Hey everyone!

Got a mind bender... at least for me

My new home network topology is as follows:

[Vista Box] -ICS- [WinXP Server] -Wifi/Lan- [Qwest DSL Wireless Modem] -Wifi- [HTPC]

Ok, so the problem is that the HTPC is having trouble maintaining Mapped drives with the Server. Internet connections are A-OK all around... no problems. I use Mapped drives to stream music and video from the Server to the HTPC. The Server connects to the Modem via either an old Cisco Aironet 350 Wireless card, or 3Com LAN card. The server always has internet connectivity, can ping and browse to the HTPC. The HTPC (using a brand new Netgear WG311) always has internet and can also always ping the server, but the ability to browse files or map drives is intermittent.

Often, the HTPC will just simply drop its connectivity to the Server. I can switch the Server from Wireless to LAN, and that seems to restore connections... but some time later, the connections are lost again. This switching goes on...

Is it me, or does the wireless DSL mdoem sound like the culprit???

Thanks in advance!
Jesse

Why do you suspect the modem and not the wireless card in the HTPC? I'm not saying it is one or the other I'm just askin...

-MF

no hard feelings here, but i would put the problem as a poorly designed network.

this is how you should run your network.

DSL Modem
to a real WIFI Router or atleast a switch
all computers on the network connect to the switch or router.

honestly, if you dont have a laptop, you shouldnt be running any kind of wireless. atleast not for desktop computers.

some will disagree, but ehh, everyone has thier opinion, and in the end this isnt my network nor is it my money.

this is how i have my network at home as a example.

Cable Modem
4 port Wireless Router that does DHCP
1 conenction going to my 24 port switch
my Vista comp and my MS home server conencted to the switch

3x laptops and PS3, and 2x Iphones conencted via Wireless.

now as for your mapped drive issue.

i think it is more with your ICS connection. i think if you gave that computer a direct conenction to the modem, it should resolve your issues instead of it relying on the connection through your vista box.

this current setup has to suck if someone is watching a HD movie and your trying to use your vista box as all that data has to go through your vista box while your trying to use it.

ya its just passing through, but it still takes up bandwidth and CPU power. and HD movies being easily 25+ gigs, its better to give that XP box its own conenction.

@Funkibut - At first I did suspect the wireless card... but I've swapped the wireless cards in the server and the HTPC twice, and the results are the same.

@TCG - The network is this way because it has to be... otherwise I'll have 50ft' cat5 cables all over my apartment. And yes, I do have a laptop to use for work. The Vista box has nothing to do with my problems... it is simply using a shared internet connection via the server to get it's internet... and it is hard wired to the server. Nothing goes 'through' the Vista box. The problem lies between the HTPC and the server. As I told MF above, I can swap the wireless cards between the HTPC and the server and receive the same problems.

I'm not using a dedicated router because I don't have one, my DSL modem has wireless built in, and I didn't want to bother buying a router if I didn't have to. Trust me, I don't like this network config any better than you do... but I need help diagnosing the problem, not ideas for a new network. If someone can help me pin down that the modem really is the problem, then I will gladly buy a router.

Thanks for the replies!

Maybe u or someone around u has something on a 2.4GHz range that's throwing your connection off. My old cordless phone would make my wireless router drop connection to the point i'd have to disable and enable it to get it to work again.

Quote: Originally Posted by Jobistober @Funkibut - At first I did suspect the wireless card... but I've swapped the wireless cards in the server and the HTPC twice, and the results are the same. @TCG - The network is this way because it has to be... otherwise I'll have 50ft' cat5 cables all over my apartment. And yes, I do have a laptop to use for work. The Vista box has nothing to do with my problems... it is simply using a shared internet connection via the server to get it's internet... and it is hard wired to the server. Nothing goes 'through' the Vista box. The problem lies between the HTPC and the server. As I told MF above, I can swap the wireless cards between the HTPC and the server and receive the same problems. I'm not using a dedicated router because I don't have one, my DSL modem has wireless built in, and I didn't want to bother buying a router if I didn't have to. Trust me, I don't like this network config any better than you do... but I need help diagnosing the problem, not ideas for a new network. If someone can help me pin down that the modem really is the problem, then I will gladly buy a router. Thanks for the replies!

