COMBINING wireless/firewire connections

[Bryce]

I have 2 computers hooked up to the internet with wireless adapters and a
wireless router. I also have firewire on both these machines. One day I
came across the 1394 Connection disabled under Network Connections in
Settings and I came to the idea of connecting the 2 computers together
using the firewire connection. Little did I know, it worked and I can now
share files through firewire. Only I have one problem. The computers seem
to only utilize the firewire connection only when my wireless adapters are
disabled(file sharing is done through the wireless connection only). Is
there any way I can connect to the internet using my wireless connection
AND share files between the computers using the firewire connection w/o
having to disable the wireless everytime? Or even better maybe somehow so
both internet and file
sharing is utilizing both connections(I have tried bridging the connections
and it doesn't work)?

 

[Chuck]

I have 2 computers hooked up to the internet with wireless adapters and a
wireless router. I also have firewire on both these machines. One day I
came across the 1394 Connection disabled under Network Connections in
Settings and I came to the idea of connecting the 2 computers together
using the firewire connection. Little did I know, it worked and I can now
share files through firewire. Only I have one problem. The computers seem
to only utilize the firewire connection only when my wireless adapters are
disabled(file sharing is done through the wireless connection only). Is
there any way I can connect to the internet using my wireless connection
AND share files between the computers using the firewire connection w/o
having to disable the wireless everytime? Or even better maybe somehow so
both internet and file
sharing is utilizing both connections(I have tried bridging the connections
and it doesn't work)?

Bryce,

The static route table, which is a part of TCP/IP, allows you to have multiple
network connections active on a computer (or router), and allows you to
designate preferential rules for using each connection, thru a weighting factor
called the interface metric.
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows200...n/server/help/sag_TCPIP_imp_routing_table.htm>.

If there are multiple routes (ie multiple network connections available) to the
same destination with different metrics, the route with the lowest metric is
selected.

With the operating systems previous to Windows XP, you would adjust the
interface metric by editing the table, using the "route add" and "route change"
commands, from a table displayed by "route print".

Windows XP allows you to change the interface metric easily, thru the network
connections wizard (Settings - Network Connections - Local Area Connection
chosen - Properties - YCP/IP - Properties - Advanced - IP Settings tab). The
default for each interface metric is automatic, but you can change that by
assigning an interface metric value to each of the network connections on your
computer.

If this is sufficient information, have fun. Playing with static routes can be
a real trip. If you wish for further help, continue reading.

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Please provide static route tables for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "route print >c:\route.txt" into the command window -
Open c:\route.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Bryce]

Bryce,

The static route table, which is a part of TCP/IP, allows you to have
multiple network connections active on a computer (or router), and
allows you to designate preferential rules for using each connection,
thru a weighting factor called the interface metric.
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/w
indows2000/en/server/help/sag_TCPIP_imp_routing_table.htm>.

If there are multiple routes (ie multiple network connections
available) to the same destination with different metrics, the route
with the lowest metric is selected.

With the operating systems previous to Windows XP, you would adjust
the interface metric by editing the table, using the "route add" and
"route change" commands, from a table displayed by "route print".

Windows XP allows you to change the interface metric easily, thru the
network connections wizard (Settings - Network Connections - Local
Area Connection chosen - Properties - YCP/IP - Properties - Advanced -
IP Settings tab). The default for each interface metric is automatic,
but you can change that by assigning an interface metric value to each
of the network connections on your computer.

If this is sufficient information, have fun. Playing with static
routes can be a real trip. If you wish for further help, continue
reading.

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the
command window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into
your next post.

Please provide static route tables for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "route print >c:\route.txt" into the
command window - Open c:\route.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into
your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

Chuck,

Thanks for the info on the interface metric and the setting in the
advanced properties under TCP/IP. I set the metric to 1 under the
firewire connection and 2 under the wireless connection. The internet
was working and the bandwidth seemed to improve enough to play divXs
through the connections without skipping. Then I decided to test the
bandwidth even further and play a DVD/VOB file through the connections.
The file was studdering while playing through the first few seconds and
then froze. Then I disabled the wireless connection and played the file
again and it played perfectly. I set the metrics back to automatic and
have the text from the text files posted below as you requested. Please
advise me further on this matter. It is greatly appreciated.




Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xaser

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Other adapter 1394 Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 1394 Net Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 32-35-9A-C0-36-7E

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.241.54

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR MA101 USB Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-09-5B-37-DC-39

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.4

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 151.202.0.85

151.203.0.85

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, May 12, 2004
7:59:53 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, May 19, 2004
7:59:53 PM




=========================================================================
== Interface List
0x1 ........................... MS TCP Loopback interface
0x10004 ...32
35 9a c0 36 7e ...... NIC1394
0x20003 ...00 09 5b 37 dc 39 ......
NETGEAR MA101 USB Adapter - Packet Scheduler Miniport
=========================================================================
==
=========================================================================
== Active Routes:
Network Destination Netmask Gateway Interface
Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.0.1 192.168.0.4
30
127.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1
1
169.254.0.0 255.255.0.0 169.254.241.54 169.254.241.54
10
169.254.241.54 255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1
10
169.254.255.255 255.255.255.255 169.254.241.54 169.254.241.54
10
192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.4 192.168.0.4
30
192.168.0.4 255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1
30
192.168.0.255 255.255.255.255 192.168.0.4 192.168.0.4
30
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 169.254.241.54 169.254.241.54
10
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 192.168.0.4 192.168.0.4
30
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 169.254.241.54 169.254.241.54
1
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 192.168.0.4 192.168.0.4
1
Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
=========================================================================
== Persistent Routes:
None


Thanks,

Bryce

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for the info on the interface metric and the setting in the
advanced properties under TCP/IP. I set the metric to 1 under the
firewire connection and 2 under the wireless connection. The internet
was working and the bandwidth seemed to improve enough to play divXs
through the connections without skipping. Then I decided to test the
bandwidth even further and play a DVD/VOB file through the connections.
The file was studdering while playing through the first few seconds and
then froze. Then I disabled the wireless connection and played the file
again and it played perfectly. I set the metrics back to automatic and
have the text from the text files posted below as you requested. Please
advise me further on this matter. It is greatly appreciated.

OK, Bryce, I see what you're trying to do. And I think what the solution is.

When you "play divXs" and "play a DVD/VOB", you are accessing a file on one
computer from the other. No doubt shared on one computer by name.

I'm guessing (hoping) that named access uses the wireless network. If you ping
xaser, it should ping as 192.168.0.4.

If your divx file was shared from xaser, in share name "library", for example,
you might have a share mapped as "\\xaser\library". You could also map it as
"\\192.168.0.4\library". Both of those mappings would access any files in the
library share thru the wireless network.

Try mapping a share as "\\169.254.241.54\library". If you can map it, try using
it. And reassign a higher metric to the wireless connection.

BTW, Bryce, please don't contribute to the spread of email address mining
viruses. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a bit
safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the
internet - never post your address unmunged.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.