Help!!! I can't enter my freshly built home LAN from either terminal although there were no problems during installation. A nasty Windows message pops up instead saying "network not accessible". I use an Athlon XP / KT133 and a Celeron / 440BX combo, both running Win98, and two Unex ND012C ethernet cards (RTL8139 chip) with immediate interconnection (no hub). I checked everything - the settings, the hardware resources, the cable - but couldn't find anything. I finally launched a little diagnostics tool that came with the bundle, then swapped the cards and relaunched the tool. It seems to me now that the problem (loopback test fails) is due to the Athlon machine rather than to one of the NICs or the Celeron. Anyone experienced - or heard of - a similar problem with the KT133 / RTL8139? Is there a patch file available for download? Please help me along if you can. I have to admit that this is my first attempt to build a network. So any other reasonable idea that might cross your mind is welcome as well. Jens Wanning from Giessen / Germany

Just out of curiousity did you use a crossover cable to make your connection, since you are not using a hub? (sorry, my only suggestion)

It sounds like a crossover cable problem to me also.

Hey all, thanks very much! Please be assured that I checked the cable - it's not deficient and it's a crossover issue. Moreover, I exchanged cards and cable terminals as well, and still only the Athlon machine will create errors when running my DOS-based diagnostics software. The problem becomes bilateral as soon as Windows tries to access the network from either side! That's why I think this is a compliance problem. I contacted the NIC manufacturer's customer support - maybe they'll help me (though I'm afraid they can't). A happy easter everybody! Jens

I just spent three days getting my 2-PC network to work. I set up the Client for Microsoft Networks peer-peer network software so my explanation here applies to that and I am assuming you are doing the same. First, both network cards must come up as working properly under control panel\system\device manager with no resource conflicts. If you have IRQ conflicts, try reinstalling ALL of your cards by flopping slots and installing in a different order until plug & play resolves conflicts. Then for the network setup, both PC's must have the exact same protocols installed. I found I absolutely needed NetBEUI to get the peer-peer to work. I also installed TCP/IP. You need to assign computer names, and both PC's must be assigned the exact same workgroup name. Primary network logon must be set to Client for Microsoft Networks. File and printer access should be selected and the protocols must be bound to the network and file sharing options. After rebooting a logon screen should appear requesting you to log onto the Client for Microsoft Networks. You do not need a password. With all of this I finally got the network to show.

Hey all, thanks for helping - I finally made it! It was not a hardware problem (the diagnostics tool I used works properly only when launched immediately from the DOS boot prompt, and not from a DOS command box within Win98 as I did...). It was just an incomplete network setup. I forgot to define a protocol standard while using TCP/IP and NetBEUI. Jens

hey, can anyone help me i am having a problem with my network card. i have a p3 550 with win xp pro my network card can be found and in device manager it says it works. though whenever i try and run ipconfig in dos i always get a message saying "media state:......... media disconnected" and i cant find my network cars ip address, or i dont know how to create one can any one help me out on this prob plss......