Alpha with Multinet 4.4 and ISP provided modem

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

A. Mahendra Rajah

2008-09-23 03:33:16 UTC

Hello:

I have an Alpha 3400 system running OVMS 6.2 and Multinet
v4.4 A-X.

I am trying to connect this server to the Internet through a
DSL modem provided by my ISP.

This setup (A) does not work:

+-----------------+ +-----------+
| Alpha using ISP | ---> | DSL modem | ---> Internet
| supplied IP# | +-----------+
+-----------------+

'Multinet trace' command won't even see the default route
supplied by the ISP. Why doesn't this work?

But, this setup (B) does work:

+--------------------+
| Alpha using IP# | +--------------+ +-----------+
| provided by the | ---> | DI524 router | ---> | DSL modem |
| router 192.168.x.x | +--------------+ +-----------+
+--------------------+ |
|
V
Internet

A few PCs and Laptops (both wireless and wired) use the
DI524 router to connect to the Internet. They all use the
same IP# on the WAN side that the router obtained from my
ISP.

And so, I would like to have a dedicated IP# and DNS name
for the Alpha and that was why I would prefer to have setup
A functional.

Am I doing something wrong? Is this possible to achieve?
Is there a better way of achieving this?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance,

-- mahendra

Patrick Mahan

2008-09-23 05:59:09 UTC

Permalink

A. Mahendra Rajah presented these words - circa 9/22/08 8:33 PM->

Post by A. Mahendra Rajah
I have an Alpha 3400 system running OVMS 6.2 and Multinet
v4.4 A-X.
I am trying to connect this server to the Internet through a
DSL modem provided by my ISP.
+-----------------+ +-----------+
| Alpha using ISP | ---> | DSL modem | ---> Internet
| supplied IP# | +-----------+
+-----------------+
'Multinet trace' command won't even see the default route
supplied by the ISP. Why doesn't this work?
+--------------------+
| Alpha using IP# | +--------------+ +-----------+
| provided by the | ---> | DI524 router | ---> | DSL modem |
| router 192.168.x.x | +--------------+ +-----------+
+--------------------+ |
|
V
Internet
A few PCs and Laptops (both wireless and wired) use the
DI524 router to connect to the Internet. They all use the
same IP# on the WAN side that the router obtained from my
ISP.
And so, I would like to have a dedicated IP# and DNS name
for the Alpha and that was why I would prefer to have setup
A functional.
Am I doing something wrong? Is this possible to achieve?
Is there a better way of achieving this?
Thanks in advance for any and all assistance,

It depends on a number of factors:

1) What is the configuration of the DI524?
2) What is it's WAN ip address(the side connected to the DSL modem)?
3) Is it using some type of authentication?

4) On the second configuration about what does the output of traceroute
show?

Depending on what you want to use the Alpha for, the DI524 can probably
be configured to let through certain services (see the Virtual Servers
configuration on the D-Link device).

Patrick

Post by A. Mahendra Rajah
-- mahendra

Richard Whalen

2008-09-23 12:52:48 UTC

Permalink

How is the default route being specified? As part of MultiNet
Configure/Net? Or does it come from a routing protocol that might be
handled by GateD?

-----Original Message-----
From: A. Mahendra Rajah
[mailto:***@static24-72-72-85.regina.accesscomm.ca]
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 11:33 PM
To: info-***@process.com
Subject: Alpha with Multinet 4.4 and ISP provided modem

Hello:

I have an Alpha 3400 system running OVMS 6.2 and Multinet
v4.4 A-X.

I am trying to connect this server to the Internet through a
DSL modem provided by my ISP.

This setup (A) does not work:

+-----------------+ +-----------+
| Alpha using ISP | ---> | DSL modem | ---> Internet
| supplied IP# | +-----------+
+-----------------+

'Multinet trace' command won't even see the default route
supplied by the ISP. Why doesn't this work?

But, this setup (B) does work:

+--------------------+
| Alpha using IP# | +--------------+ +-----------+
| provided by the | ---> | DI524 router | ---> | DSL modem |
| router 192.168.x.x | +--------------+ +-----------+
+--------------------+ |
|
V
Internet

A few PCs and Laptops (both wireless and wired) use the
DI524 router to connect to the Internet. They all use the
same IP# on the WAN side that the router obtained from my
ISP.

And so, I would like to have a dedicated IP# and DNS name
for the Alpha and that was why I would prefer to have setup
A functional.

