DHCP server not issuing an IP Address !!!

[teedge77]

yeah thats very true you cant. i do agree that it really simplifies to just do it the way its intended. i think people would just like the option. idk...maybe supporting a single nic install isnt a good idea. maybe it would just overcomplicate it. people are going to have to buck up and learn something either way i guess.

[jTeez]

I would agree in that all too often "the pro's" can give some really unhelpful posts where more effort is spent in picking holes than anything...
I'm from UK, and a complete LinUX failiure. Ask me about WiMAX/4G and I'll take you through the network but.....

I would also agree that there is something to be said for just trying MCE in modes (and with existing hardware) that it says it supports (even if they are not ideal) in order than you get a feel for what it is like without a major investment of time and money.

I have the same problem, that the DHCP on the MCE core appears not to be issuing IP addresses to devices on the 'local' network. I've used the latest DVD installer 7.4 and the hole process completed first time with no errors and relatively quickly, it has come on miles since the first ones I tried.

I am an experienced PC user, but an absolute LiNUX amature. I am sure at some point I've done something 'drastically wrong' but like the person who started this subject, I've reinstalled and read all the wiki-docs I could find many, many times. I've been involved (i.e. trying to get MCE working) on an off for over a year I think but still to no avail. A big selling point for me is the boot off LAN using many 'thin' or light weight clients to create a whole house solution.

Basically the question is does anyone successfully have the DHCP server working from their core with ONLY ONE NIC?

My setup is two PCs (both with only 1 NIC and no PCI for any more). There is no WAN so no internet, so no other DHCP. One PC is the core and the other has a WindowsXP disk but has 'boot on lan' higher in Boot Sequance (where it spends 10seconds everytime it restarts, requesting an IP).

As far as I know, I setup MCE 'normally' and followed all on-screan instructions. Checking in the MCE-admin that DHCP is enabled, etc.

The core (which is a hybrid) boots fine everytime and leaves you in the GUI where you can get to the MCE-admin website with access to all configuration settings.
When the boot on lan gives up, the comment is that it did not receive an IP address, press F1 to continue, etc.If you leave the 2nd (WindowsXP) PC to boot, it will not be assigned an IP address dynamically, even if you 'repair' (from windows) or 'release' and 'renew' (from Prompt) the connection.

Using wire-shark on the windows PC once it has booted, you see DHCP requests being generated by the windows PC, but they are not being answered.
The MCE hybrid is however generating many many ARP calls, which it is also not getting any response to. If it is the DHCP server surely it knows the MAC of each device its trying to get in touch with so why does it need ARP and why might the DHCP not be responding to the 'Discovery' requests??? Its as if the core's 'internal ethernet card' is not active or at least not visibile....

On one occasion I manually assigned the windowsXP PC with an IP and MCE immediately acknowledged the device and asked if it was a fileserver...? So they're definitely on the same network.

Does anyone have any ideas on this problem.... I would be really greatful if anyone could offer some creative input on this issue (that revolves around only having 1 NIC).

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Failing I have tracked down a free NIC and a friend's PC (which is also installed with MCE). Is there any plug and play with devices like NICs? because after we installed the card and restarted the MCE hybrid, there was no difference and no more eth's offered in the network settings from MCE-admin. Or is this a re-install job???

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At the very least I thank any of you for taking the time to read this 

[tschak909]

I would recommend reinstalling the DVD after putting in the second NIC, there is no plug and play code to re-assign the devices yet.

You can try changing the Network Settings in the web admin.

-Thom

[Zaerc]

There is a wiki page describing the steps you'll need to add a second nic here: http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Single_to_Double_NIC as it involves a few changes in different places.

[Matthew]

Does anyone have any ideas on this problem.... I would be really greatful if anyone could offer some creative input on this issue (that revolves around only having 1 NIC).

From the various test results you posted, it sounds to me like there's something wrong with the Windows machine's network behavior. Have you ever tested thte Windows machine to properly get its network configs from any DHCP server?

Because the LMCE DHCP situation isn't really that complicated. The only trick is that the various network boots of devices that use LMCE services need to get their configs from a DHCP server, which has to be the LMCE DHCP server (or some other you can insert those configs into, but since you usually can't do that - like with cablemodem or DSL routers etc - you have to use the core as the DHCP server), which means there cannot be another DHCP server on the LAN. Those are the reasons, but all it means is that LMCE has to be the DHCP server, and there's no other. And that's what you've got.

What you might try is to burn an Ubuntu liveCD, then boot your Windows machine off that, and see if Ubuntu gets its network configs properly from your LMCE DHCPd. If so, it's just Windows, which you sound like you can fix with your experience (like just reinstalling, like everyone else does . If that Ubuntu liveCD boot doesn't work either, it still sounds like it could be your Windows network card, so you should try that Ubuntu liveCD boot with a new NIC (either the free one you found, or some other - they cost $5-10 for 10/100Mbps, just get a popular one like a 3Com 3C905 or similar).

If its still not working, or even if it is, please keep posting in this thread, and we'll see how to work it out. Because unless its your unique individual HW or some corrupt Windows install, then others will probably have the problem, and we'll be fixing it for them, too.

