PC not requesting data over Ethernet

[Gyroshark]

Ok so I know the title is garbage but I dont really know how to explain this problem short and swift like, but I'll try anyways. 

 

My PC is connected via Ethernet to my router through a series of switches because my house is too old and to run a straight wire would require a lot of money. First a cable from my main router, a Verizon action-tech or something, goes to a wireless router/switch  bought specifically for this. It then goes from there to another powered switch/coupler. I say switch/coupler because I can interchange this one easily. It then goes from that switch to another switch that goes directly to my PC. SO I was trying to login in to League a couple days ago and noticed that it wouldnt connect to the PvP.net server. I went onto Riots support site and chose the "Change DNS to (insert specific DNS here)". So I tried that to no avail. I tried another solution which was to disable my IPv6. That didnt work either. So at this point I'm wondering if maybe there something wrong with my original connection. I cant really remember exactly what I did but I know I tried to make my main PC the DMZ host so I could port forward through two routers. Then I found IPv6 on my Verizon router was disabled, so I enabled it. And after those two things my PC wont pick up on an Ethernet connection. So of course I ran the troubleshoot and it says my Local Area Connection doesnt have a valid IP address. And I'm network illiterate so I have no clue how to solve this issue. I was, through that connection, getting 50-60mbits up and down. 

 

It also seems that the lights on the switches are showing that the cable connected through the router is sending data, but that my PC isnt receiving it. My switch near my PC however, tells me that the cable isnt sending any data, and that my PC is the only one requesting it. If you need clarification please let me know, I'm not amazing at explaining these kinds of things. 

 

TL; DR: I enabled IPv6 on my router, and tried to make my PC a DMZ host. Ended with not having a valid IP configuration. 

 

Thanks for any and all help in advance!

 

Oh another thing I should mention, the router that I specifically bought for using it as a switch is a medialink. I went into the control panel on that router and under the WAN status there was a release button that I pressed. I thought it would refresh the connection but turns out it ruined the connection.

Edited December 5, 2014 by Gyroshark

[mikebald]

Something that may help is that a switch is not the same as a coupler. If you wanted to get something like a powered coupler, you'll want to get a Hub instead. A networking switch processes and forwards data along the line, so if there is a problem with one of the switches then you'll have problems along the line. You can test the individual switches by setting up 2 machines with static IPs and hooking them up to that particular switch. If you can exchange data between the machines, chances are the switch is good. This specific method won't test the cables that act as the interconnect between the switches, but I imagine you could figure that step out.

 

Here's a wikipedia link if you want to read more about switches or hubs.

[Gyroshark]

Something that may help is that a switch is not the same as a coupler. If you wanted to get something like a powered coupler, you'll want to get a Hub instead. A networking switch processes and forwards data along the line, so if there is a problem with one of the switches then you'll have problems along the line. You can test the individual switches by setting up 2 machines with static IPs and hooking them up to that particular switch. If you can exchange data between the machines, chances are the switch is good. This specific method won't test the cables that act as the interconnect between the switches, but I imagine you could figure that step out.

 

Here's a wikipedia link if you want to read more about switches or hubs.

What I'm doing at the moment is going around with my laptop and testing the switches now. So far both have said that theres an invalid IP configuration. So maybe the router/swicth is messing up? keep in mind the router works fine via wireless. It could also be the actiontec. However I reset that router to factory settings in an effort to try and resolve this issue.

[mikebald]

I forgot to mention, individual switched ports can go bad too on a switch, so you should try moving to a different port on the switch as well.

[DelusionalSyko]

Stupid question, but do you have a network cable coming from 1 port on a switch, to another port on the SAME switch?

 

Also, have you tried powercycling ALL of the switches on your network?

 

Another note: 100FT of Cat6 cable is like...$30, much less than buying multiple patch cables and switches

[Gyroshark]

I forgot to mention, individual switched ports can go bad too on a switch, so you should try moving to a different port on the switch as well.

Almost all these switches in question are maybe just over a year old. I didnt think they go bad so quickly but I guess I can try switching them up. Also got a little update. The PC is requesting data through the cable however I think the first router, the medialink, isnt routing its ethernet correctly. I tried a direct connection with my laptop and it worked like a charm. But when my PC tries to connect it just says unknown/identifiable.

[DelusionalSyko]

It honestly sounds like you're having a DHCP issue over your connection. Does your network adapter have the "!" on it when plugged in? If so, what's the error that it shows?

[Gyroshark]

Stupid question, but do you have a network cable coming from 1 port on a switch, to another port on the SAME switch?

 

Also, have you tried powercycling ALL of the switches on your network?

 

Another note: 100FT of Cat6 cable is like...$30, much less than buying multiple patch cables and switches

Wait... they all have to be on the same port on each switch? If so then wow I'm not a smart man. 

 

Powercycling, is that testing every port? Sorry for stupid questions, I'm good with actual PC's but I'm still working on networking, its all a learning experience for me.

 

I wish I could run all that cable but the crawl spaces to try and route it are near impossible to access. One of them goes under my bathroom floor with a 2 inch clearance then behind a wall. Eventually tho I will try because that'd be a lot easier than this.

