DHCP under OS/2, some quirks (ie: can't connect!)

[Mentore Siesto]

Hello everybody.

I just bought a Netgear wireless router to connect my four desktop PCs
(one completely working under eCS, the other three are yet to be built
and setup with eCS or Linux/BSD) and the mobile systems (some old
laptops and a little tablet). It has four Ethernet sockets, so I can
connect those to the PCs.

It seems, though, that I can't reach the router with eCS. I tried some
different approaches, making sure that the router is configured as the
old Netgear I'm still using, but without results. The router works,
and the wireless section is OK (I can reach it with my little tablet
and even browse the web/read and write email).

So I tried to use it setting eCS in DHCP mode, but at startup I find
the DHCP client waiting a minute without getting an IP. Then the
bootup stops, even if I wait after the error message pressing the
Enter key to let the system continue booting (as it happens for a
normal CONFIG.SYS non-fatal error).

I read something on the web about DHCP and eCS, but it seems to me it
should be really straightforward, so I'm a little puzzled.

Do someone of you use eCS with a router set as DHCP?

Thanks in advance.
Mentore
--
Mentore Siesto

[Paul Ratcliffe]

On 18 Jan 2014 18:29:56 GMT, Mentore Siesto <mentor...@fattimiei.zx> wrote:

> So I tried to use it setting eCS in DHCP mode, but at startup I find
> the DHCP client waiting a minute without getting an IP. Then the
> bootup stops, even if I wait after the error message pressing the
> Enter key to let the system continue booting (as it happens for a
> normal CONFIG.SYS non-fatal error).
>
> I read something on the web about DHCP and eCS, but it seems to me it
> should be really straightforward, so I'm a little puzzled.

Just set static IP addresses and move on.
The DHCP client is just hopelessly broken. Always has been, always will
be.

[Mentore Siesto]

Il giorno Sat, 18 Jan 2014 19:19:06 UTC, Paul Ratcliffe
<ab...@orac12.clara34.co56.uk78> ha scritto:

Well, I'd like to. The problem is that

1) I need (it seems) DHCP for the mobile clients
2) If I set the router for static IP only, the eCS machine can't
connect to the router. It doesn't even see it and this pisses me off
:(

I don't know (documentation is not clear) if this router allows for a
mixed static/dynamic IP solution. It seems, but it's not clear.
Whatever, I seem unable to reach the router even if it's configured
exactly like the old one.

Mentore

[Allan]

On Sat, 18 Jan 2014 20:19:32 UTC, "Mentore Siesto" <mentor...@fattimiei.zx> wrote:

> Il giorno Sat, 18 Jan 2014 19:19:06 UTC, Paul Ratcliffe
> <ab...@orac12.clara34.co56.uk78> ha scritto:
>
> > On 18 Jan 2014 18:29:56 GMT, Mentore Siesto <mentor...@fattimiei.zx> wrote:
> >
> > > So I tried to use it setting eCS in DHCP mode, but at startup I find
> > > the DHCP client waiting a minute without getting an IP. Then the
> > > bootup stops, even if I wait after the error message pressing the
> > > Enter key to let the system continue booting (as it happens for a
> > > normal CONFIG.SYS non-fatal error).
> > >
> > > I read something on the web about DHCP and eCS, but it seems to me it
> > > should be really straightforward, so I'm a little puzzled.
> >
> > Just set static IP addresses and move on.

Not all small routers can handle static adresses.

> > The DHCP client is just hopelessly broken. Always has been, always will
> > be.

Thats why ISC DHCP client was ported to eCS years ago. It can be downloaded
from Pauls website (the other Paul ;-) )

> Well, I'd like to. The problem is that
>
> 1) I need (it seems) DHCP for the mobile clients
> 2) If I set the router for static IP only, the eCS machine can't
> connect to the router. It doesn't even see it and this pisses me off
> :(

Sounds more like your setup is wrong. If you have more than one
NIC, be sure to use the right socket :-)

> I don't know (documentation is not clear) if this router allows for a
> mixed static/dynamic IP solution. It seems, but it's not clear.

