Macintosh Guide: TroubleShooting: Connectivity

Checking Connectivity

The Chooser is the best tool for determining if a Mac is connected to WEB. It is a desk accessory that should be in the Apple Menu, but a copy can be found on the WEB Utilities Disk if it is not present. When the Chooser is opened, it scans the network and adjusts its window to display what it finds. For a Macintosh properly connected a multi-zone network like WEB, the Chooser window should contain three fields as shown below:

If the chooser only displays two fields (the left side of the window does not contain the "AppleTalk Zones" scrolling list), the Mac has lost its connection to WEB. The problem could be one of several:

Physical Connection broken
Improperly installed or corrupted software
Misconfigured Software
Gatorbox, Router, or Jack failure

Checking the Physical Connection

The easiest problem to fix is improperly installed or broken hardware. All cables should be securely connected. Unplug and replug all the cables, checking for bent pins or damaged wires and/or hardware.

A LocalTalked Macintosh connected to WEB should look like this:

Make sure the phone wire is plugged into an RJ-45 jack. A PowerBook or jack tester can be used to verify that the wall jack is active.

A Ethernetted Macintosh connected to WEB should look like this:

Make sure the phone wire is plugged into an RJ-11 jack. A Powerbook with an EtherWave (or a PowerBook with built-in Ethernet) can be used to verity that the wall jack is active.

Improperly Installed or Corrupted Software

In addition to a physical connection to WEB, a Macintosh needs certain software to be able to see and use the network. This software is normally installed by the Apple Installer, but may not be installed if a "custom" install is performed. The networking software may also become corrupted due to a program or disk crash.
Most of the networking software required by the system is visible and can be moved, renamed, or deleted.

Network Control Panels:: Network; MacTCP (needed for TCP/IP protocols); Sharing Setup; File Sharing Monitor (needed for File Sharing); Users and Groups (needed for Personal File Sharing)
Network Extensions:: AppleShare; Network Extension; Apple Built-In Ethernet (needed for Ethernet); EtherTalk Phase 2 (needed for Ethernet); File Sharing Extension (needed for Personal File Sharing)
Networking also requires that certain resources be in the system file.

Make sure all of the necessary Control Panels and Extensions are present in the System folder. If the Mac still has no connectivity, and you suspect that the files (or the resources in the System file) are corrupted, do a Clean System Install. If there isn't enough hard drive space (or time), you can use the Network Software Installer Disk to reinstall just the network software and resources.

Misconfigured Software

Many connectivity problems are due to misconfigured software. The Network Control Panel is the primary configuration tool; it is used to select the appropriate network type. Ethernetted Macs that have Localtalk selected in the Network Control Panle will not see zones. Macintoshes connected to WEB via Apple Remote Access should have "Remote Only" selected in the Network Control Panel.

The Chooser is used to turn "AppleTalk" on and off (see the radio buttons in the picture above). "AppleTalk" in this case means the resources within the System file that control networking. The changes made in the Chooser do not take affect until the Macintosh is restarted. If AppleTalk is turned off, the mac will not load the resources needed for networking when it is started up.

In the past, "AppleTalk" and "LocalTalk" were used interchangeably, but with the introduction of Ethernet and other network protocols, it is important to know the difference.

MacTCP is used to configure how the Macintosh sends and recieves TCP/IP protocols. If it is misconfigured or not installed, Internet applications such as Telnet and Eudora will not be able to connect to the network.

Gatorbox, Router, or Jack failure

Occasionally, the gatorboxen, routers, and other equipment that keeps the computers on WEB interconnected and connected to the Internet may fail. If a local gatorbox or router fails, a properly connected and configured Macintosh may not see zones, or may only see a partial list of zones.

If you can't see zones, call another colleague who is not in the same zone and see if your colleague can see zones. If they can, ask if they can see the zone you are in.

If your colleague can see zones normally and you don't see any zones, it is likely to be a local wiring problem. Check other computers in the clusters. Isolate whether the problem is affecting the entire cluster, just one daisy chain, one computer, etc.
1. If only the computers on the same chain are having problems, then it's either a problem with the first phone cable, first teleconnector, first computer, or the wall jack. Unplug the first teleconnector. This is to determine if the first computer itself is the problem. Alternatively, power off the computer or switch the teleconnector and phone cable with ones verified to work to find the culprit. If it isn't the computer, teleconnector, or cable, then it is a problem with the wall jack.
If your colleague can't see zones, can't see your zone, or can't see some of the zones, this is a zone problem.
- Call the MIS Help Desk (2-5749) and report what you are experiencing. Identify yourself to the HelpDesk. Do not give out this number to users. Give them your name and your phone number and make sure you clarify that you are a CA. Insist that they take down your name and number! Remember that the MIS Help Desk is not really a help desk; they are merely a dispatch desk.State the problem very clearly: CCL zone is down. Don't just say the network is down. DNO will respond to problems until Midnight (through Thanksgiving and Spring Break) or up until 2:00 a.m. (end of term)
If you can see zones, but can't see a particular server, then this is a Server problem.
- If you can see the WEB Services zone but cannot access a particular server, and especially if people in other zones cannot see it, then the server is likely down. Be clear about what server is down: WEB Instructional Software, WEB NEE or Geyser is down. Make sure you identify yourself as a CA. Give them your name and phone number. If the Novell server is down or you can't print because you can't access the queues, report that the Novell server is not working.
Call the appropriate people to get the problem resolved.
- Mail the Computer Support Manager if you need a new teleconnector or wire.
- Mail trouble if a computer seems to be misbehaving.
- Mail network if it is a problem with the jack