Re: Linux seems to kill the network

From: Walter Mautner (nextnews.15.eatallspam_at_spamgourmet.com)
Date: 03/21/04 

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 12:07:04 +0100

Steve Sinclair wrote:

...
> The PCs can exchange data with each other and each can access the internet
> etc. The PCs obtain their IP addresses using DHCP (from the router ?) and
> are in the range 192.168.xxx.xxx on subnet 255.255.255 - all the standard
> setup.
>
>
>
> I decided to experiment with Linux and bought SUSE 9.0 Pro which I
> installed
> dual-boot on one of the XP Pro machines. The installation etc. all went
> really smoothly and I was able to boot to Linux and use the PC as a
> Workstation with internet connectivity etc. I haven't explored the server
> features yet.
>
> Every so often I'll boot to SUSE Linux and find that I can't access the
> internet. When I try accessing the internet from the Windows PCs I have
> the
> same problem - no access to the internet. The windows PCs are all running
> ZoneAlarm - I noticed it popped up a "new network found" box, i.e. it was
> reporting an IP address in the range 169.xxx.xxx.xxx (sorry, didn't note
> all the details).
>
The 169.254.x.x is called APIPA and windows uses that class B range if set
to dhcp and no dhcp server answers it's requests. There is some kind of
auto-detection of free ip addresses in that range through pings, and the
workstation will take the address if no response from other boxen.
Now, that can end in a mess if zonealarm is installed and no answers to
pings are given.
>
> I rebooted the router then all the PCs and everything was OK - access to
> internet, IP addresses in expected 192.168.. range etc. I never have this
> issue when I boot everything to Windows.
>
Appears you have activated a dhcp server in your linux box, but obviously
without configuring it. So it will answer on the dhcpdiscover requests of
windows clients, but refuse to hand out IPs. Try "chkconfig --list|grep
dhcp" and "chkconfig dhcpd off" (for Redhat/Fedora) or some yast equivalent
on SuSe if you find one running.

> I have installed the server components of Linux but didn't think I had
> activated them.
>
At least you are behind a router and NAT gateway, so you won't have opened
your linux box to the whole world. Take time to read up upon servers and
their configuration, and turn off what you don't want or need. 

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