Messed up my "network"

[nodough]

My "network" is pretty basic. I've got two machines connected with a crossover cable. With one of them, I connect to the internet with a dialup serial modem. That box also has proftp installed. I'll call that Server and the other, which has no modem, Client.

I used to be able to transfer files back and forth via ftp, using Konqueror. Then I found this: Internet Connection Sharing - Community Ubuntu Documentation https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...nectionSharing

Needless to say, I messed it up. Basically, I forgot there's no server in the Client box--which is the one I did all the configurations on. (I was planning to attach the modem to it.) I tried to undo it all, and my boxes can ping each other, but for some reason when I try to connect to the Server I'm getting a "connection refused" message.

Proftp is a running process on the Server, which is Hardy. The Client is using Jaunty, and I've killed (but not uninstalled) Network Manager to no avail. Prior to my screwup, it didn't make any difference; I could connect the boxes just fine.

Thing is, the "connection refused" page pops up so quickly I'm suspecting it's the Client that's the problem--like it's not even looking for the IP address of the Server.

Any suggestions? Maybe if I reinstall iptables? I don't want to mess this up worse than it is.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Are you just using FTP protocal to transfer files I'm not familiar with ProFTP and it's settings, but client server connections could be blocked by your hosts files. Look at (all under /etc/) hosts, hosts.allow and hosts.deny. Define your hostnames in hosts and allow your local network in hosts.allow.

IMO linux to linux box file transfers a way easier and faster using NFS rather than FTP.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Messed up my "network"

....
IMO linux to linux box file transfers a way easier and faster using NFS rather than FTP.

+1

With a GUI desktop its setup is more complicated than it used to be but one way is described here, or other way here, or you can go directly to the horse's mouth and read about it here.

I had problems with timeouts during boot up, when the nfs connection was intialized, until I used a combination of "hard", "intr", "rsize" and "wsize", setting the latter two to 8192, similar to this:

foo:/tmp /mnt/foo nfs rw,hard,intr,rsize=8192,wsize=8192 0 0

which is also discussed in the sourceforge howto.

[nodough]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Thanks for your amazingly fast replies.

Are you just using FTP protocal to transfer files?

Yes.

IMO linux to linux box file transfers a way easier and faster using NFS rather than FTP.

All I did, way back when, was install proftp and it worked. I probably had to do a bit of tweaking but nothing as complicated as the instructions on the NFS HowTos. Needless to say, I'm very reluctant to try more installing--especially on the box without a modem.

client server connections could be blocked by your hosts files

The time stamps on host.allow and hosts.deny on both boxes are the originals from the day I installed. /etc/hosts on the Client is also the original--and networking worked before I started screwing around.

Server's /etc/hosts has a time stamp from yesterday, when I was changing the static IP addresses, trying to get this to work. However, here it is:

127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
127.0.1.1 Hardybox

# The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1 ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
fe00::0 ip6-localnet
ff00::0 ip6-mcastprefix
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters
ff02::3 ip6-allhosts
192.168.0.125 Jauntybox

I confess, I followed instructions without having any idea what they meant. But 99% of what I did was on the Jaunty (Client) box. The Jaunty /etc/hosts is virtually identical to the above, except it has no last line for the Hardy box. So I added it--no joy.

But I do think the problems are on the Jaunty/Client box. Here's /etc/network/interfaces from it, also with a time stamp from yesterday:

#The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.0.130
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.0.120

[skunk]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Surely these should be the same address?

192.168.0.125 Jauntybox

address 192.168.0.130

[oshunluvr]

Re: Messed up my "network"

I agree the different IP addresses could be the issue. You need not define each IP of each allowed host specifically. My laptops use dhcp and my desktops are usually fixed IPs so my hosts. looks like:

127.0.0.1 office.smith.net localhost.localdomain localhost
127.0.1.1 office.smith.net office
192.168.1.199 media.smith.net media
192.168.1 hplaptop.smith.net hplaptop
192.168.1 mini.smith.net mini
192.168.1.250 server.smith.net server

You could change it on either end. Also - it appears your ethernet connection does not come up automatically on boot - is that right

As far as NFS;
Steps:
1)nfs-server, nfs-client, and portmap packages installed
2)host names defined properly and hosts.allow hosts.deny configured
3)/etc/exports configured
4)exported directories and user permissions correct
5)NFS shares mounted on client

Once you've done all this it's fast and flawless. I have a dedicated server so it's configured as NFS-server and my other linux boxes are as clients, but you can configure all of them as server and client and share across all of them if you wish.

[nodough]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Surely these should be the same address?

