Failed to get server address

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-01 06:23

Hi all

I have check out the same named FAQ but it does not apply to what I will mentione below.

On my W2K machine I have 2 LAN cards one for Broadband ADSL Internet and one for internal networking with W98 machine.

This 2nd card was not in use till recently, till then I was able to access the W89 machine regularly and efficiently.

After the 2nd card was made into active use, I have been having a lot of problems VNCing to the W98 (LAN connectivity per se is running okay).

What I have noticed is that when the W98 machine is started *before* my W2K machine and I establish a VNC connection to the W98 machine *before* I connect to the Internet through the 2nd card then it is successful, else not.

Please advise, what am I missing in terms of configurations, etc.

Please note I have already formatted my W2K when the problem had first occured blaming the ADSL installation but to no avail.

bevtech · Post by **bevtech** » 2006-02-11 03:05

If I am understanding you correctly.

you are using ICS sharing with the win2k is the host for your internet connection and your windows 98 connection is running.

Possible solution:

I would suggust using a cable /dsl router and connect both the windows 2k machine and the windows 98 directly to the router that way it is doing the routing.

For example:

192.168.0.1:5901 win2k
192.168.0.2:5902 win98

Then you can route port 5901 to 192.168.0.1
and port 5902 to 192.168.0.2

That way you can setup dynamic dns on your router and you then you can access them both remotely.

With ICS I am not sure what it will ports will be..

Hope this helps,

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-11 10:38

Hi Bevtech

bevtech wrote:If I am understanding you correctly.

you are using ICS sharing with the win2k is the host for your internet connection and your windows 98 connection is running.

Thanks for your response to my newbie post.

Actually I do not share the Internet connection between the machine. It is only meant for my W2K.

The W98 machine is my support staff's so I want to VNC to his machine server (never is my w2k a server always a client).

The clash as I mentioned happens only at the time my machine is starting. If the w98 is up and running (ie the vnc server is loaded). Later my w2k is started then I can easily get the vnc connection (LAN connection itself is always available vnc or not). In fact today the w89 was loaded, I connected my w2k to the w98 I got it successfully, then the w98 had to be rebooted, then I later tried to reconnect and I got the connection again very easily.

I don't know if there are users here on the forum who have an ADSL conenction and 2 lan cards in the client machine.

Hope to have explained my problem more clearely but I am lacking any technical knowledge regarding network and vnc to give more details. If there is anything I can provide by running some utilities and provide here for better problem solving please let me know.

Once again thanks for responding.

bevtech · Post by **bevtech** » 2006-02-11 16:40

oh so your windows 98 machine is the server and your window 2k is the viewer.

So if you do not have windows 98 machine started before your win2k machine it will not work.

You do have to have the server started or active before you can use the viewer.

what is the network configuration on your windows 2k machine?? Are both cards on the same LAN?? with the same subnet?

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-13 08:04

Hi

bevtech wrote:oh so your windows 98 machine is the server and your window 2k is the viewer.

Yes.

bevtech wrote:So if you do not have windows 98 machine started before your win2k machine it will not work.

Yes.

bevtech wrote:You do have to have the server started or active before you can use the viewer.

Yes

bevtech wrote:what is the network configuration on your windows 2k machine?? Are both cards on the same LAN?? with the same subnet?

Ahh, something more than yes

. Noting very complicated just simple P2P network, with a hub in between. It is more or less out of the box configuration. I just provide the network adapter driver when I reinstall and things start working on their own. Just that my W2K is accessable only when the W98 guy had logged in on the windows network. On my w2k that user is a very limited user.

Both are basically Realtek cards but vendors maybe different. The w98 is a P166 MMX so the card will be almost equally old. The w2k machine is P4 from 2 years back.

The IP's are as follows. The IPs are auto so I presume they will change on every boot.

w2k: 169.254.154.220
w98: 169.254.231.59

both have a subnet mask of: 255.255.0.0

Now for the complication of the year. Today my w2k was sarted *before* the w98 but somehow I got the connetion. I have not been able to study what has differed between everyday and today in the bootup of the machines. But one thing that I had connected and disconnected to the ADSL twice before I had tried to get the connection to the w98 machine.

Sorry about the twist in the tail.

bevtech · Post by **bevtech** » 2006-02-13 16:07

Can you make your Ip static or reserve them in your dhcp server so that those two boxes get the same Ip everytime you start up?? To see if that makes a difference.

On another note. When working how do you connect to the machines via ip address of hostname??

It seems that the problem put yet another twist on the setup..

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-14 05:56

Hi Bevtech

bevtech wrote:Can you make your Ip static or reserve them in your dhcp server so that those two boxes get the same Ip everytime you start up?? To see if that makes a difference.

Now how can I do that with just these 2 machines. I am sorry about my weak knowledge of networking. Does DHCP server means a seperate machine, then I don't have any server. If my w2k prof. can work as one then please provide me some links which I can study and implement.

bevtech wrote:On another note. When working how do you connect to the machines via ip address of hostname??

via hostname as the IP is changing everytime.

bevtech wrote:It seems that the problem put yet another twist on the setup..

Guess so, let's live life to the full with maxed probs *g*.

Thanks.
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bevtech · Post by **bevtech** » 2006-02-15 17:28

venussoftop,

I do recall reading a post serveral months ago that host names do not always work.

That why I was suggesting static IP's

It really depends on the network setup. Some routers will let you reserve IPs so that each computer gets the same IP everytime.

I thought of another way to test if it is the host name that is causing your issue. Start machines in whatever order you wish on the win2k goto run and
type "cmd" then the enter key. A dos window will appear. type "Ipconfig" then jot down the ip. In the win98 machine type "winipcfg" then enter and jot down its ip

Once you have the current ips then try to connect by Ip address instead of host name and see if it will work..

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-16 06:48

Hi Bevtech

bevtech wrote:I thought of another way to test if it is the host name that is causing your issue. Start machines in whatever order you wish on the win2k goto run and
type "cmd" then the enter key. A dos window will appear. type "Ipconfig" then jot down the ip. In the win98 machine type "winipcfg" then enter and jot down its ip

Once you have the current ips then try to connect by Ip address instead of host name and see if it will work..

I will give this a try and let you know. Thanks.

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-16 12:27

bevtech wrote:Once you have the current ips then try to connect by Ip address instead of host name and see if it will work..

I got the w89's IP address (both from ipconfig and winipcfg are same on that machine) I put it instead of the machine name and it won't connect. Sorry about that.

bevtech · Post by **bevtech** » 2006-02-16 15:07

wow, I am puzzled by why your vnc will not work and I am completely out of ideas at this time..

venussoftop · Post by **venussoftop** » 2006-02-17 06:22

bevtech wrote:wow, I am puzzled by why your vnc will not work and I am completely out of ideas at this time..

Another one. I am getting the same IP from the w98 machine, yesterday and today even when it is set to automatic IP! The radio button for "Obtain an IP address automatically" is seleted.

I'll keep a track of the IP address from the w98 machine.

Thanks for your constant help.