# [solved] SSH to another computer behind same switch

## rjs

Hi,

I've just got a new laptop and have connected it to my university network by plugging it into a 5 port switch that my desktop is attached to. Now, why do I find it impossible to get the two computers to communicate? I'd like to transfer some stuff between them, but I can't ssh/ping the desktop from the laptop and vice-versa.

I know they are both working properly because I can ssh/ping them from another location on the network. What's going wrong?

Thanks,

RobbieLast edited by rjs on Tue May 02, 2006 6:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## truc

their IP/netmask have to be the same: eg: 

```
computer A 192.168.1.2/24

computer B 192.168.1.3/24
```

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## rjs

I've checked that and it is correct on both machines.

I was mistaken earlier - I can ping each machine from the other one, but I can't SSH or access pages on a webserver running on the other.

When I try to SSH, it seemingly does nothing for 20/30 seconds, then asks me to add the key to the list of known hosts. I do that then it waits for another 30 seconds before saying "Read from socket failed: Connection reset by peer".

Why would it time out like that?

Robbie

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## rjs

Could it be just a cheap switch that doesn't like communication directly between two computers connected to it?

I can't mount NFS exports either. This is really quite annoying...

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## truc

you can still try logging through ssh verbosely

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## rjs

Hah. I'm a cretin. I forgot that I was spoofing the MAC address of my desktop while I waited for the network admins to the laptop's MAC address to their authentication system. Since a switch works by routing packets to the MAC address they are addressed to, this situation wasn't working too well...

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