Some routers can bind fixed IP adresses to MACs - but sometimes
the clients still needs to be configured with DHCP, to get this working.

> Whatever, I seem unable to reach the router even if it's configured
> exactly like the old one.

To avoid the delay during boot, use:

dhcpstrt -i lan0 -d 0

in setup.cmd - if it is lan0 you want dhcp for.


--
Allan.

It is better to close your mouth, and look like a fool,
than to open it, and remove all doubt.

[Lars Erdmann]

1) Post your %ETC%\dhcpcd.cfg file
2) post your \MPTN\BIN\setup.cmd file

Also:
a) you need to specify your router's IP address as the nameserver
b) do not specify any routes for a dynamic IP configuration. You'd only
do this for static IP configuration.


I never had problems with DHCP, running OS/2 as a guest under VirtualBox
being the exception.


Lars

[ivan]

Do what we do here, all wired machines are setup with fixed IP that is
outside the DHCP range of the DHCP server which allows wireless
devices to connect via DHCP when they need to.

All our computers are either OS/2 Warp 4 ow WSeB. The DHCP server is
the internet modem that connects to a 48 port switch for the wired
boxes and the netgear wireless router hangs off a port from that
switch [it has the DHCP server switched off of necesity].

This setup has been working from OS/2 v2 days - only the equipment has
been updated to keep up with the times [most boxes have Gbit NICs and
the switch is Gbit as well].

ivan
--

[Mentore Siesto]

Il giorno Sun, 19 Jan 2014 19:35:23 UTC, Lars Erdmann
<lars.e...@arcor.de> ha scritto:

Maybe your solution is the best. I'll try it asap (today a terrible
headache really sent me KO).

Mentore

[Paul Ratcliffe]

On 19 Jan 2014 00:25:50 +0100, Allan <all...@warpspeed.dyndns.dk> wrote:

>> > > I read something on the web about DHCP and eCS, but it seems to me it
>> > > should be really straightforward, so I'm a little puzzled.
>> >
>> > Just set static IP addresses and move on.
>
> Not all small routers can handle static adresses.

Crap. A switch is a switch is a switch. It HAS to respond to valid
combinations of IP address, Subnet mask etc. otherwise it ain't a valid
ethernet network compatible device.

[Paul Ratcliffe]

On 18 Jan 2014 20:19:32 GMT, Mentore Siesto <mentor...@fattimiei.zx>
wrote:

>> Just set static IP addresses and move on.
>> The DHCP client is just hopelessly broken. Always has been, always will
>> be.
>
> Well, I'd like to. The problem is that
>
> 1) I need (it seems) DHCP for the mobile clients
> 2) If I set the router for static IP only, the eCS machine can't
> connect to the router. It doesn't even see it and this pisses me off
>:(
>
> I don't know (documentation is not clear) if this router allows for a
> mixed static/dynamic IP solution. It seems, but it's not clear.
> Whatever, I seem unable to reach the router even if it's configured
> exactly like the old one.

Frankly, I don't believe your assertions about this piece of kit.
You are probably doing something wrong, but it's difficult to tell
what without you putting numbers and configs on it.
You could always do some packet recording to see what is going on.

[Dave Yeo]

I had a router that after a power outage no longer accepted addresses
served up by OS/2 (Paul's port of a dhcp server). Everything else seemed
fine on it. Replaced it and everything was fine.
My sons Win 7 doesn't like my dhcp server either though it is happy with
a static address or the routers dhcp server.
Dave

[Mentore Siesto]

Il giorno Mon, 27 Jan 2014 17:42:57 UTC, Paul Ratcliffe
<ab...@orac12.clara34.co56.uk78> ha scritto:

Seems I've made something really stupid in configuring the new
router/modem. Luckily I managed to install and connect a WNR2200 to my
old router (not Wi-Fi aware), so now I have seven Ethernet inputs and
Wi-Fi at home. All goes on the Internet really fine.

It's time to connect my PS3 ;)

Mentore