Boot: strange behaviour

Why can my ATI Home always browse my LAN when I'm under Windows but only sometimes when I'm at the boot?

In fact for a long period I could see all machines in my local network using the bootable CD. Now it depends: sometimes you can and sometimes you can't.

The steps are:

- I turn my PC on
- I insert the ATI CD
- I wait while it's loading
- I specify 192.168.0.1 (255.255.0.0) in networkd card settings
- I start a backup but only sometimes I can see all the network and choose a machine to store it; I often can't see the network

I've tried with 2 different network cards (the one inside the MB and one PCI added added by hand) but the result is almost the same: not always you can see the network.

Why?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

I discovered this fact: from Acronis (loaded from bootable CD) I can browse my local network when at the start-up of my PC the led of the Ethernet cable on the router is on. When it's off I can't see the network.

From what does the on/off of the led on the router depend on?

Massimo


P.S. if I'm under Windows and my PC goes to stand-by then if I restart my PC then the led on the router is always on! this is a workaround, but I can't understand why

 

The LED on the router means that there is a connection established between the router and the LAN adaptor.

What is the IP address assigned to the router? 192.168.0.1 is a common default for some routers as is 192.168.1.1.

What IP address is being assigned to the computer when you boot into Windows?

Is DHCP being used on the router or do you have everything setup with static addresses?

 

Are you sure? I suppose it could mean that there is an Ethernet cable inserted in it.

Anyway, tha fact is: if it's on I can see the LAN from Acronis bootable CD otherwise I can't. And the other fact is: the only way to keep the LED on consists in going to stand-by from Windows before to restart the PC.

router: (static IP address) 192.168.0.3

In Windows XP I configured the Ethernet card to be: (static IP address) 192.168.0.1

When I boot from Acronis CD I usually go to Options->Ethernet and set 192.168.0.1 (255.255.0.0).

Let me underline I really don't think it's a problem of IP address, because the only way to see the LAN consists in having the LED on; otherwiser you can't see it at all.

Router setting: DHCP relay 192.168.0.1, in fact when I'm under Windows my PC (192.168.0.1) is the DHCP, too. From Acronis CD I don't know what this setting means, I suppose it's ignored because from Acronis CD there is no DHCP server (and even if there could be one nothing changes).

Massimo

 

Disconnect the cable (either end) and the light will go out. In my experience, the light is on when there is a connection between the NIC and the router. This does not mean the computer has to be on. Most newer computers keep this connection since they don't fully power down even when shut down (unless you remove power).

I have the same problem with a PCMCIA card on my laptop. Linux sometimes takes several boots to get it initialized correctly. When it works right, the lights come on (both on the router and the card). When it doesn't work, neither light comes on and I can't setup any network settings. This is usually caused by border-line Linux drivers or an NIC that's not well supported.

Is there a reason you have the computer setup as the DHCP server instead of the router? I wonder if you're getting some conflict, but, as you say, that shouldn't affect the connection lights.

In most cases, the router is powered on all the time. If setup to assign IP addresses (DHCP), this usually allows for easier network configuration. My attempt to use Windows for this didn't last long and didn't work well. The setting in the Acronis software to use DHCP just means that it's going to look for it and get an IP address if it's found. If you're booted to the TI CD on the Windows computer that is setup as the DHCP server, the server won't be running and no address can be assigned automatically.

However, you should use what works for you. On my laptop, I use a static IP assignment even though I have the DHCP server setup on my router. This is because half the time the laptop won't get assigned an address and it's just easier to not have to keep fixing it.

 

Try this: when you're on Windows let it go to stand-by and then (after came back to Windows) restart it.. in this way when the machine is booting my led on the router is ON!.. so I always can browse my local network from Acronis bootable CD.

Try and let me know.

Is there any fix?

Yes, because my PC supplies Internet connection (and then it's the gateway).

I really don't think my problem is caused by wrong IP, DHCP, etc settings because if I connect my PC directly to the HD on the LAN by Ethernet crossover cable (bypassing router) the problem persists.

Massimo

 

I've just tried .ISO of ATI Home 2009 and it works! This means the cause was in the .ISO of ATI Home 10 which wasn't enough updated about driver and so on..

Massimo