This is a bit confusing, but I'll try my best to work it out.

In my room, I have a Windows XP, with built on lan and an extra NIC card in a slot. I also have a linux box with Fedora Core on it, and one NIC card. All cards are seen by both computers.

In the room next to me, there are two iBook G3 macintoshs, a Windows 2000 computer, and a Windows XP (called Dell to distinguish between the one in my room) computer thats used only as a printer route.

First, I have my DSL provider, then from that, I have a Linksys Router, with both iBooks, and a cable running to my room on it. Then I have a cat5 running from the router to a Palm-Hub 10 port hub. In the hub I have the Dell and the Windows 2000 machine connected. Now in my room I have to cat5 running from the router connected to my Windows XP machine, and then a cat5 running from the extra NIC card in my computer into my linux box.

Ok, now heres the problem. The entire network, without the linux box worked, until I added the linux box in my room. Now, all of the network works, but, the linux box is not connecting to the network. I know the network card is detected because when booting the system, I get the message, "Bringing up interface eth0:" then "Determining IP information for eth0... failed; no link present. Check cable? [FAILED]"

On the side of the windows XP computer, the onboard LAN works, and as far as I know, the extra network card works. The systems recognizes it, and there are no conflicts. The only problem with it is that it comes up with the error message, "A network cable is unplugged."

On the side of the linux box, the network card does work.

As far as the cat5 cable and whether or not it is good, I've tested several of my extra cat5's on it, and none of them work.

Now I know the simple solution to this problem would be to just run a cat5 from the room with the router and the hub to the linux box, but I don't have one long enough, and cannot get one due to the fact that I live on a military base and there are none for sale here long enough.

So is there anyway I can get the Windows XP machine in my room to recognize the linux box?
Any suggestions and help would be much appreciated.

~Thanks

Hi,

it seems to me that your trying to use DHCP for eth0 on your linux box (automatic IP adress,GW,DNS assignment)...

you could do the following :

start up linux and open up the console

cd /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/
vi ifcfg-eth0 (or if you have midnight commander just type mc and locate this file)
mini vi howto
to write in vi press I, once done writing press ESC then press :w to save and then press :q and then ENTER to quit.

my ifcfg-eth0 looks like this

Since you are surely using a different IP adresses you'll need to change the following lines :
BROADCAST=xxx.xxx.xxx.255 (x = numbers here, the network your in, just the last number is 255)
IPADDR=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (x = numbers here , your current ip adress)
NETWORK=xxx.xxx.xxx.0 (x = numbers here, your current network , 0 (zero) and the end)

Now you'll need to see /etc/sysconfig/network

mine looks like this

what you'll need to change here is
GATEWAY=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (x = numbers here, your current gateway , the computer that has Internet Sharing enabled)

now you'll need to see /etc/resolv.conf
mine looks like this

you'll need to change :
nameserver xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (x= numbers here, same as gateway, or use the DNS server of your ISP

Sincerely
Robert B

Have you ever heard of something called crossover cable? This is the type of cable that is used to connect 2 computers (2 nics) directly without a hub, switch or router or any other device between them. From what you have described, that is your case, and as I can see, you are using standard straight through cable. Ofcourse it will give you a cable error! After you solve this problem, you may start doing all the stuff that Robert advises (which I think will be 99% unnecessary)

The way I read your initial post (and kpanchev read it the same way) ... you are trying to connect your Linux box through your Windows XP box ... is this correct?

You can do that, but unless you have to, don't.

First, as kpanchev said, you would need a crossover cable. (A straight cable plugs from a computer into a switch/router ... a cross over cable is used between 2 computers {and between 2 hubs if there is not an uplink ...ie crossover... port}. A crossover cable switches pins 1-3 and 2-6 on one end of the cable ... which makes the send on one card go to the recieve of the other).

Second, when using a computer as a gateway (in this case, your WinXP machine), it must be configured as such. In Windows XP, that would require that you setup Internet Connect Sharing on the WinXP machine. Just connecting the Linux machine (even with the correct cable) to the Windows XP box will not allow it to connect to anything else.

Also, if you are using the 192.168.0.x IPs already on the inside network, you are going to have problems, because when you setup Internet Connect Sharing on WinXP, it wants the second card to be 192.168.0.1 ... and if the outside card is already on the 192.168.0.x network it won't work.

A better solution is to hook up the linux machine directly to a hub that is connected to your Cable router...(which you said would be hard).
---------------------
So,

either buy a small hub to connect the main cable to ... and connect both the windows XP and linux machine to that with straight cables ... run a long cable ... OR

Make sure your router is using a different network than 192.168.0.x (maybe 192.168.1.x), reboot all the machines inside and make sure they have non 192.168.0.x addresses .... then setup ICS on WinXP and connect the Linux machine (with a crossover cable) to the WinXP machine.