I have wrestled all day with the problem and can offer the following update
as an appeal for more help.

To remind, I have 3 computers at home, all running Win98SE or Win98. I have
installed D-Link Phonelink adapters in each (HPNA2.0) to create a home
network. When I installed TCP/IP and NetBEUI, I was able to see all three
computers, and was able to set up file and print sharing OK. However, I was
unable to ping in
all directions. I was able to ping computer 3 from either computer 1 or
computer 2, but no other pings worked in any direction. This baffled me
since the network "worked", but where was the ping? I figured if I didn't
get the TCP/IP ping problem sorted out, then step two of going for internet
connection sharing on my cable modem would be out of the question.

First thing I surmised is that the network was running on NetBEUI not
TCP/IP. Sure enough when I removed NetBEUI altogether, the network
disappeared. Through re-installing drivers, software etc I am now at the
point where, with ONLY TCP/IP installed (i.e. NO NetBEUI at all) two of my
three computers are able to ping and be pinged under TCP/IP. The third
computer remains the mystery. The mystery is all the more maddening since
the computer that is still giving me problems is the "mother ship", my main
computer, a brand new Dell P3-866. This was the one that was supposed to be
the solution, not the problem :(

Computer 2 and 3 can ping each other successfully. Computer 1 (Dell) can
ping both computer 2 and computer 3, but neither computer 2 or computer 3
can ping computer 1.

I tried moving my phonelink adapter to different PCI slots - no change. I
even removed my Ethernet NIC and allowed the phonelink adapter to reside all
by itself. No change. I managed to isolate the phonelink card to an IRQ
pretty much by itself - no change. I hooked the phonelink card up to
different telephone outlets and 2 different telephone lines - no change. I
even replaced the phonelink card with one of the other ones that was working
in one other computer - no change. I have removed and re-installed the
adapter, the drivers, TCP/IP, Client for MS Networks and File and print
sharing many, many times. Each time the install seems to be OK, all the
correct bindings show up etc, but still there is no ping to computer 1.

I have addressed computer 1 as 192.168.0.1, subnet mask 255.255.255.0. I
have addressed computers 2 and 3 as 192.168.0.2 and .3 respectively. WINS is
disabled, DNS resolution is disabled, no gateway is entered. I have even
used the "host" file to name each of these with a computer name, but the
ping problem exists whether I ping to "192.168.0.1" or ping to the
equivalent name "Michael".

The fact that when NetBEUI was installed, I did have the network running,
says to my logic that the phone lines and the phone link adapters are OK.
Other logic says that TCP/IP itself must be OK since in computer 1 when I
install TCP/IP, it installs on 3 different adapters - dial up (which works
fine - fax modem), and Ethernet NIC (which also works fine - cable modem).
So why doesn't TCP/IP work on the phonelink adapter? Device manager says it
is fine, and shows no conflicts etc. but something fundamental is wrong.

Therefore, I am convinced that this can't be TCP/IP per se, since the
protocol works in the same computer on 2 other adapters. I am convinced it
can't be the card or the phone line itself, since I can establish a
satisfactory NetBEUI-based network. I am convinced it has to be something in
the Dell computer itself that is causing the problem. or something has
become corrupt somewhere in Win98SE (?) that is not allowing TCP/IP to work
properly. Can this make any sense since TCP/IP clearly must be working fine
for my cable modem to work (and it does).

At the moment. I can clearly have a home network (under NetBEUI) and that is
great, but part of my purpose here was Internet Connection Sharing (which I
have not yet tried to set up -one problem at a time to sort out is enough).
I guess the ICS is out if I can never get a ping to computer 1, which of
course is the one the cable modem is attached to...

HELP!!!

Michael

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