No ping to the server

[FireAphis]

Hello,
I'm just trying to install for the first time a small Linux server. I've installed Mandriva. The installation went fine, but now I have some networking problems. My network consists of the Linux server and two WinXP desktops. All the machines are connected to a router that is connected to a cable modem. All machines can access the Internet, the linux can ping the router and both WinXPs, but the workstations can ping only one another and the router. When I ping the server I get "request time out". That is the server can ping the workstations, but the workstations cannot ping the server.
What's going on? Please help me.

[gtmtnbiker98]

Sounds like you have an enabled firewall.

[FireAphis]

That was my guess too. I disabled shorewall and iptables services but it changed nothing. Is there anything else I should do in order to disable all the possible firewalls? Or maybe there's another reason for the problem?

[FireAphis]

Well, it was iptables. When I ensured that it is thoughrouly killed, everything started working. But how do I fix it without switching the firewall off?

[gtmtnbiker98]

Well, you need to determine what your Linux box will be doing. If you are using it strictly as a workstation then I would leave things as they are. If, however, you are going to run network services (i.e. BIND, Samba, MySQL, or Apache) then you will have to open up the appropriate ports. Decide what it is you are going to do and post.