On Sun, Aug 06, 2006 at 06:39:13PM -0400, Faheem Mitha wrote: > > > On Sun, 6 Aug 2006, Andrew Sackville-West wrote: > > >On Sun, Aug 06, 2006 at 02:33:35PM -0400, Faheem Mitha wrote: > >> > >>Hello everyone, > >> > >>I've recently encountered an odd problem with a switch and a Dell PC > >>running Debian. I'm using it on a cable modem. When I plug the machine > >>directly into the cable modem, I can get on the net (the cable modem > >>uses DHCP as per usual). > > > >if you can get a dhcp lease directly from your cable modem, then dhcp > >client is working on the debian box. > > > >> > >>However, when I plug the machine into the switch, the machine can't > >>get on the net, in fact it can't get a lease from the DHCP server at > >>all. > > > >does the switch have an incorporated router? > > Not certain, but don't think so. It is a fairly generic Netgear switch, > which I picked up at Best Buy. Routers and switches are separate things, > aren't they? well, if there is no "router" component to your switch, then you're not going to get dhcp service for more than one connection. If you take the laptop offline, reboot your modem I'm willing to bet you get dhcp on the dell box. Your cable modem is dishing out one IP address, probably to whichever machine you turn on first... > [ deletia ...] > Unfortunately I don't have a static IP address to use, at least not on > that cable service. > I mean a static IP on your LOCAL network, generally something in the 192.168.x.x range. if the ip you are getting on your laptop, with the switch in place, is not in that range, you are almost certainly getting that IP straight from the modem and it is the same IP as your location on the internet at large. you need a router. A
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