brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network

hereami · 01-28-2008, 10:10 PM

Hi there!
I just installed Linux (ubuntu 7.10) on a computer at work (I teach English at a overseas school; it's also my job to fix computer problems when they come up even though I usually don't know what I'm doing!). When I connected it to the school network via LAN, Linux immediately found the other computers on the network and connected to the internet as well. Impressive! I wish Windows would work so smoothly. However, after a few minutes the other computers were no longer visible, although the internet still works fine. I'd browsed a bit through the various file folders and apps that come installed with ubuntu, but I don't think I changed anything important. Any idea what might have happened? And mostly - how do I fix it so I can see and access other computers in the workgroup? Thanks for the help!!!

cmnorton · 01-29-2008, 01:36 PM

Start by posting the output of ifconfig. You might have to su to root or (sudo ifconfig on Ubuntu/Debian).

Which Linux distro is this?

hereami · 01-29-2008, 07:02 PM

I'm sorry to sound stupid, but I didn't understand the last post. :( I thought "distro" meant which type of Linux. I'm using ubuntu 7.10. I'm not sure what the rest of the post meant. Could you clarify in less technical language? Thanks!

cmnorton · 01-30-2008, 06:27 AM

Sorry, I missed Ubuntu.

Start an X-term (command line).

Enter sudo ifconfig > ifconfiginfo

Post the info here.

hereami · 02-13-2008, 07:14 AM

Sorry about the delay - I usually get an email notification if someone posts a reply and this time never got one (or my wife deleted it!). I found the command line and typed in "sudo ifconfig > ifconfiginfo" and got a request to input my password. I did that and got a new command prompt. I tried again. This time nothing happened at all. I tried "sudo ifconfig" and got the following:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:11:95:5A:EA:8C
inet addr:192.168.1.19 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::211:95ff:fe5a:ea8c/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:4121 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:2480 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:2901572 (2.7 MB) TX bytes:291375 (284.5 KB)
Interrupt:5 Base address:0x6000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

I tried various other combos using >ifconfiginfo but kept getting messages saying the command wasn't found. I don't know much tech-speak, and nothing Linux-related (yet). Did I do what you asked? I still can't see any other computers on my LAN, although I can access the Internet via the ADSL modem connected to the switch that my computer is also connected to. Thanks for your help!

ncsu1983 · 02-13-2008, 08:07 PM

Well, as you said you're connected to the Internet.

Code:

inet addr:192.168.1.19 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0

Unfortunately, that doesn't give any clues to the problem. Can you replicate the steps/keystrokes you used that let you view other machines on the network?

Perhaps this tutorial can help.

lensman3 · 02-14-2008, 06:07 PM

FYI: "tried various other combos using >ifconfiginfo". What is happening if you are running ifconfig and the output, instead of being printed to the screen, is being printed into the file "ifconfiginfo". That file is somewhere on your disk. The "greater than" sign means put the "stdout" (the screen) and redirect it into a file which happens to be called, in your case, "ifconfiginfo"!

Could you also run "netstat -nr" from a command line window and post that output. This will tell "us" what the IP address is and the default gateway. If you run "man netstat" you will see the manual for netstat. The reason you probably can't get to the Internet is that the default gateway is not specified or is wrong. The line that has 0.0.0.0 will tell us the machine the default gateway is pointing to.

01-28-2008, 10:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
hereami Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 61 OS: WinXP	brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network Hi there! I just installed Linux (ubuntu 7.10) on a computer at work (I teach English at a overseas school; it's also my job to fix computer problems when they come up even though I usually don't know what I'm doing!). When I connected it to the school network via LAN, Linux immediately found the other computers on the network and connected to the internet as well. Impressive! I wish Windows would work so smoothly. However, after a few minutes the other computers were no longer visible, although the internet still works fine. I'd browsed a bit through the various file folders and apps that come installed with ubuntu, but I don't think I changed anything important. Any idea what might have happened? And mostly - how do I fix it so I can see and access other computers in the workgroup? Thanks for the help!!!

01-29-2008, 01:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
cmnorton Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Arlington, MA Posts: 22 OS: Ubuntu	Re: brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network Start by posting the output of ifconfig. You might have to su to root or (sudo ifconfig on Ubuntu/Debian). Which Linux distro is this? __________________ Charles M. Norton

01-29-2008, 07:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
hereami Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 61 OS: WinXP	Re: brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network I'm sorry to sound stupid, but I didn't understand the last post. :( I thought "distro" meant which type of Linux. I'm using ubuntu 7.10. I'm not sure what the rest of the post meant. Could you clarify in less technical language? Thanks!

01-30-2008, 06:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
cmnorton Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Arlington, MA Posts: 22 OS: Ubuntu	Re: brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network Sorry, I missed Ubuntu. Start an X-term (command line). Enter sudo ifconfig > ifconfiginfo Post the info here. __________________ Charles M. Norton

02-13-2008, 07:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
hereami Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 61 OS: WinXP	Re: brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network Sorry about the delay - I usually get an email notification if someone posts a reply and this time never got one (or my wife deleted it!). I found the command line and typed in "sudo ifconfig > ifconfiginfo" and got a request to input my password. I did that and got a new command prompt. I tried again. This time nothing happened at all. I tried "sudo ifconfig" and got the following: eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:11:95:5A:EA:8C inet addr:192.168.1.19 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::211:95ff:fe5a:ea8c/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:4121 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:2480 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:2901572 (2.7 MB) TX bytes:291375 (284.5 KB) Interrupt:5 Base address:0x6000 lo Link encap:Local Loopback inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0 inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1 RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b) I tried various other combos using >ifconfiginfo but kept getting messages saying the command wasn't found. I don't know much tech-speak, and nothing Linux-related (yet). Did I do what you asked? I still can't see any other computers on my LAN, although I can access the Internet via the ADSL modem connected to the switch that my computer is also connected to. Thanks for your help!

02-13-2008, 08:07 PM	#6 (permalink)
ncsu1983 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Midwest USA Posts: 38 OS: Linux My System	Re: brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network Well, as you said you're connected to the Internet. Code: inet addr:192.168.1.19 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 Unfortunately, that doesn't give any clues to the problem. Can you replicate the steps/keystrokes you used that let you view other machines on the network? Perhaps this tutorial can help.

02-14-2008, 06:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
lensman3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Littleton, Colorado USA Posts: 470 OS: xp 64 sp2 Fedora Core 8 (vmware xp core 8 x32) Minix	Re: brand new to Linux and can't connect to a network FYI: "tried various other combos using >ifconfiginfo". What is happening if you are running ifconfig and the output, instead of being printed to the screen, is being printed into the file "ifconfiginfo". That file is somewhere on your disk. The "greater than" sign means put the "stdout" (the screen) and redirect it into a file which happens to be called, in your case, "ifconfiginfo"! Could you also run "netstat -nr" from a command line window and post that output. This will tell "us" what the IP address is and the default gateway. If you run "man netstat" you will see the manual for netstat. The reason you probably can't get to the Internet is that the default gateway is not specified or is wrong. The line that has 0.0.0.0 will tell us the machine the default gateway is pointing to.