's trying to find a DHCP server. Manually it at
least finds the other PC.

I didn't use a crossover cable but a crossover adapter, which I bought.

I took the guys advice in here and bought a switch. And it made no
difference whatsoever. It's not the cables as the two I am using are
right now working fine via the switch on my cable modem. Which makes me
suspect the NIC in the 98 box.

ipconfig /all for the XP box:

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : jimmy664

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com EtherLink PCI TPO NIC
(3C900B- TPO)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-8E-A6-BC

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 169.254.157.234

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

ipconfig /all for the 98SE box:

Windows 98 IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : P0Y5I2

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

0 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.

Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

1 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.

Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

2 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : Realtek 8139-series PCI NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-00-59-FE-00-00

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 169.254.157.235

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

Cheers

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Jeffrey Spoon

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Al Dykes - 18 Apr 2005 16:38 GMT

>>Next time run ipconfig /all on the XP machine
>>and winipcfg on the 98 box and post the results for us to
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>right now working fine via the switch on my cable modem. Which makes me
>suspect the NIC in the 98 box.

Autoconf is designed wo work without a DHCP server. I say let it
configure your XP interface.

Are you sure you've plugged the cable into the right ethernet
interface on the w/98 box ? I'll let other people
look at the IP config info.

Do both work by themselves if they are connected to your broadband
service ? (remember to turn DHCP on.)

>ipconfig /all for the XP box:
>
[quoted text clipped - 87 lines]
> Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
> Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

>Cheers

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a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

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Jeffrey Spoon - 18 Apr 2005 17:33 GMT

>Autoconf is designed wo work without a DHCP server. I say let it
>configure your XP interface.

Well I can't get it to work that way, so something must be amiss. It
won't assign an IP at all. It only works when it's on the cable modem
and finds the DHCP server or if the IP is configured manually.

>Are you sure you've plugged the cable into the right ethernet
>interface on the w/98 box ?

There's only one NIC.

> I'll let other people
>look at the IP config info.
>
>Do both work by themselves if they are connected to your broadband
>service ? (remember to turn DHCP on.)

No, only the XP box. Which is partly why I suspect the 98 NIC. On the
Win98 box the adapter won't renew, says it can't find the DHCP server,
although the XP box will find it quite happily.

Cheers

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Jeffrey Spoon

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Al Dykes - 18 Apr 2005 18:56 GMT

>>Autoconf is designed wo work without a DHCP server. I say let it
>>configure your XP interface.
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
>Cheers

One of your boxes has two NIC interfaces. I thought it was the 98 box.
IMO you should get both talking to your broadband+dhcp service before
you try to get them to talk together.

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a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

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J. Clarke - 18 Apr 2005 03:12 GMT

>>I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a cabling problem.
>>
>>Try it with a switch or hub and regular cables.
>
> I've just noticed the MAC address for the 98 NIC is 00-00-59-fe-00-00.
> Default setting mebbe?

MAC addresses are burned into ROM during manufacture. You shouldn't have to
mess with them at all.

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--John
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(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

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MercurioX - 17 Apr 2005 22:57 GMT

You should try a switch or a cable like CJT said.
98SE is more prepared to be a receiver than a sender, so that is the
reason that the WINXP box detect the 98 but the 98 not.

A switch or a Hub will work great. !!!!!! :)

Good luck !!!

*PD> Sorry for my English.

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Ron Lowe - 20 Apr 2005 17:50 GMT

> I have set the XP Pro box up with a network connection, manual IP address
> 192.168.1.1, subnet 255.255.255.0. I set the Win98SE box to the same
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> and connected. I could ping the 98 box. But the 98 box was non the wiser
> and couldn't ping or see the XP machine.

One-way pings are usually caused by a firewall on the non-pingable machine.

On the XP box, go into the windows firewall, and enable the File+Print
sharing exception.
That will also enable pings.

Your setup otherwise looks OK.

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Best Regards,
Ron Lowe
MS-MVP Windows Networking

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