Determining IP information for eth0 failed

[Chris Kloiber]

On Sat, 2004-04-03 at 04:06, Jeroen Van Goey wrote:
> Nigel Wade wrote:
> >It may well be that you can't get DHCP direct from your ISP because of other hardware in
> the way.
> and Keven Ring wrote:
> >Is the switch/hub [pick one, they are different.... :) ] really a Cable Modem/DSL ROUTER
> 
> >[that is, on the original box, did it say either Cable Modem Router or DSL Router, or
> >both?].
> Where the fibre-cable enters my house, I've three boxes on the wall. First it enters a
> box, model NIU-2D4TB from Dinh-Telecom (I couldn't find much info about it, except for
> the fact that Dinh-Telecom is a Belgian company). Where there is a label "-5dB/1dB", a 
> coax cable exits and goes to a Motorola SB4200E SURFboard Cable Modem
> http://broadband.motorola.com/catalog/productdetail.asp?ProductID=180). From there a
> cable goes to a "5 Port Mini-Hub" (no model or vendor visible on the box). From there, 2
> cables exit, one to PC1, the other to PC2.
> 
> >Is [the Windows] PC1 getting an IP address from your ISP?
> Using the command "winipcfg" I get this information:
> adaptoradress:     00-03-E1-40-35-90
> IP-address:         81.83.45.35
> subnetmask:        255.255.254.0
> Standard Gateway:  81.83.44.1
> 
> >How many leases have you purchased from your ISP?
> Have no clue... I subscribe to a service that allows me to have 2 PCs connected to the
> internet, each one with their own IP-address. For those who understand dutch, the product
> info page is: http://www.telenet.be/producten/internet/telenet_internet/duo/index.php
> ,and the installation layout is at
> http://www.telenet.be/producten/internet/installatie/installatie_duo_quattro/index.php It
> mentions that you only need a hub and no router, but no word about leases.
> 
> >Did you purchase the cable modem?
> My ISP installed it, so I guess I lease it from them.
> 
> So it seems that what you said (that my hub won't do Network Address Translation [NAT]
> and/or that my cable modem only allows for exactly 1 network card MAC address and
> completely IGNORES other requests) is happening.
> 
> IF this is the case, I will likely go for option 2 you suggested (purchasing a 2nd
> Network Interface Card [NIC] (~$10-20 US) for PC2, connect the cable modem to the machine
> that has 2 network cards , connect the other card to the hub, set up NAT, install a
> Firewall, and possibly reset my cable modem.)
> 
> Before I do this, are there any other checks that I can perform to know for certain that
> this is the case. And can somebody tell me in detail what this lease thing is. If we're
> positive, I will install the second NIC and tell how it goes, 

Turn off the Windows Machine, turn off the cable modem, wait a minute,
then power on the cable modem then the linux system.

The linux system should get an IP now. Turn on the Windows system, and
it will probably get an "AutoConfiguration" IP in the range
192.168.254.X (If I remember correctly) but should not be able to surf
the net. That means you are either not getting your second IP you are
paying for, or you aren't paying for two IP's. In either case, it's
safer for you to go the 2 network cards in the linux system route. Even
Micro$oft admitted it's unsafe to put a bare naked Windows system on the
internet without a firewall. Plus you get the added benefit of learning
network services like firewalling, DNS, DHCP etc.

-- 
Chris Kloiber, RHCX
Red Hat, Inc.