192.168.0.125 Jauntybox

address 192.168.0.130

Aargh! They are. I had to type in the 2nd /etc/network/interfaces by hand, as I can't transfer them--no floppy drive, no ftp'ing. So it's just a typo. Sorry.

To clarify: Hardy box:192.168.0.130
Jaunty box:192.168.0.125 (unless I mistyped again)

[nodough]

Re: Messed up my "network"

As far as NFS;
Steps:
1)nfs-server, nfs-client, and portmap packages installed
2)host names defined properly and hosts.allow hosts.deny configured
3)/etc/exports configured
4)exported directories and user permissions correct
5)NFS shares mounted on client

You make it sound so easy But considering I can't even type in an IP address properly (see above) and the extent I messed up in the first place, I'm not very confident in myself. I might give it a try if all else fails.

it appears your ethernet connection does not come up automatically on boot - is that right

Not on the Hardy box, because that's got the serial modem on it.

For the Jaunty, I haven't actually checked, but I did make sure with ifconfig eth0 up that it looked like what I get on the Hardy box--except for the different IP address. In fact, I check every time with ifconfig because on the Hardy, at least, putting the machine to sleep messes up the eth0.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Messed up my "network"

If you want to try NFS - install the packages I listed and I'll do the configs for you - it's that easy.

The hardest part is getting permissions correct. If you really only want one user to share the files, it's a lot easier. Just make sure both computers are using the same user and groups IDs and numbers.

[nodough]

Re: Messed up my "network"

If you want to try NFS - install the packages I listed and I'll do the configs for you - it's that easy.

That is a hugely kind offer. While this isn't the first time I've borked something, it's the first time I had so much invested in a system I don't want to lose.

Can I think about this for a day or two, and then if I decide to bite the bullet, may I send you a personal message via this forum?

[oshunluvr]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Sure - wouldn't hurt to do a little reading up on it too. If we do dig into it, I'd rather do it in a forum post so others can comment and benefit.

My home network consists of a dedicated server that hold all my media files, home directory backups, hosts my two printers, scanner and fax and has ktorrent server.

I access it from my linux desktop, my linux media computer, my linux laptop, a windows vista laptop, windows 7 laptop, windows xp desktop, and a mac laptop.

[nodough]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Sure - wouldn't hurt to do a little reading up on it too. If we do dig into it, I'd rather do it in a forum post so others can comment and benefit.

Okay. I was thinking the other way: why bog people down with something probably not relevant to them, but maybe not. You certainly know more about it than I do.

My home network consists of a dedicated server that hold all my media files, home directory backups, hosts my two printers, scanner and fax and has ktorrent server.
I access it from my linux desktop, my linux media computer, my linux laptop, a windows vista laptop, windows 7 laptop, windows xp desktop, and a mac laptop.

A man after my own heart

Actually, poking around just now, I discovered that my resolv.conf file is:

# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
#   DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.0.1

Can that be right? Shouldn't the nameserver be my ISP's DNS numbers? I notice the datestamp on it is the 14th, which is when I began mucking around with this.

If it's wrong, can you tell me how to fix it?

[oshunluvr]

Re: Messed up my "network"

If you're using networkmanager or some other "tool" it will overwrite resolv.conf

Normally I'd say that your resolv.conf is bad, but if you're using a modem and PPP - I'm too inexperienced to comment.

I use no network tools, static IP's and connect through a router to the internet. My network uses unmanaged switches that require no configuration.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Messed up my "network"

Your resolv.conf file should be populated with something like this:

search yourisp.com
nameserver ip1
nameserver ip2


where ip1 and ip2 are your isp DNS IP addresses. I assume you are connecting to this forum via your Windows side.
Since resolv.conf hasn't change you can try this: edit resolv.conf so it shows what I have given above, but modified for your ISP info. Then issue "sudo service networking restart".

If that gets you an internet connection then use Synaptic to reinstall PPPoE and the dhcpd stuff. Then reboot.

[nodough]

Re: Messed up my "network"

If you're using networkmanager or some other "tool" it will overwrite resolv.conf

To my knowledge I'm not, but there was all that configuring I did ...

Before I screwed up, it was a question of sudo ifconfig eth0 up to get the network card working, then sudo ifconfig eth0 down to use my dialup modem to connect to the internet. I was looking for a way to have both the modem and eth0 going at the same time, to share the internet connection.

Normally I'd say that your resolv.conf is bad, but if you're using a modem and PPP - I'm too inexperienced to comment.

I checked the resolv.conf in the Jaunty box, and it has the IP adresses for my ISP.

My network uses unmanaged switches that require no configuration.

unmanaged switches?