Cannot "ping" some sites from LAN?

[gmgq]

BACKGROUND:
We have a LAN consisting of about 20 machines. We get ADSL into a Linksys router (BEFSR41), and the router DHCP's everyone an IP. These machines all run Windows 2000 Pro.

I also have one machine that acts as a VPN/fileserver with another network. This 'server' is also hooked up to the Linksys router. It's running Windows 2000 Server.

SITUATION:
Now from that server, I can ping all sites and get a response.

But from any of the other machines, I can only ping 'some' sites. (Pinging most sites results in that dreaded "Request timed out" msg). i.e. I can't even ping www.microsoft.com; yet I can goto the site www.microsoft.com without any problems or delays.

I don't think it's the firewall from the Linksys, since the server machine has no problems. The server machine is under the Linksys' DHCP just like the other stations. Only difference there is that the server machine is connected directly to the back of the Linksys (since the router has it's own built-in 4port switch). The others are connected together through hubs/switches throughout various rooms.

Anyone have any ideas what's 'blocking' the other machines?? TIA!

[Mntsnow]

More and more sites dont respond to a "ping" request any more. They just drop the packet request.

I cant ping MS site either but I run a tracert to it just fine :) until you hit MS's servers :)

[gmgq]

Actually, the www.microsoft.com was just an example. The objective of all this, is that I want to ping our mail server which is at another location. Again, I can ping it from the server, but not the other stations.

Originally posted by Mntsnow
More and more sites dont respond to a "ping" request any more. They just drop the packet request.

I cant ping MS site either but I run a tracert to it just fine :) until you hit MS's servers :)

[Mntsnow]

Ahh Now I'm starting to see what your after :)

is the mail server on the "wan" side or the "lan" side of the router?

Can the other workstations ping other machines on the "lan side" of the router without error? (same lan not bridged systems)?

[gmgq]

Actually, I said the wrong thing in the orginal: the LAN systems can't ping ANYTHING outside the LAN (so not just 'some'). So they can ping just within the LAN. Whereas the server can ping anything that's pingable on the internet.

The mail server is on the WAN side, at a totally different location. The server can see it, but none of the LAN systems can. Heck, I can even use Hotmail's pop mail checker to check the mail on the mail server :\


Originally posted by Mntsnow
Ahh Now I'm starting to see what your after :)

is the mail server on the "wan" side or the "lan" side of the router?

Can the other workstations ping other machines on the "lan side" of the router without error? (same lan not bridged systems)?

[Mntsnow]

Hmmm time to toss on the thinking cap...

[gmgq]

HUH, new twist.

I just realized today that the server pings the mail server through our VPN. The mail server is on the other end of the VPN, so our server is pinging it through the VPN and not the true WAN.

I killed the link from our server to the VPN, and it was not able to communicate with the mail server.

So in essence, the server is equal to the rest of the LAN. NONE of them can communicate with the mail server through the WAN.

???:confused:

[Mntsnow]

Then It's got to be the way that your network admin's have your routers/firewalls setup. They must have them configured to drop those type of packets.

[gmgq]

Well I connected our ADSL modem directly to the server machine, and it still can't ping our mail server ("Request timed out."). There's no firewall/router whatesoever in this situation.

It's no different than my home machine, which can ping the mail server just fine.

???

[Mntsnow]

Well then I would have to quess that your dsl modem is configured in such a way to not allow the ping function. What make and model of dsl modem is it that you have? Can you get the running configuration from it and post it?

Also in the Linksys' confuration there is an option to "Block Wan Request" you might also try turning that off. This is found under the "advanced tab and then Filters

[gmgq]

It's a DLINK adsl modem, I don't have the model# or configuration handy right now.

Yeah, the Block Wan Request option is disabled on the Linksys already. DMZ mode doesn't help either :\


Originally posted by Mntsnow
Well then I would have to quess that your dsl modem is configured in such a way to not allow the ping function. What make and model of dsl modem is it that you have? Can you get the running configuration from it and post it?

Also in the Linksys' confuration there is an option to "Block Wan Request" you might also try turning that off. This is found under the "advanced tab and then Filters

[Mntsnow]

Now you have me really going HMMMM :(