[Gyroshark]

It honestly sounds like you're having a DHCP issue over your connection. Does your network adapter have the "!" on it when plugged in? If so, what's the error that it shows?

The network adapter on my main PC (ethernet connection) says the network is unknown/no internet access. I have two switches going along this connection and I plugged my laptop into both to test them and they both turned up with an invalid ip configuration error when I ran the troubleshooter. However when I went to the first router and plugged it in via ethernet it worked fine. Is it a problem with my main PC? I did restore it to before the incident but that didnt clear it up.

[DelusionalSyko]

Wait... they all have to be on the same port on each switch? If so then wow I'm not a smart man. 

 

Powercycling, is that testing every port? Sorry for stupid questions, I'm good with actual PC's but I'm still working on networking, its all a learning experience for me.

 

I wish I could run all that cable but the crawl spaces to try and route it are near impossible to access. One of them goes under my bathroom floor with a 2 inch clearance then behind a wall. Eventually tho I will try because that'd be a lot easier than this.

 

No, you can have a cable come from port 1 to port 16 on another switch and it won't make a difference. You just can't have a cable plugged into a switch, go into another port on the SAME switch. That's called a loop, and it will kill your network.

 

If you open up command prompt (You can search for it on the start menu on windows 7, and on the side menu search on windows 8)

 

Type this command in:

ipconfig /renew

 

Post back on what it says so I know your internal IP scheme, or if it fails, which will tell me a lot.

 

 

Edit: Powercycling just means "Turning it off and back on again" just unplug the device for 10 seconds and plug it back in.

[Gyroshark]

No, you can have a cable come from port 1 to port 16 on another switch and it won't make a difference. You just can't have a cable plugged into a switch, go into another port on the SAME switch. That's called a loop, and it will kill your network.

 

If you open up command prompt (You can search for it on the start menu on windows 7, and on the side menu search on windows 8)

 

Type this command in:

ipconfig /renew

 

Post back on what it says so I know your internal IP scheme, or if it fails, which will tell me a lot.

 

 

Edit: Powercycling just means "Turning it off and back on again" just unplug the device for 10 seconds and plug it back in.

Gotcha ok.

 

Ok so I did the whole /renew thing and this error came up.

 

Windows IP Configuration

 

No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection 3 while its media is disconnected.

 

An error occurred while renewing interface Local Area Connection : unable to contact your DHCP server. request has timed out.

 

 

 

 

EDIT: More stuff showed up, hold on typing it out now.

Ok so you were right its a DHCP error. At least its nailed down to that. 

[DelusionalSyko]

Just type: Ipconfig

 

And post back the results.

 

Edit: Since you've logged into your router, you must know the IP address of that router? Can I get that from you as well?

[Gyroshark]

Just type: Ipconfig

 

And post back the results.

 

Edit: Since you've logged into your router, you must know the IP address of that router? Can I get that from you as well?

Well I got a few here:

 

Medialink is 192.168.8.1

Main PC: n/a since it cant find one

Verizon is obviously 192.168.1.1

Public for Verizon: 98.114.57.91

[DelusionalSyko]

Set your Medialink as: 192.168.1.2

 

After that,  try the ipconfig /renew command again.

[Gyroshark]

Set your Medialink as: 192.168.1.2

 

After that,  try the ipconfig /renew command again.

Tried that and now the Medialink is redirecting me to just 192.168.1.2 on any website I try to access. As for the ipconfig /renew, the PC is still showing the same errors. Currently using my actiontec to connect to the internet just in case you were wondering how I am responding. Just to clear up any confusion, the PC cant connect to any IP adresses, the laptop is the only one that can connect to the medialink.

[DelusionalSyko]

What if you statically assign your PC to this:

 

IP Address: 192.168.1.132

Subnet Mas: 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

 

DNS you can leave as auto, or just use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

 

To statically assign your PC:

 

Right-click your network icon in your system tray and select "Open network and sharing center"

In the top left corner of the network and sharing screen, click on "Change adapter settings"

Right-click the adapter you're using on your PC (Usually says Ethernet) and go to "Properties"

Scroll down until you see "IPv4" and double click it

[Gyroshark]

What if you statically assign your PC to this:

 

IP Address: 192.168.1.132

Subnet Mas: 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

 

DNS you can leave as auto, or just use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

 

To statically assign your PC:

 

Right-click your network icon in your system tray and select "Open network and sharing center"

In the top left corner of the network and sharing screen, click on "Change adapter settings"

Right-click the adapter you're using on your PC (Usually says Ethernet) and go to "Properties"

Scroll down until you see "IPv4" and double click it

Did that and its still unidentified. This is very odd, I don't know why this just started happening. This setup is exactly like how I had it before. 

[DelusionalSyko]

It sounds like you disabled something you shouldn't have on one of your devices. If your PC isn't getting a DHCP lease from your router, something along the line is blocking it and my suspicion is that router you turned into a switch is the culprit.

