eth0 Internet Connection

[darkrain777]

Hello all,

Background:
I am very new to Linux, but a long time user of XP/Windows. I am helping a friend who has a Linux cluster (Beowolf setup) running Mandriva. Basically there is a master node and then 3 slave nodes connected. The master node won't connect to the Internet, but it will connect to the LAN. The strange thing is that this Internet connection was working previously for a few months. The last time we tried to get on the Internet however, it did not work.

Problem:
Eth0 interface is configured with a static IP but it won't connect to Internet. For example ping Google in terminal returns no reply, but ping "slavenode" works fine. Also, Internet on other Windows machines connect to the Internet fine (hence I can send this email).

Attempted fixes:
1. Changing to DHCP
2. Rebooting and checking configuration list (check on Eth0 says OK)
3. Using a different port on switch (which is connected then to dsl modem)
4. Hitting Connect Eth0 in the lower right corner tab.
5. Going into control panel and examining the network tab (everything looks okay)

All I see is the "x" over the network connection and it makes me very I don't understand how it can work for a long time and then suddenly quit.
If anyone has any ideas that would be greatly appreciated.

[DOllaBillz217]

One suggestion I would have is to check your default gateway because if you can ping within your network, but not outside your network, my guess would be something is wrong with your gateway IP address or some type of ip tables setting. Do you have a router in place for your external gateway?

[darkrain777]

No, we don't have a router between the two. The only thing we have it connected to is a switch which is then connected to the DSL modem and then to the ISP. I checked the default gateway and it seems OK. I was thinking it might be a lease issue, but I don't know how to check that in Linux, (ipconfig in windows). Maybe the lease expired and it hasn't renewed. Thanks for that good idea though. Any other ideas?

[DOllaBillz217]

Cant really think of anything. I know its ifconfig in linux though if that helps. If your not root you must enter /sbin/ifconfig to get the info. Other than that it still sounds something like an gateway, but not sure

[darkrain777]

I tried that Ifconfig command and it didn't say too much useful information. But it did say under errors: 1. However it doesn't elaborate about what the error is.

[DOllaBillz217]

Have you used the tail -f /var/log/messages command and then tried to access the internet while tailing it to get some type of output on what the error might be

[darkrain777]

I tried that command but it said it was an invalid option. Do you think it might be a different command?

[darkrain777]

Right now I would like to throw this computer out the window, if it were mine, I might just do that.

[DOllaBillz217]

Bo it should be right, are you running this as root or as a user? Normally that message means it doesnt recognize the command because you are logged in as a user other than root. You and do an su - to become root then run that command, then redo what you are doing to see the error message.

[darkrain777]

Following standard input invalid indefinitely error when I type the tail command in the root. Also when I tried tail -f/var/log/messages it came back with an invalid command return error saying --a or / was invalid.