Washii Ponderings

So, here’s the story of some networking fail:
For streaming videos to the laptop while in my bedroom, I set up a switch between my desktop and it’s DD-WRT client-bridged WAP to add a connection to the laptop aside from just using wireless.

Before, it was like this:
Laptop: WLAN -> router
Desktop: Bridged WAP -> router

So, some older, larger video files would cause some really bad lag when:
WLAN <-> router <-> WAP

So, here comes the switch!
Laptop -> WLAN -> router
\
wired
\
> switch -> WAP
/
desktop

So, to my annoyance, bad things started to happen. Of course, the desktop started figuring “oh hey, the laptop is the best way to the router for Internet access!” and I’m saying “OH NO, YOU USE YOUR OWN WAP.” This especially because my laptop’s WLAN and wired are not bridged (separate IPs, wired has no gateway)
Guess who was losing for awhile?

After beating my head for an evening, I finally figured out the issue. Needed to set up some static routes, rather than let Windows smartly decide how to get to my router.

After a lot of beating my head, finally worked out the routing issues. Main problem? Gotta use the 255.255.255.255 subnet when setting a one-to-one routing. Beat my head on that quite a lot. “Invalid route? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!”

So, we now have:
desktop @ 192.168.1.20
static route to gateway via 192.168.1.5 (WAP)

laptop @ 192.168.1.10 WLAN
laptop @ 192.168.1.11 wired
static route wired directly to desktop
also a static route WLAN to gateway, though..that may be unnecessary. I hope.

Fun stuff.
At least the shit works now.

Received work ticket. It was straight-forward: replace systemboard in server, bring it back online.

Okay, cool, I can do that! Done several of these!
Check out new board from spares cage

Go out to server location. Power it down. Remove it from rack. Chuck onto anti-static cart.
Pull out old systemboard, insert the new.
Return to rack, power up: green for half-second, amber for two seconds, green for half-second, repeat

Hrm.
Check out new board from spares cage
Replace first ‘replacement’ board with new.
Place server in rack: VOILA, online.

Set all required settings, Remote Management and what-not. Boot to Windows. Ping out and make sure everything worked okay.

Left server and returned to office. Remote Desktop into server, still works.
Finish ticket diary with ‘Completion’ notice…suddenly notice that RDC connection failed, unable to re-establish or ping.
GRR

Run out to colo: oh, hey, logged in via cached domain credentials. DIE DIE DIE.

Retrieve third motherboard. Re-set all settings again. Remarkably, this one works. At least I had another day to get the work done..

Damn you HP, be better at ‘refurbishing’ your systemboards before sending them back out to spare pools! …Or maybe can’t blame them for primarily replying on Foxconn parts. And Micron.

Nah. Cleansing flame.