 

If you have your IP statically assigned can you ping your default gateway?

 

In a command prompt type: Ping 192.168.1.1

 

I don't think you'll get a reply back since your network identifies as unknown even with it statically assigned. I would revert all the changes you did with the DMZ host (Which you really don't need to do...you can just port forward to an IP) and verify that your re purposed router is running NO form of service (DHCP, Firewall, port forwards, turn that shit off and if that router has a DMZ mode you can set your default gateway as the DMZ host but turning it off is a better idea)

 

I have a feeling that plugging your PC directly into your default gateway, you would get an address and be fine since the DHCP service works over your wireless network, so that "Switch" has to be the culprit.

 

Edit: And make sure your switch has the proper default gateway and subnet entered. For your network the default gateway is 192.168.1.1 and the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0

[Gyroshark]

It sounds like you disabled something you shouldn't have on one of your devices. If your PC isn't getting a DHCP lease from your router, something along the line is blocking it and my suspicion is that router you turned into a switch is the culprit.

If you have your IP statically assigned can you ping your default gateway?

In a command prompt type: Ping 192.168.1.1

I don't think you'll get a reply back since your network identifies as unknown even with it statically assigned. I would revert all the changes you did with the DMZ host (Which you really don't need to do...you can just port forward to an IP) and verify that your re purposed router is running NO form of service (DHCP, Firewall, port forwards, turn that shit off and if that router has a DMZ mode you can set your default gateway as the DMZ host but turning it off is a better idea)

I have a feeling that plugging your PC directly into your default gateway, you would get an address and be fine since the DHCP service works over your wireless network, so that "Switch" has to be the culprit.

Edit: And make sure your switch has the proper default gateway and subnet entered. For your network the default gateway is 192.168.1.1 and the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0

Well I went out and bought some more couplers and just used them to connect. My computers at first recognized them and connected to my router with the right IP and everything, but couldnt load any web pages. ipconfig showed everything working fine, I even pinged a few websites including my router, and my pc from my router. I think the coupers are causing the signal to be so weak that my PC cant identify it correctly.

Edit: here's some pictures that may explain the situation a tad better, http://imgur.com/a/LDaUz

According to my router my pc is in bridge mode? How do I change that exactly...

 

EDIT: I've nailed down the problem to be with a certain cable. My setup goes router->switch1->switch2 (or a coupler, currently have a switch on there)->switch3->PC. Now the problem here is the connection from switch1 -> switch2 is fine, but from switch2 -> switch3 doesnt work. I've plugged my laptop in via ethernet to switch2 to see if there was an error, the laptop connected to the web via ethernet fine and the NIC lights lit up correctly. I then removed the data-carrying cord from the switch and left the cord going to switch3 in. Switch3 showed that my laptop was connected as the lights were flashing which means data was being transferred. I then disconnected my laptop and plugged in the data-carrying ethernet cable. The NIC on switch3 did not flash at all, its like the data is stopping at the second junction and not going through the other cable. 

 

To clear this up, the cable between switch2 and switch3 works fine. But it wont transfer data for whatever reason. Is this normal?

[DelusionalSyko]

if you run: ipconfig /all

 

It will show you what your primary and secondary DNS servers are, post back what that prints out.

 

 

Also, can you ping any of these:

 

8.8.8.8

google.com

amazon.com

[DelusionalSyko]

Can you do this config?

 

From your PC, plug the ethernet cable coming from your computer into a switch. From that switch get the longest cable you have, and plug it into a coupler. From the coupler, plug it into another switch then directly into your router.

 

I believe you're dropping signals along this mess of switches and couplers. The config above will verify that the signal will repeat properly (Hopefully)

 

 

And are these ACTUAL switches? Not re-purposed routers? What brand and model are these switches?

[Gyroshark]

if you run: ipconfig /all

 

It will show you what your primary and secondary DNS servers are, post back what that prints out.

 

 

Also, can you ping any of these:

 

8.8.8.8

google.com

amazon.com

On my desktop that says Unidentified network the ipconfig reads:

http://pastebin.com/mSjtXBf6

 

I've been talking with some others and they think that the router is beat. I disabled dhcp and its not receiving data from switch2. In fact any switch I put after switch2 doesnt receive data but when I plug my laptop into switch2 and try to connect to my desktop switch3 starts lighting up. Its very odd...

[Gyroshark]

Can you do this config?

 

From your PC, plug the ethernet cable coming from your computer into a switch. From that switch get the longest cable you have, and plug it into a coupler. From the coupler, plug it into another switch then directly into your router.

 

I believe you're dropping signals along this mess of switches and couplers. The config above will verify that the signal will repeat properly (Hopefully)

 

 

And are these ACTUAL switches? Not re-purposed routers? What brand and model are these switches?

Ok I'll do that config then see what happens.

 

Also its not too much of a mess really, its just three junctions.

 

Two are actual switches. One is a TP-Link, another is a Netgear. The third 'switch' is actually a router with the DHCP server off. Its working as a switch tho. The router is a Medialink MWN-WAPR150n. I can replace any/all with couplers if need be.