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Setting up computer/internet

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kase1025

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 13, 2009
43
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I work at a school. We have a computer lab with about 15 computers. The computers are hooked up to the internet/server so any student or teacher that wants to log on, can choose their name and log on.

I just moved a few computers into the lab and I cannot figure out how to get the new computers to hook up with the server so anyone can log on. I need help, please!
 
i have searched, i just thought someone could tell me better step by step instructions.

we are wired through ethernet cables
 
Read the link - it is step-by-step.

And seriously, there are soooooo many step-by-step/how-to sites for networking (were talking decades-old technology), that perhaps "How do I do an effective search" thread would be more appropriate.
 
perhaps how to be less of a smart @$$ would be a good topic for you to search.

the link is kind of vague. I am quite aware of how to plug in a dang cable. i am referring to where to put in actual IP's and stuff
 
You need to provide more information.

Are they hooking up via a Switch/Hub/Router?
Are you using a server for holding user accounts?
Have you checked that the Ethernet jacks have connectivity?
 
eawmp- i didnt know I had to ask a certain question in order to be answered. I like this site, MOST people are helpful and explain better than doing a google search. they also usually answer quickly when I have other quick questions.

some of the computers hook straight into the wall, others go to a switch and then to the server/router. our tech person said our router is in the server.

yes the server holds the user accounts too.

The ethernet jacks work.
 
kase1025 said:
eawmp- i didnt know I had to ask a certain question in order to be answered. I like this site, MOST people are helpful and explain better than doing a google search. they also usually answer quickly when I have other quick questions.

some of the computers hook straight into the wall, others go to a switch and then to the server/router. our tech person said our router is in the server.

yes the server holds the user accounts too.

The ethernet jacks work.
Click to expand...

Do you have any kind of network/internet connectivity at all? If yes, are you running a Mac Server with Open Directory, or a Windows Server with Active Directory?

Also the router is NOT in the server. A router is a piece of hardware, like a switch
 
i thought the router in the server sounded a little wierd...but that was what the tech person said so i didnt want to correct anyone.

all of the other computers, that are hooked up the same way, work fine. but the computers i brought in from another room I cant connect to the internet or get them pull up all of the users from the server
 
Sounds to me like the ethernet jacks in that room are not live, or terminated at the patch panel. Might want to get your IT guy and have him test those jacks, to confirm they are either working or not.

what kind of IP are you getting on the Macs? If it's a 169.*.*.* address, there is no network connectivity. If it's a 192.*.*.*, 172.*.*.* or 10.*.*.* address, then there is connectivity to a switch, but failing at some point from the switch to the outside world.
 
If you are just trying to connect them to the network (and not bind them to the server) and the machines won't get a valid IP, the network might be configured to not hand out DHCP addresses; a school system I worked for in the past had this sort of setup to help deter people from connecting unauthorized machines to the network. You can check this by looking in the "Network" panel in the "System Preferences" of a working system, clicking on your ethernet connection and taking look what the pulldown menu says right next to "Configure IPv4". If it says "Manually" or "DHCP with manual address", your server is most likely configured to either not hand out addresses or only hand out addresses to specific systems.

Another thing to note is that if, on the non-working machines, the ethernet connection has a red icon next to it in the Network pane after plugging it into the wall it is not getting a link to whatever switch is at the other end (assuming that the jack is even connected).

In order to allow user authentication/login to be delegated to the server, you'll need to bind the machines to the server so the users can login (you'll need to get your network issues resolved first, of course). Before I can give you much information here you'll need to figure out several pieces of information:
  1. What is the IP/Domain name of your server that you want to bind to?
  2. Is it a Mac OS X Server or Windows Server?
  3. What version is it running?
  4. What version of Mac OS X are your clients running?
  5. The CN you're going to bind to

If you don't know any of these (or only a few of them) you will need to talk to whoever setup your Mac OS X Server install to get them.
 
Domain name- ill message you

Mac OS X Server Version 10.4.8

The OS the computers are running- 10.4.11

and what is the CN?
 
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