rob wrote:
> actually was a firewall on the W98 machine, but it is disabled
> ICF also disabled for laptop XP LAN
>
> i don't understand this IP address stuff at all, just so you know
>
> the subnets are different
> laptop is 65.95.123.233
> desktop (w98) is 169.254.12.44
>
> how do I bring them into sync. i.e. change one or the other?
>
> but why was this not an issue at the computer store where my fixit guy could see the desktop machine on his own network, via a router, but we couldn't get the desktop and the laptop to see each other using a crossover cable?
> come to think of it we couldn't get the laptop to appear on his network either... hmmm
> shouldnt' the laptop IP start 169.254 anyway?
>
> this should be so easy in XP from what I hear, maybe I should just scrub the HD and start over?
>
> tx for your help Bob
>
>
>
You have bad IPAs. For easy peer-peer communication, your PCs must be
in the same IP subnet, which means for IPA=a.b.c.d, the a.b.c's should
match, and the d's must be unique. I'd change them both, such as:
laptop = 192.168.1.8 and desktop = 192.168.1.9; with both having a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. To set the W9x PC's IP stuff, click on
Start, then on Settings, then on Control Panel, then on Configuration,
then on TCP/IP ->, then on IP Address, then select Specify ..., then
enter the IPA and the Mask. For the XP PC, click on Start, then on
Control Panel, then double-click on Network Connections, then right-click
on Local Area Connection, then click on Properties, then click on
TCP/IP, then on Properties, then select Use ..., then enter the IPA
and the Mask.
Both PCs must use the same workgroup name, like MYGROUP; each PC must have
a unique name, like PC98 and PCXP. Both PCs must have the same protocols
set: TCP/IP enabled, and NetBEUI and IPX/SPX disabled usually works best.
--
Cheers, Bob