Am I doing something wrong? Is this possible to achieve?
Is there a better way of achieving this?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance,

-- mahendra

A. Mahendra Rajah

2008-09-23 16:34:37 UTC

Permalink

Richard Whalen <***@process.com> wrote:

"How is the default route being specified? As part of MultiNet
Configure/Net? Or does it come from a routing protocol that might
be handled by GateD?"

In network setup A, I configured Multinet as follows:

$ Multi conf/net
MultiNet Network Configuration Utility V4.4(104)
[Reading in MAXIMUM configuration from MULTINET:MULTINET.EXE]
[Reading in configuration from MULTINET:NETWORK_DEVICES.CONFIGURATION]
NET-CONFIG>set DEFAULT-ROUTE 24.72.46.1 <-- ISP provided
NET-CONFIG>modi se0
IP Address: 24.72.46.45 <-- ISP provided
IP SubNet Mask: [255.255.255.0]

I tried putting a D-Link Ethernet switch between the Alpha and the
DSL modem. As expected, the LED on the switch glows amber indicating
that the network card on the Alpha is only 10 Mbits! But, the setup
still did not work. Could 10 Mb network card be the problem? Perhaps
the SMC networks' DSL modem (supplied by the ISP) can only do 100
Mbits? This setup works if I put a modern Laptop with 100 Mb card
in place of the Alpha!

I mentioned traceroute to the default route as an example only.
Actually, there is no network connectivity (no ping, no traceroute,
etc.) to any Internet host!

Perhaps, in setup B, the DI524 router can handle both 10 and 100
Mbits?

Thank you for your time and patience,

-- mahendra

-----Original Message-----
From: A. Mahendra Rajah
[mailto:***@static24-72-72-85.regina.accesscomm.ca]
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 11:33 PM
To: info-***@process.com
Subject: Alpha with Multinet 4.4 and ISP provided modem

Hello:

I have an Alpha 3400 system running OVMS 6.2 and Multinet
v4.4 A-X.

I am trying to connect this server to the Internet through a
DSL modem provided by my ISP.

This setup (A) does not work:

+-----------------+ +-----------+
| Alpha using ISP | ---> | DSL modem | ---> Internet
| supplied IP# | +-----------+
+-----------------+

'Multinet trace' command won't even see the default route
supplied by the ISP. Why doesn't this work?

But, this setup (B) does work:

+--------------------+
| Alpha using IP# | +--------------+ +-----------+
| provided by the | ---> | DI524 router | ---> | DSL modem |
| router 192.168.x.x | +--------------+ +-----------+
+--------------------+ |
|
V
Internet

A few PCs and Laptops (both wireless and wired) use the
DI524 router to connect to the Internet. They all use the
same IP# on the WAN side that the router obtained from my
ISP.

And so, I would like to have a dedicated IP# and DNS name
for the Alpha and that was why I would prefer to have setup
A functional.

Am I doing something wrong? Is this possible to achieve?
Is there a better way of achieving this?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance,

-- mahendra

-- mahendra
...............................................................
A. Mahendra Rajah Email: ***@uregina.ca
Dept. of Computing Services Phone: (306) 585-4496
University of Regina, FAX: (306) 337-2324
Regina, Sask., S4S 0A2
Canada.
...............................................................

Richard Whalen

2008-09-23 18:32:17 UTC

Permalink

A switch has memory in it so that it can buffer packets and transmit them at
the appropriate data rate when not all interfaces that are connected to it
operate at the same data rate. If it didn't have the memory to allow it to
retransmit at the appropriate data rate it would be a repeater.

Most likely the problem has to do with the network card in the Alpha being
10Mbits half duplex and not doing the negotiation. It's possible that a
cross-over cable might make things work. The router may work because it may
be better at detecting the need to operate the port as if there was a
cross-over cable present.

