SUSE 10.3 network questions

[quantumncyu]

Dear SUSE guru:

I just installed openSUSE 10.3 on my desktop, and found the following problems.

I used a fixed IP xxx.yyy.82.41. I could ftp and ssh to a neighboring machine with a fixed IP of xxx.yyy.82.43, but could not ftp or ssh to another machine with the IP of xxx.yyy.90.12.

/sbin/ifconfig shows that the Mask of eth0 is 255.255.0.0 even after I used YaST -> Network Drivers -> Network Card to change the subnet/Mask to be 255.255.255.0.

Is the problem I encountered related to the subnet mask? How to fix it?

Please help.


Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
quantumncyu

[wyliecoyoteuk]

You would need a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 on BOTH machines to access the xxx.yyy.90.12 PC from xxx.yyy.82.41

255.255.255.0 mask requires all of the first 3 numbers to be the same.

(not sure if you got them back to front or something, but...)

[quantumncyu]

Dear Linux experts:

Please allow me to make my questions more clear.

I installed open SUSE 10.3 (a new installation not an upgrade), and have the following problems.


Firefox starts ok, but could not reach any webpage. My machine has the
fixed IP of 140.130.91.82. I could ping, ssh, ftp, and telnet to another machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.83, but could not do so to another machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.81.41.

The motherboard is ASUS P5B-E Plus. The neworkcard detected by openSUSE is ASUSTeK 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller, I guess it is simply Marvell 88E8056.

Because of the the network problems I stated above, I downloaded the network driver packed as install_v10.21.1.3.tar.bz2 from Marvell: Download Drivers , and installed the driver using the "installation" option of the package (not the "build a patch" option). The network driver is then changed from sky2 to sk98lin by the following steps of YaST2 -> Networ Devices -> Network Card -> Configure -> Hardware. After all of these, the problems still remain.

Listed below are the informations I gathered from my system

> cat /etc/resolv.conf
### BEGIN INFO
#
# Modified_by: NetworkManager
# Process: /usr/bin/NetworkManager
# Process_id: 2629
#
### END INFO



nameserver 140.130.81.11
nameserver 140.130.41.11



> /sbin/ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:18:F3:E8:F7:19
inet addr:140.130.91.82 Bcast:255.255.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:5840 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:449 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:528891 (516.4 Kb) TX bytes:34674 (33.8 Kb)
Interrupt:17 Memory:fe8fc000-0

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:195 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:195 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:17088 (16.6 Kb) TX bytes:17088 (16.6 Kb)



> /sbin/route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
140.130.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.0.0 U 0 0 0 eth0
127.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo
0.0.0.0 140.130.91.254 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0



> lsmod
Module Size Used by
bridge 74024 0
joydev 27904 0
iptable_filter 19840 0
ip_tables 37848 1 iptable_filter
ip6_tables 31944 0
x_tables 37000 2 ip_tables,ip6_tables
af_packet 57100 0
microcode 31256 0
firmware_class 27520 1 microcode
snd_pcm_oss 67456 0
snd_mixer_oss 34176 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq 74992 0
snd_seq_device 25620 1 snd_seq
cpufreq_conservative 24968 0
cpufreq_userspace 23680 0
cpufreq_powersave 18560 0
acpi_cpufreq 28040 0
apparmor 58672 0
loop 36356 0
dm_mod 77152 0
i2c_i801 25628 0
i2c_core 43648 1 i2c_i801
floppy 79624 0
rtc_cmos 25016 0
rtc_core 38156 1 rtc_cmos
rtc_lib 19968 1 rtc_core
sk98lin 198588 1
iTCO_wdt 28624 0
ohci1394 51272 0
ieee1394 115800 1 ohci1394
iTCO_vendor_support 20740 1 iTCO_wdt
snd_hda_intel 368804 1
button 26400 0
sr_mod 33444 1
cdrom 52392 1 sr_mod
snd_pcm 108680 2 snd_pcm_oss,snd_hda_intel
snd_timer 42632 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
intel_agp 44064 0
snd 84984 9 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,s nd_hda_intel,snd_p
cm,snd_timer
soundcore 25360 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 27280 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
sg 53304 0
sd_mod 45824 8
ehci_hcd 50572 0
uhci_hcd 42144 0
usbcore 155560 3 ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd
edd 26760 0
reiserfs 254288 5
fan 22792 0
pata_jmicron 24192 1
ata_piix 37508 6
ahci 45316 0
libata 164096 3 pata_jmicron,ata_piix,ahci
scsi_mod 176536 4 sr_mod,sg,sd_mod,libata
thermal 34576 0
processor 59592 2 acpi_cpufreq,thermal




Please note that the Mask reported by /sbin/ifconfig is "Mask:255.255.0.0." But the subnetmask I gave and saw is 255.255.255.0 when following the steps of YaST2 -> Network Devices -> Network Card -> Configure -> Address.


