IPCOP Install Help Needed

Trying to get IPCOP installed for the first time. Here is the configuration I am trying to setup.

BTW - Before we begin, I am not a newbie to computers. I am a software support tech but I am a little fuzzy on networking and firewalls and I'm trying to self-teach myself some new information.

Here is the network configuration using.

[Internet(Charter)]
|
---->Cable Modem
|

---

>[IPCOP (red [DHCP]
(PII233 128M Ram with
(4) 10/100 ethernet nic cards installed)
|
----> [Computer (XP Home -- PIII 600
GREEN card with IP 192.168.1.1]

IPCop version I am using is 1.3.0. (Yes I know there is 1.4.10 out) but this is just learning endevor.

I have installed IPCOP following the instructions very carefully. After installing I unplugged the monitor and keyboard and powered down the IPCOP machine

* Powered Off my cable modem.
* Unplugged the cat5 cable and hooked it into the RED nic.
* Installed new Cat5 cable into GREEN nic
* Plugged other end into my XP Machine's Nic card.
* Powered up Cable Modem.
* Powered up IPCOP machine.
* Went into XP Machine's network properties and verified
that the IP address was obtained automatically.
* Rebooted XP Computer.
* WINDOWS FIREWALL IS SHUTOFF.

HERE is where things go bad. On the IPCOP machine, I can see on the RED nic lights and activity. However on the GREEN Nic there is nothing. On the XP Machine I see my a message that the network connection is unplugged.

I logged into IPCOP Setup and verified that this is an ETH0 and ETH01. Plud I have searched on this topic for a few days with really no good explanations or solutions.

What am I doing wrong.

Hi there.
It seems to be a problem of cables not an IPCop related one.
When you connect directly two RJ45 nics you have to use a crossover cable if you want them to see each other, provided you put in compatible network setups, etc. If you use a normal cat5 they are not going to see the network (in fact they keep on telling you that the two machines are unplugged). This problem is obviously solved if you connect both to a switch, a hub, etc. whatever.

Hope this helps.

GertDelPozzo is right. Try out his suggestion.

Thanks guys..I'll give that a try.

Ok got a crossover cable and hooked up the PC and IPCOP machine. Rebooted everything including the IPCOP machine, the XP Home PC and the Cable modem(unplugged it, waited for 10 sec and plugged back in).

Anyway the red is NOT obtaining the IP address from the ISP and the IPCOP is not passing out an IP address to the XP PC. I am getting a connection between the Cable Modem and the IPCOP machine, and a connection between the IPCOP and the PC but nothing is being passed from the web to the XP PC.

Wondering what the DNS Server should be set to, and if I need a DNS Host Name.

Again, working with Charter 3M download cable internet with a cable modem.

The DNS is setup as such

Starting address 192.168.0.2
ending address 192.168.0.254

Primary DNS = Address of Charter's Primary DNS
Secondary DNS = Address of Charter's Secondary DNS
(Wondering if these should be blank?)

DNS Name is spongebob however when I ran the ipconfig/all it shows may name with a last intial as the host name.

Under network address the
Green Nic address is 192.168.0.1
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0

RED Nic is set to DHCP

XP PC machine IP is set to obtain address automatically.

Any ideas?

A few questions to further clarify the situation, Brownarola.

1. How do you know that the RED NIC is not obtaining an address from your ISP? Have you logged into your IPCOP and run the ifconfig command?
2. If you have done the above check and are sure that the cable connection is OK, the issue may be with your ISP. It is quite common for cable ISPs to restrict access to their cable modems by MAC address. If this is the case, you may need to contact your ISP to register your IPCOP's RED interface MAC address.
3. I'm not sure what up mean by this statement:

I am getting a connection between the Cable Modem and the IPCOP machine, and a connection between the IPCOP and the PC but nothing is being passed from the web to the XP PC.

I thought you said the IPCOP was NOT giving out IP addresses and that it did NOT receive an IP address from your ISP on the RED interface. Can you clarify the above statement?
4. If IPCOP is definitely not giving out IP addresses, you may want to check that the DHCP server is running.
5. In your first post you mentioned that the IP address of your GREEN card was 192.168.1.1, but in the last post you said it was 192.168.0.1. Can you please clarify?

If you can get back with the answers to the above we should be able to get it sorted out.