UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I am a new UNIX user. I am trying to connect a Windows XP laptop to a SOLARIS server. I have added the XPs hostname and IP address to the /ETC/hosts file. I am connecting through a hub. I am not able to telnet or ping in either direction. If I ping the server IP address on the server, I receive a message that the connection is active. Pinging myself on the XP machine is also successful. NETSTAT on SOLARIS shows TELNET as LISTEN, but does not list a port. SOLARIS /ETC/services shows TELNET on port 23.

Are both the XP and SUN using the same IP range/subnet?

If one is on a 172.16.x.x and the other on a 10.140.x.x, then without some type of routing, it probably won't work. But if both are on the same (172.16.1.10 and 172.16.1.20) then you shouldnt' need a router. You need to give some more info on how these are set up.

Both machines are on a router. The IP addresses are 192.168.X.X.

Just a thought... are you running any kind of firewall software on the XP machine? Norton Internet Security and the default XP firewall may need to explicitly allow ICMP and Telnet for Ping/telnet to work.

Cheers
ZB

As of now, I have the XP firewall disabled. I am not running Norton Internet security, but do have Norton anti-virus software enabled on the XP mackine. The router is used for the internet and does have a firewall.

Check to make sure the router thinks the IP address is correct for each box. I've had a case where my Linksys router got reset by a power outage and lost the info for my static IP on my network printer. Maybe something like that happened to you.

Also make sure your Solaris box is set up for dhcp properly. Solaris assumes you're getting a static IP unless you set up the networking explicitly to use dhcp. Windows is the opposite - dhcp is the default and you have to set it up static if you want that. Thus if you didn't change anything in the network settings your Windows box is probably happy but the Solaris box not.

Ralph

I have executed a route add command for my router. I can now ping the router and some of the other XP devices on the network. I am still having problems with the IP addresses changing dynamically. I have an interface defined (hostname.erio). I think I can configure DHCP by entering "ifconfig erio dhcp" or am I missing another piece.