Ok! So here's my issue. I have a laptop running Vista and an Xbox 360, both which I would like to get online. However, there is one small issue. I am in a dorm room at a university, and they only have one ethernet outlet in the room. I realize the simple answer is to get a router, which unfortunately is against the dorm rules. My other option is to use a hub or a switch. I have both. I have tried both, with little success. The hub seems to be finicky about when and what it lets online. The switch works fine, but then disconnects both machines after a few minutes. Both setups work fine if only one system is online, but when both go online I get disconnected on one or both. I believe this is an IP issue of some sort. What should I do to get both the 360 and the laptop online? Should I ignore the dorm rules and try to buy a router? Can I set a static IP (I don't know how to do this, the guy at Best Buy told me I should)? Or is there another way around the problem? I asked on another forum I visit, but it only got one post, and that was to buy the switch. So here I am with a brand new switch and a 2 year old hub, neither giving me desired results. Hopefully you guys here can help me out, I would really appreciate it!
Networking Help Please :(
- Thread starter Ness3
- Start date
[quote name='Ness3']Ok! So here's my issue. I have a laptop running Vista and an Xbox 360, both which I would like to get online. However, there is one small issue. I am in a dorm room at a university, and they only have one ethernet outlet in the room. I realize the simple answer is to get a router, which unfortunately is against the dorm rules. My other option is to use a hub or a switch. I have both. I have tried both, with little success. The hub seems to be finicky about when and what it lets online. The switch works fine, but then disconnects both machines after a few minutes. Both setups work fine if only one system is online, but when both go online I get disconnected on one or both. I believe this is an IP issue of some sort. What should I do to get both the 360 and the laptop online? Should I ignore the dorm rules and try to buy a router? Can I set a static IP (I don't know how to do this, the guy at Best Buy told me I should)? Or is there another way around the problem? I asked on another forum I visit, but it only got one post, and that was to buy the switch. So here I am with a brand new switch and a 2 year old hub, neither giving me desired results. Hopefully you guys here can help me out, I would really appreciate it![/QUOTE]
You don't want to use a hub, that's for sure. You can't set statis ip addresses because the network won't recognise them and without a router I don't think you will be able to set anything to translate the address into something the network will recogize. You're best bet is the switch.
What model is the switch? It will likely work fine but needs some configuring to work properly in your situation.
You don't want to use a hub, that's for sure. You can't set statis ip addresses because the network won't recognise them and without a router I don't think you will be able to set anything to translate the address into something the network will recogize. You're best bet is the switch.
What model is the switch? It will likely work fine but needs some configuring to work properly in your situation.
m6oo
CAGiversary!
How about contacting your university IT department? If such a setup is not prohibited, they can likely tell you how to set it up.
Also, doesn't anyone else in your dorm have a similar setup? Just find someone who has it working and copy them.
Another thing to try is to try two computers on the switch and hub and leave the XBOX out of it. If that works, then the XBOX is screwing you up somehow. Maybe the campus network sees something it doesn't like and then drops your connections.
Also, doesn't anyone else in your dorm have a similar setup? Just find someone who has it working and copy them.
Another thing to try is to try two computers on the switch and hub and leave the XBOX out of it. If that works, then the XBOX is screwing you up somehow. Maybe the campus network sees something it doesn't like and then drops your connections.
The switch model is a Linksys EZXS55W. I guess I could ask the IT dept but they're busy getting ready for the start of the year and really backed up, if I ask them it'll have to wait a while. An Xbox isn't their highest priority. And I think it's what the previous poster said about the Xbox. We tried multiple computers, and it worked. But then the Xbox doesn't work if other computers are on. Its something about the Xbox cutting off the conneciton to the computers or something.
Here is the page on linksys' site with the user guide which gives some good basic information. There isn't much there for configuring so here are some good troubleshooting techniques.
1) try unplugging and re-plugging in the switch to reset the device when the internet going out.
2) try plugging in your network cables to different spots as you might just have a bad port.
3) I don't know if the switch would have any management functions like a router would, but try re-running the cd if it came with one and seeing if it has an internal management system by typing in 192.168.1.1 in your web browser while connected.
1) try unplugging and re-plugging in the switch to reset the device when the internet going out.
2) try plugging in your network cables to different spots as you might just have a bad port.
3) I don't know if the switch would have any management functions like a router would, but try re-running the cd if it came with one and seeing if it has an internal management system by typing in 192.168.1.1 in your web browser while connected.
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