Post by A. Mahendra Rajah
"How is the default route being specified? As part of MultiNet
Configure/Net? Or does it come from a routing protocol that might
be handled by GateD?"
$ Multi conf/net
MultiNet Network Configuration Utility V4.4(104)
[Reading in MAXIMUM configuration from MULTINET:MULTINET.EXE]
[Reading in configuration from MULTINET:NETWORK_DEVICES.CONFIGURATION]
NET-CONFIG>set DEFAULT-ROUTE 24.72.46.1 <-- ISP provided
NET-CONFIG>modi se0
IP Address: 24.72.46.45 <-- ISP provided
IP SubNet Mask: [255.255.255.0]
I tried putting a D-Link Ethernet switch between the Alpha and the
DSL modem. As expected, the LED on the switch glows amber indicating
that the network card on the Alpha is only 10 Mbits! But, the setup
still did not work. Could 10 Mb network card be the problem? Perhaps
the SMC networks' DSL modem (supplied by the ISP) can only do 100
Mbits? This setup works if I put a modern Laptop with 100 Mb card
in place of the Alpha!
I mentioned traceroute to the default route as an example only.
Actually, there is no network connectivity (no ping, no traceroute,
etc.) to any Internet host!
Perhaps, in setup B, the DI524 router can handle both 10 and 100
Mbits?
Thank you for your time and patience,
-- mahendra
-----Original Message-----
From: A. Mahendra Rajah
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 11:33 PM
Subject: Alpha with Multinet 4.4 and ISP provided modem
I have an Alpha 3400 system running OVMS 6.2 and Multinet
v4.4 A-X.
I am trying to connect this server to the Internet through a
DSL modem provided by my ISP.
+-----------------+ +-----------+
| Alpha using ISP | ---> | DSL modem | ---> Internet
| supplied IP# | +-----------+
+-----------------+
'Multinet trace' command won't even see the default route
supplied by the ISP. Why doesn't this work?
+--------------------+
| Alpha using IP# | +--------------+ +-----------+
| provided by the | ---> | DI524 router | ---> | DSL modem |
| router 192.168.x.x | +--------------+ +-----------+
+--------------------+ |
|
V
Internet
A few PCs and Laptops (both wireless and wired) use the
DI524 router to connect to the Internet. They all use the
same IP# on the WAN side that the router obtained from my
ISP.
And so, I would like to have a dedicated IP# and DNS name
for the Alpha and that was why I would prefer to have setup
A functional.
Am I doing something wrong? Is this possible to achieve?
Is there a better way of achieving this?
Thanks in advance for any and all assistance,
-- mahendra
-- mahendra
...............................................................
Dept. of Computing Services Phone: (306) 585-4496
University of Regina, FAX: (306) 337-2324
Regina, Sask., S4S 0A2
Canada.
...............................................................

Richard Whalen

2008-09-23 18:38:32 UTC

Permalink

I just read some information about the DI524 router, and noticed that it
says that it does PPPoE. If your DSL provider uses PPPoE, then you will
need a router that does this as MultiNet does not do PPPoE.

Bob Koehler

2008-09-23 19:45:13 UTC

Permalink

If the ISP is dynamically assigning IP addresses, they may match
sometimes and not others. Generally ISPs assume you are using DHCP
unless you pay extra. Multinet can be configured t ouse DHCP.

Mike Sullenberger

2008-09-24 00:03:47 UTC

Permalink

Post by Richard Whalen
I just read some information about the DI524 router, and noticed that it
says that it does PPPoE. If your DSL provider uses PPPoE, then you will
need a router that does this as MultiNet does not do PPPoE.

This is easily tested. Hook up a PC that will work directly connected
to your dslModem. On your PC use Wireshark to capture packets on the
ethernet interface. You can then look to see if it is plain ethernet
or PPPoE.

When you plug in the Alpha directly to the dslModem do you get the link
light on the Alpha Ethernet interface? You should also get a link light
on the dslModem. On the Alpha you can look at the hardware interface
statistics by doing:

$ analyze/system

OpenVMS (TM) Alpha system analyzer

SDA> sho lan/full

Mike.

+------------------------------------------------+
| Mike Sullenberger; DSE |
| ***@cisco.com .:|:.:|:. |
| Customer Advocacy CISCO |
+------------------------------------------------+

Jeremy Begg

2008-09-24 00:22:49 UTC

Permalink

Hi,

Using SDA to check LAN device counters is pretty heavy going. This is much
easier:

$ mcr lancp show device/counters

Sure it doesn't give you as much information -- but it's usually enough to
identify a link-level problem.

See also

$ mcr lancp show device/characteristics

for speed/duplex etc.

Regards,

Jeremy Begg

Post by Mike Sullenberger

This is easily tested. Hook up a PC that will work directly connected
to your dslModem. On your PC use Wireshark to capture packets on the
ethernet interface. You can then look to see if it is plain ethernet
or PPPoE.
When you plug in the Alpha directly to the dslModem do you get the link
light on the Alpha Ethernet interface? You should also get a link light
on the dslModem. On the Alpha you can look at the hardware interface
$ analyze/system
OpenVMS (TM) Alpha system analyzer
SDA> sho lan/full
Mike.
+------------------------------------------------+
| Mike Sullenberger; DSE |
| Customer Advocacy CISCO |
+------------------------------------------------+