but what i am saying is that it does have somethign to do with it.

this is what i understand of your situation.

you have drives on the server that are being mapped on the HTPC.
that HTPC is requesting information that has to pass through the vista machine to reach the server.
so somewhere between the HTPC and the server the signal is getting lost. the only thing in between is the vista machine, and to compicate it, it is using ICS.

now there could be multiple tihngs that cause the issue.
vista machine sleeping/hibernating. 2nd NIC going bad, the Cat5 cable bad, maybe a viri, or settings on the vista machine causing a issue, maybe it is raining in china?

there is just too many maybes involved. i understand about having Cat5 runnign all over, but to narrow the issue down, can you run a cat5 from teh server to the router if you have the available port?

my best guess right now is that there is soemthing on the vista machine casuing the issue. ICS getting shut down for some reason?, could tbe the cable from the vista to xp box losing conenction briefly. but im guessing it is somewhere around that.


as for the wireless issue. i was more trying to say that desktop computers shouldnt be conencted to a network via wireless. even more so if your pushing alot of bandwidth through them. not that you shouldnt be running wireless.
i see wireless networks really as a different network than the tradition wire network. its all part of the same, but different.

Since you have a laptop ...

I'd be interested in seeing if the laptop and the HTPC both drop the mappings. If it happens at the same time, we can at least eliminate the HTPC. If it DOESN'T then we can narrow the culprit to the HTPC settings itself.

Can't we O network gurus?

-MF

@Musclecars - You bring up a good point... there's lots of wireless signals in my apartment complex. Maybe one of them is causing a conflict?

@TCG - I think we're misunderstanding each other. See the attached diagram.

ADD- Will try your idea Funki

Attached Thumbnails

 

I just thought of something. If you decide to redo ur network setup consider Powerline networking. I recently helped someone in a similar situation where they could not have the wires run and installed a Netgear 200Mbps setup and it ran way better than a 54Mbps G setup, even had encryption over the lines. It's really come a long way in the last few years and i think u should consider it.

Newegg.com - Powerline, Powerline Adapter, Ethernet Bridge, USB Powerline Adapter, Powerline Networking Kit, Powerline Ethernet Adapter

Quote: Originally Posted by musclecars&computers I just thought of something. If you decide to redo ur network setup consider Powerline networking. I recently helped someone in a similar situation where they could not have the wires run and installed a Netgear 200Mbps setup and it ran way better than a 54Mbps G setup, even had encryption over the lines. It's really come a long way in the last few years and i think u should consider it. Newegg.com - Powerline, Powerline Adapter, Ethernet Bridge, USB Powerline Adapter, Powerline Networking Kit, Powerline Ethernet Adapter

Hmm... now that's interesting. I've never seen anything like that before. Might have to look into this a little more.

Quote: Originally Posted by musclecars&computers I just thought of something. If you decide to redo ur network setup consider Powerline networking. I recently helped someone in a similar situation where they could not have the wires run and installed a Netgear 200Mbps setup and it ran way better than a 54Mbps G setup, even had encryption over the lines. It's really come a long way in the last few years and i think u should consider it. Newegg.com - Powerline, Powerline Adapter, Ethernet Bridge, USB Powerline Adapter, Powerline Networking Kit, Powerline Ethernet Adapter

Off topic but, If you install a power line network is the signal accessable by your neighbors if they have an adaptor? Does it back feed into the power grid?

Quote: Originally Posted by corruptjoker Off topic but, If you install a power line network is the signal accessable by your neighbors if they have an adaptor? Does it back feed into the power grid?

I was looking at adapters after Muclecars mentioned them, and some of them feature encryption. But just thinking about simple electricity, I think the signal wouldn't be able to get past a transformer... who knows. But I'm tempted to try some out

Quote: Originally Posted by corruptjoker Off topic but, If you install a power line network is the signal accessable by your neighbors if they have an adaptor? Does it back feed into the power grid?

If you get a set up that has encryption it doesn't the one i did came w/ software that u run on the machines so it can find and setup to each other.