Ad-hoc networks and mobile broadband

[apkent]

Hi all, a couple of queries from a very new user....

I'm planning a dedicated home wireless server but as a test, thought I'd better install a copy of Ubuntu 9.04 to try things out.

So, I installed off the live CD to a new partition, no problems. I plugged in my Huawei E160G mobile broadband dongle and got it connected to the net, no problem.

Then I decided to set up an ad-hoc network to firstly share files to my Vista laptop- obviously no problem with my PCI wireless adapter. I used the 'Create New Wireless Network' option and it all seemed ok - the network appeared on Vista's 'Connect to a network' page. But in Vista I get no internet connection from the Ubuntu host, nor any way to access files or settings.

Other than the above, I've not changed the default 9.04 install at all.

What am I doing wrong?

Cheers,
Andy

[apkent]

Right, bit of progress, but still don't feel any nearer.....

I've installed Samba, and chosen my local drive to be shared.

However, I'm still getting nothing through to the Vista laptop.

'Connect to a network' in Vista says the machines are connected, but I can't get them to ping each other? I'm having trouble even working out whether the two machines are on different IP addresses to be honest.

Can any one help or point me in the right direction? It seems like I've looked over tons of tutorials and I'm still no where near :(

[superprash2003]

in your ubuntu machine go to the terminal and type ifconfig and post output here
in your windows machine go to the command prompt and type ipconfig and post output here

we first need to see if both the machines have an ip

[apkent]

Right, well it did miraculously start working all by itself I think. I followed a whole load of tutorials doing this that and the other, and then bam, it was working. I could access files from the desktop and the internet was working.

Now all of a sudden, it has decided to stop sharing the internet. I didn't change anything further, just turned the machine on and off as I have been doing for a couple of days.

So, as requested, the output of ifconfig is:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:12:3f:a4:c6:a1
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:426 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:426 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:31864 (31.8 KB) TX bytes:31864 (31.8 KB)

ppp0 Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol
inet addr:94.197.223.158 P-t-P:10.64.64.64 Mask:255.255.255.255
UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST MTU:1440 Metric:1
RX packets:7523 errors:11 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:6352 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:3
RX bytes:8241269 (8.2 MB) TX bytes:790392 (790.3 KB)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:17:3f:f5:db:6c
inet addr:10.42.43.1 Bcast:10.42.43.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::217:3fff:fef5:db6c/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:683 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:385 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:144775 (144.7 KB) TX bytes:105604 (105.6 KB)

wmaster0 Link encap:UNSPEC HWaddr 00-17-3F-F5-DB-6C-62-36-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

And the result from ipconfig in Vista is:

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::50e5:7e67:1aa1:395c%9
IPv4 Address . . . . . . . . . . : 10.42.43.10
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . : 10.42.43.1

......plus a load of other 'Media Disconnected' connections

Now to me that looks ok? I can still access the files on the desktop, but no internet? I have internet on the desktop itself so that is working, just not being shared properly.....

[apkent]

Oh......I might have fixed it. The 'Available to all users' option seems to be been un-ticked in the wireless connection properties. I ticked it and it worked again.

But why would that un-tick itself?

[apkent]

This is just rediculous. It worked perfectly for a couple of days, now its absolutely useless. It would drop and regain the connection at start-up seemingly randomly. Sometimes I could access files & the internet, sometimes just the internet and sometimes just the files.

So, I reinstalled the OS hoping to get back to a fresh install.

I've been trying for ages looking for a simple tutorial on how to set this up but its hopeless. I've now tried about 3 different routes, all with no different result and with a system that now been messed about with all over again.

So, I'm going to try one last time with a fresh install.

Can someone please tell me how to get this up and running please. As yet, I've just installed the OS, I haven't even plugged the mobile broadband in yet.

Cheers,
Andy

[apkent]

Pretty please? :)

[superprash2003]

adhoc setup http://www.prash-babu.com/2009/05/how-to-setup-wireless-adhoc-network-in.html

[apkent]

Thanks prash. I've got the ad-hoc successfully up and running. Both computers have their own IP and can ping each other without problem.

But, whenever I plug the mobile broadband modem in now, it won't connect to the internet on the Ubuntu machine?

I didn't use the DNS settings in your article as it breaks stops me accessing the internet on the Vista machine (DNS not found errors) but as I say, I now can't get the internet in Ubuntu.

I thought Ubuntu was supposed to be easy to work with :popcorn: :)

[apkent]

In fact Prash, what Ubuntu install are you using?

Would it be easier if I just went back to 8.04 LTS instead?

My original plan was to get everything up and running on the desktop version, then reinstall on the server edition to run headless - at least by that time I would have some sort of idea what I'm doing! Not really going to plan to be honest.....

[superprash2003]

what did you use for ICS?? try this http://www.prash-babu.com/2009/02/internet-connection-sharing-in-ubuntu.html ..

[apkent]

I didn't even get as far as ICS, as the mobile broadband isn't being properly recognised Ubuntu. It says it has connected, but is unable to connect to any websites.

I followed your tutorial to the letter, with the exception of specifying DNS servers on either the host (Ub) or client (Vista).

[superprash2003]

oh , mobile broadband doesnt work on the main machine as well?

[apkent]

Mobile works perfect on the Vista laptop (with the proprietary connection software), but not the Ubuntu desktop (where it is supposed automatically set-up a working connection but for some reason I get nothing)

[superprash2003]

ok so you first need to get internet access.try this http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1046813.html