Path Traveled Start Server does not hang during boot All other Windows clients display this symptom, or there are no other Windows Clients, or it's too difficult to test the other Windows clients The Linux server can ping its own address from its console's command line The Windows machine can ping the IP address of the Linux server The Linux server can ping the offending name or IP, or the offending name or IP is the same as the server's main IP. The Windows client CANNOT ping the offending name or IP, or the offending name or IP is the same as the server's main IP.

The offending name can be pinged from the Linux server, so there's nothing wrong with the server's name services. The Windows client can ping the Linux server's IP address so there's nothing wrong with basic networking between the machines. Therefore, the Windows machine's DNS setup must be bad. Check the DNS configuration tab on the TCP/IP properties of the Windows client's network configuration. Make sure the Linux server's IP correct address is one of those listed in the DNS server search order list. If it is, but it's not the top one, there's a chance you're hitting a timeout situation. Without deleting it, add it AGAIN to the top of the list to eliminate the possibility of timeouts.

Note that Windows 98 has a bug where sometimes the new IP you put in the DNS server search order list is magically gone after reboot. To prevent that, say Skip to any file requests from the Windows install CD, and say No to "reboot now". Once you've got control of the system, go into network setup again and verify that your changes are still there, then cancel all the way out. NOW shutdown the system and reboot, and your changes will survive.

If you've verified that your Windows machine is looking to the Linux machine for DNS, and that the Linux machine is running DNS, you'll need to get off road and make your own diagnostic tests. This concludes this branch of the predefined diagnostic.