Can someone please help

My company runs a token ring network. We have two printers that print our company's bills everyday (approx. 2500 sheets per printer per day). This has to be done during the day so that someone can watch the printers. However, it is slowing down the network because part of the process is to print paperwork that accompanies the bill which is stored as tiff images (approx. 1-2MB per image). So what I wanted to do is to setup an ethernet network between the two printers and the two servers that handle the bill printing so that all the printing traffic would go through the ethernet, which should speed up printing and would not create the strain on the token ring network. The twist is that the ethernet would still need access to the token ring because the printers are scanners as well and need to scan documents to be stored on an off-site server. So, I setup a token ring connection to an ethernet-token ring adapter and connected that to an uplink port on an ethernet hub. I then plugged in a printer and a server. Both have identical TCP/IP settings, except for a different IP address obviously. The funny thing is, from a computer on the token ring, I ping the printer but not the server and from the server, I can ping the printer but not any other computer on the token ring. Does anyone know what the problem could be? I know this is probably not the best description, but if you need more information, I will try to clear it up as best as I can. Thanks a lot for any help.

Does the new "server" have a firewall installed? Sounds like it.

That "hub" will slow your network down. Put a switch in instead.

I know the hub will slow me down, but I have to get it working before I can spend any money on something new. Also, what were you talking about a firewall? It is a direct line from the server to the hub and a direct line from the hub to the MAU. The server is running Win2k professional. Are you referring to a software based firewall? Could you elaborate please? Thanks a lot

Yes, that will be a software firewall. Often, firewalls installed on computers, if not configured correctly, can prevent network access to the computer. They need to be configured for networking, or disabled.

The server can access the network if I plug it straight into the token ring. However, if I plug it into the ethernet hub and connect the hub to the token-ring via the uplink port on the hub, the server can't access the network. So, how would that be caused by a firewall? I don't know much about it, but I would think that if that were the issue, it would deny access in both cases. Any other suggestions?

No, I'd agree that what you describe probably isn't a firewall issue. If it stops working when you plug it into the ethernet network, then I guess that there is a communication problem between the token-ring and ethernet. Check you've connected the cables correctly, and that you're using the right type of cables to connect them.

I know that I am using the right cable because as I said, the printer does work and it is connected the same as the server. I get link lights all the way around. So, I know everything is connected right and the cabling is correct. Just to test that I unplugged the printer and plugged the server in with the same cable as the printer, since the printer works when it is connected, and I still can't ping anything on the token-ring. Any other suggestions?

I have narrowed it down to the ethernet to token-ring adapter. If I plug the ethernet hub into an ethernet switch and plug a laptop into the hub, I can ping the switch. This leads me to believe that it is not the cabling or the hub. When I connect the ethernet line coming out of the adapter into a laptop, I can't access the network, but if I connect the token ring line going into the adapter into a laptop, I can access the network. This leads me to believe that the adapter is acting as a bridge and only letting the printer through. The adapter is a BlackBox Ethernet to Token Ring Adapter. Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm afraid I'm not sure about that. I've had no experience of this.