iBook G3 Bad Ethernet?

[Sludgedragon]

My newly acquired iBook G3 600 seems good in every way, except:

I can't network with ethernet. I tried to connect it with the iMac G5, they didn't see each other. My Lombard connects with the G5 with the same cable. The Lombard will not connect with the iBook. Is it a bad Ethernet connection on the iBook, or some other thing? :-/

 

[equill]

Failure of the iBook to connect with either of two other Macs that connect happily to each other argues either bad hardware or bad software in the iBook.

What OS in the iBook? Can the iBook, if connected to the Web directly via the modem/router, get time from an Apple server (OS 9 upwards)? If so, that argues a software rather than a hardware problem. How is your ethernet connection configured, either in Control Panels::AppleTalk and ::TCP/IP (OS 9) or System Preferences::Network (OS X)?

de

 

[Franklinstein]

None of my iBooks have ever had a truly bad Ethernet system, but my original BlueBerry iBook has the little retainer tab broken off of the jack, so I must be certain that the connector is stuffed in there all the way, and the thing really can't be moved once it's in place, or it'll lose the connection even though it's still kinda plugged in. Maybe that's your problem?

Quick and easy ways to determine a hardware issue:

*Are you using a hub/switch? If so, one of the lights should illuminate when the iBook is connected.

*Check the Network Utility (in OS X). It should report all of the happy details of every networking subsystem available to your computer. The wired Ethernet would be "Network Interface (en0)" in the drop-down box in the "Info" tab.

If both of the above are in the negative (or unavailable), try checking software. Sometimes people disable stuff in System Preferences (in X) or choose a different AppleTalk port (in 9). Also, check for the proper kexts/extensions or control panels.

Last resort: boot from CD/FireWire and see if it works.

 

[Sludgedragon]

It's the weirdest thing. Both the iBook and the Lombard are on 10.3.9.

I am not using a hub, just connecting the two computers with a cable. This cable works to connect the Lombard to the iMac and there is recognition. Lombard or iMac connected to iBook, nothing shows up to choose. I did set the iBook's ethernet from (en1) to (en0), but that didn't do anything.

The iBook shows an active ethernet in the network preference panel. It looks normal. I connected using the sharing panel exactly as I did the Lombard.

The software was freshly installed when I got it, I had to configure it. I updated it from 10.3.3 to 10.3.5 to 10.3.9. I certainly didn't do anything to the preferences that I didn't do to the Lombard.

I even tried opening Appletalk, but that didn't do anything either.

I'm going to look into getting a USB to ethernet adapter for a few bucks, and see how that goes. I don't use ethernet much, but when I need it, I need it!

 

[Christopher]

Why not just use Firewire instead?

 

[Dennis Nedry]

Why not just use Firewire instead?

You stir up an interesting idea by mentioning FireWire. Why don't you put your iMac into target disk mode, connect it to the iBook, and boot the iBook off of the iMac? Ethernet is already configured correctly on the iMac so it may be good troubleshooting to see if that makes the iBook's ethernet spontaneously start working.

They are different machines so if it still doesn't work, the test is inconclusive. But it would tell us something if ethernet does work in this setup.

Are you using a crossover ethernet cable or a patch ethernet cable? Try both. Either should work but you never know.

 

[Sludgedragon]

1) I am using a patch cable. I haven't yet looked for a twisted pair in the tangled drawer.

2) I did end up doing the firewire target disk thing for transferring the files I wanted to, right now. Worked fine. Problem is, I intend to use this as a travel machine. It works beautifully with Airport, but some hotels (like the one in Narita last month) only have wired internet, and you have to have working ethernet for that. On the other hand, there's plenty of time to get it all worked out, I just got back from the last one!

I should note that when I had the iMac connected to the Lombard, I was able to see the iMac on the Lombard, but not vice versa. So there may be more to it than that...

 

[Dennis Nedry]

2) I did end up doing the firewire target disk thing for transferring the files I wanted to, right now. Worked fine. [...]

Why not try booting the iBook off the iMac's HD with target disk mode like I suggested? It would be good troubleshooting.

Also try your Apple Hardware Test CD.

If it is bad hardware, you may be able to get a USB ethernet adapter working.

 

[Christopher]

If you have two mac laptops, I did this on my recent vacation. take the laptop with the working ethernet, and then have that laptop share internet over Airport. It worked every time.

 

[Sludgedragon]

If you have two mac laptops, I did this on my recent vacation. take the laptop with the working ethernet, and then have that laptop share internet over Airport. It worked every time.

That would work, but the reason I got the iBook is because I felt the PBG3 was more burden than I wanted to carry.

Why not try booting the iBook off the iMac's HD with target disk mode like I suggested? It would be good troubleshooting.
Also try your Apple Hardware Test CD.

I have not yet made the hardware test CD, when I make one and I have more time, I will probably do that. Unfortunately my time for tinkering is rather limited. And next weekend is the birthday of one of my granddaughters, so I don't know if I will be able to try these then or not. But, as I said, I have quite a while to solve this. [] ]'>

 

[Sludgedragon]

Dug out a crossover cable, successful connection. Strange because both machines should not need it:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2274?viewlocale=en_US

So I guess I don't need an adapter after all.

I also did the Apple Hardware Test CD. I burned it even though it looks like all there is on it is a ReadMe. The disk when burned also shows only the ReadMe. What relief when it had everything it needed once in the iBook!