I am very frustrated with the problem for several weeks. Could someone kindly help?





Sincerely,
quantumncyu

[wyliecoyoteuk]

Well, if ifconfig says the mask is 255.255.0.0 I would expect it to be correct.
Why would you want to change it to 255.255.255.0?
That would give exactly the problem you describe.

What is the subnet mask on the 140.130.81.41. machine?
If it is 255.255.255.0 , it will not be able to see a machine in the 140.130.91.0 subnet unless you add a route to each machine, or change the mask to 255.255.0.0

Are the machines on the same physical network?
Is there a router between them?

[quantumncyu]

First of all, thank you very much for responding.


>Well, if ifconfig says the mask is 255.255.0.0 I would expect it to be correct.
>Why would you want to change it to 255.255.255.0?
>That would give exactly the problem you describe.

The new SUSE 10.3 machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.82 can not reach 140.130.81.41. But the old SUSE1 10.2 machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.83 can.

140.130.91.83 is the machine which can reach 140.130.81.41.
/sbin/ifconfig on 140.130.91.83 reports the following

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:18:F3:39:75:0A
inet addr:140.130.91.83 Bcast:255.255.255.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::218:f3ff:fe39:750a/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:20469 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:3964 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:5935825 (5.6 Mb) TX bytes:558606 (545.5 Kb)
Interrupt:177 Base address:0x8000

eth1 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:192:3A:A1:3B
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:2 errors:0 dropped:2 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:169 Base address:0xa000 Memory:fe0ff000-fe0fffff

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:59 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:59 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:4001 (3.9 Kb) TX bytes:4001 (3.9 Kb)


I notice that 140.130.91.83 has the mask of 255.255.255.0


140.130.91.82 is the machine which can NOT reach 140.130.81.41.
/sbin/ifconfig on 140.130.91.82 reports as cited in my previous post, where the subnet mask is 255.255.0.0.

Comparing 140.130.91.83 and 140.130.91.82, I used ifconfig command to change the mask of 140.130.91.82 to be 255.255.255.0. As you expected, it would not work. And I changed it back to 255.255.0.0.





>What is the subnet mask on the 140.130.81.41. machine?
>If it is 255.255.255.0 , it will not be able to see a machine in the
>140.130.91.0 subnet unless you add a route to each machine, or
>change the mask to 255.255.0.0

/sbin/ifconfig on 140.130.81.41 reports

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:30:6E:28:5C:F7
inet addr:140.130.81.41 Bcast:140.130.81.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::230:6eff:fe28:5cf7/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:106554448 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:3 frame:3
TX packets:153511678 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:471001314 (449.1 MiB) TX bytes:2508212908 (2.3 GiB)

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:823649 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:823649 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:74480946 (71.0 MiB) TX bytes:74480946 (71.0 MiB)


Please note that the mask on 140.130.81.41 is 255.255.255.0.

Why 140.130.91.83 (with the mask of 255.255.255.0) can reach 140.130.81.41 (with the mask of 255.255.255.0), but 140.130.91.82 (with the mask of 255.255.0.0 or 255.255.255.0) can not?

140.130.81.41 is a university server, I have no privilege to change its mask.


>Are the machines on the same physical network?
>Is there a router between them?

140.130.91.83, 140.130.91.82, and 140.130.81.41 all belong to the university network. I guess they are on the same physical network.

I do not know if there is a router between them. How can I figure out if there is any?


I also note that, on the SUSE 10.3 machine, the subnet mask reported by YaST -> Nework Drivers -> Configure, and the mask reported by ifconfig are respectively, 255.255.255.0 and 255.255.0.0. Could this difference be responsible for the probelm?

Thank you.

[wyliecoyoteuk]

The new SUSE 10.3 machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.82 can not reach 140.130.81.41. But the old SUSE1 10.2 machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.83 can.

140.130.91.83 is the machine which can reach 140.130.81.41.

With a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, a machine on the 140.130.91.0 subnet cannot talk to a machine on a 140.130.81.0 subnet unless there is a gateway between them.

You could try adding a route to 140.130.81.0

[wyliecoyoteuk]

The new SUSE 10.3 machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.82 can not reach 140.130.81.41. But the old SUSE1 10.2 machine with the fixed IP of 140.130.91.83 can.

140.130.91.83 is the machine which can reach 140.130.81.41.

With a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, a machine on the 140.130.91.0 subnet cannot talk to a machine on a 140.130.81.0 subnet unless there is a gateway between them.

You could try adding a route to 140.130.81.0