[totallymaxed]

I would agree in that all too often "the pro's" can give some really unhelpful posts where more effort is spent in picking holes than anything...
I'm from UK, and a complete LinUX failiure. Ask me about WiMAX/4G and I'll take you through the network but.....

I would also agree that there is something to be said for just trying MCE in modes (and with existing hardware) that it says it supports (even if they are not ideal) in order than you get a feel for what it is like without a major investment of time and money.

I have the same problem, that the DHCP on the MCE core appears not to be issuing IP addresses to devices on the 'local' network. I've used the latest DVD installer 7.4 and the hole process completed first time with no errors and relatively quickly, it has come on miles since the first ones I tried.

I am an experienced PC user, but an absolute LiNUX amature. I am sure at some point I've done something 'drastically wrong' but like the person who started this subject, I've reinstalled and read all the wiki-docs I could find many, many times. I've been involved (i.e. trying to get MCE working) on an off for over a year I think but still to no avail. A big selling point for me is the boot off LAN using many 'thin' or light weight clients to create a whole house solution.

Basically the question is does anyone successfully have the DHCP server working from their core with ONLY ONE NIC?

Hi there... we're in the UK too ;-)

All our Cores are setup as standard with a single NIC. So single NIC installations are 100% the norm for us.

Our setups are as follows;

Wireless Router (WAN side hooked up to broadband router and usually DHCP from broadband provider)
Wireless router has LAN side DHCP off and we set them up as follows;

Local IP of Wireless Router: 192.168.20.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.20.1

The Core/Hybrid is setup as follows;

EXTERNAL_IFACE     eth0
EXTERNAL_MAC    XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
EXTERNAL_IP    192.168.20.99
EXTERNAL_NETMASK    255.255.255.0
EXTERNAL_DHCP    0
INTERNAL_IFACE    eth0:0
INTERNAL_MAC    XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
INTERNAL_IP    192.168.80.1
INTERNAL_NETMASK    255.255.255.0
GATEWAY    192.168.20.1
DNS1    192.168.20.1
DNS2    192.168.20.1

As you can see from the above info the Core's External IFACE is set to a fixed IP of 192.168.20.99 (ie in the same range as the Wireless Router) while its internal IFACE is set to 192.168.80.1 with its Gateway & DNS set to the IP of the Wireless Router (make sure that the 'Use a static IP address' is selected in Web Admin -> Adbanced -> Network -> Network Settings). The Wireless router will then issue addresses in 80.1 range (perfect for any mobile devices that you might want to connect to your Core/Hybrid). Devices set to PXE boot like your Windows XP machine should be connected either directly, or via additional routers if required, to one of the LAN ports on the Wireless Router. They will then boot of the network and be issued DHCP addresses in the 80.2 & upwards range.

Thats all there is too it ;-)

Hope this helps you

Andrew

[jTeez]

Hey guys,

Firstly I'd like to say thanks for the responses (shocked by how quick you've all responded), this is obviously a reasonably hot topic and you've certainly given me some great options and I'm sure at least one will get me unstuck.

1) really positive that you've got systems that are running problem free with one NIC

2) I think the window's system is fine because when I try 'boot on lan' on a network 'owned' by an ADSL modem/router, it did receive an IP assignment (obviously still didn't boot as there is nothing on that network to boot from)

I'll definitely try the manual settings posted by totallymaxed however I've also been trailing the forums and found... http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Known_Issues
This matches up with 'totallymaxed' config.... MCE has named the 'virtual' internal ethernet card 'eth1' not 'eth0:0', this may be just a really small bug/funny, hopefully this will get everything working (fingers crossed).
One question about that config... how did you enter 'XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX' is that literally it or is it left blank?

Thanks all, I'm out of the country for a bit but I'll try to update on progress ASAP...

[totallymaxed]

I'll definitely try the manual settings posted by totallymaxed however I've also been trailing the forums and found... http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Known_Issues
This matches up with 'totallymaxed' config.... MCE has named the 'virtual' internal ethernet card 'eth1' not 'eth0:0', this may be just a really small bug/funny, hopefully this will get everything working (fingers crossed).
One question about that config... how did you enter 'XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX' is that literally it or is it left blank?

Thanks all, I'm out of the country for a bit but I'll try to update on progress ASAP...

The settings i provided are just the end result of a normal install.

The 'XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX' was just me 'blanking' out my Mac Addresses... your installation will get these from your NIC automatically.

[jTeez]

Cheers, I'll give it a try

[totallymaxed]

Cheers, I'll give it a try

Keep us updated on how you get on ;-)

[flushie86]

Hello, I would just like to tell you that I have a core setup with only 1 NIC and it is doing it all! I did scratch my head for a couple hours and reinstalled several times before I figured out something I had missed! After enabling the DHCP server during the install you have to go to the Admin website and configure it. Advanced -> Network -> Network Settings. You have to identify an ip address for both Pluto and non-Pluto devices! If not then the DHCP server appears not to function! Hope this helps. By the way a single NIC is very easy to use!