got the serial cable direct connect, now what?

[markpoyser]

I have configured and connected an XP to W2K machine with a serial
cable (null modem). W2K is where client ("Guest") connects to XP.
Both machines show Status=connected

Now what? I don't see the XP in Network Places, but then, should I?
This is not on a network, it's a direct connect.

Also, somewhere I was told to go on the XP (host) machine to Incoming
Connection Properties and under the Networking tab to set Properties
for the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) so that Network Access is set to
"allow callers" and also to set a range of TCP/IP addresses. Which I
have done.

MINI RANT: I thought that all you had to do was get the connection
established and then, since this is an explicit Direct Connection, that
the host computer would be visible right in Windows Explorer. There's
already My Computer, and I expected another item to show up (like
"Other Computer"). But apparently that easy to use concept is not
what's happening.

Anyway, back to the problem at hand. I'm getting the impression that
the Direct Connection is similar to dialouts to ISPs. With dialout via
modem, the result is a fake-out, there is no dialout connection that
the user sees, but rather the dialout is a *means* to get the computer
to 'really' be in TCP/IP land, in this case on the Internet.

Is that what Direct Connect is as well? Not a direct connection that
can be seen as such, but something one configures and then invokes,
resulting in some sort of network presence?

If so, where is it? When I click on My Network Places as client, all I
see is another PC on my router (which is always there and part of my
LAN and not the PC I've direct connected to).

Where's the host that I've established a direct connection to?

Any help most appreciated. BTW, I've looked at some of the Internet
sites that address direct connection, but all they do is tell the user
how to establish the connection, not what to do after that.

 

[bobb]

Before u spend any more time on this.....

I assume getting ethernet cards in those machines are not an option?,
'cuz u can get them like for 10 bux. Plus serial connection major pain
slow, depending what u want to do. Ethernet ALOT eaier to set up than
serial direct.

 

[Si Ballenger]

Before u spend any more time on this.....

I assume getting ethernet cards in those machines are not an option?,
'cuz u can get them like for 10 bux. Plus serial connection major pain
slow, depending what u want to do. Ethernet ALOT eaier to set up than
serial direct.

That probably won't solve the issue.

 

[Si Ballenger]

I have configured and connected an XP to W2K machine with a serial
cable (null modem). W2K is where client ("Guest") connects to XP.
Both machines show Status=connected

Now what? I don't see the XP in Network Places, but then, should I?
This is not on a network, it's a direct connect.

(stuff sniped)

It is a two computer network. Have you set up file sharing on the
computers and set them for share level access? Have you set the
desired files to be available for sharing?

 

[markpoyser]

Thank you both for taking the time to answer my query.

bobb,

As far as ethernet cards, I'm dealing with an old laptop and can't do
that. I know serial is slow, but I only need to xfer 10 meg or so
(anti-spyware, anti-adware, to clean up an infected laptop).


Si,

I did set up for file sharing, but I'll take another look. I set
folders for sharing but not disk. This is all new to me.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST:

I have two computers on a LAN (ethernet connection); this does not
involve the laptop. Click on:

My Network Places (icon on desktop)
Entire Network (entry)
Entire Contents (entry)
Microsoft Windows Network (entry)

Get two items:
Compaq group -click-> Compaq (ID) -click-> various sharefolders
Workgroup -click-> m2000 (ID) -click-> various sharefolders

That all makes sense. I see two computers "Compaq" and "m2000". I can
"see inside" each of them.

The laptop is a 3rd computer (and running XP). I've got it's ID, and
Workgroup (="WORKGROUP"). I connect to it (via the m2000 PC) as Guest.
Connection is established. On the laptop, click:

My Network Places (in Windows Explorer)
Entire Network (entry)
Microsoft Windows Network (entry)

Get one item:
Workgroup -click-> ERROR, Workgroup not accessible. Might not have
permission. etc.


I was expecting to see m2000, the computer connected as Guest, and the
laptop - since both are in the same Workgroup. But I don't see
anything. Also, the m2000 machine doesn't see the laptop.

I've twiddled with the Network Identification Wizard on the laptop to
"join a domain and create a local user account" (whatever that means),
but it didn't make a difference.

Am I barking up the wrong tree? Is a Direct Connection totally outside
of all this Network heirarchy? Or, once a connection is made, is it in
a Workgroup with an ID of the connector (e.g. "Guest"), or something
like that?

I'll end with this:
When I click on Properties for the Direct Connection (on the m2000
machine), and click on the Networking tab, I see three entries, all
checked:
Internet Protocol
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Client for Microsoft Networks

When I click on Properties for Incoming Connections (on the laptop),
and click on the Networking tab, I see four entries, all checked:
Internet Protocol
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Client for Microsoft Networks
QoS Packet Scheduler

So it looks like there is some sort of network being established/used.
But where is it? And where are the two computers to be found (so that
I can take the next step and "see inside" them to get to the
drives/folders.

Man, this stuff is not easy to get the hang of.

 

[bobb]

Thank you both for taking the time to answer my query.

bobb,

As far as ethernet cards, I'm dealing with an old laptop and can't do
that. I know serial is slow, but I only need to xfer 10 meg or so
(anti-spyware, anti-adware, to clean up an infected laptop).

U can't even use floppies?

I know direct-cable connect would be nicer BUT, if u just need to do
this once.....

 

[Si Ballenger]

Thank you both for taking the time to answer my query.

Some sites you may want to look at.

http://lpt.usbfireinfo.com/Support/DCC-SetUp/dcc-setup.htm
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/wxpdcc9i.html
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/dcc/
http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/dcc.htm

 

[markpoyser]

Si,

Thanks for those links. I am already studying them and I'm sure they
will help.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to say that the way
Windows deals with this issue is absolutely amazing.

For instance:

In the first link you provided, it refers to my situation, W2000 to XP
direct connection (section V). And one of the first things I'm
supposed to do is "Follow the Windows 2000 to Windows 2000 Direct
(Cable) Connection Set Up instructions in Section III for either (Host)
New Incoming Connection or (Guest) Direct Connection."

So I go to section III. It reads (in part):

# Open My Computer - go to Control Panel / Administrative Tools /
Computer Management / Local Users and Groups -
# Open Users folder - Right click in User Window and select New User.
Type in the exact name of the remote computer in both the User Name
and Full Name boxes. Do not select a password.

I am apparently supposed to use the name of the computer as the name
for a User. This makes no sense. A computer is a computer. I am
already connected (somehow) as a user (name="Guest").

Call me a literalist, but I do not see a computer being a user in any
scenario whatsoever. At this point I'm flat out stopped. But let's
continue anyway. What is the name of my computer? (Any Windows
computer for that matter.)

If I go to Control Panel and select System and tab Computer Name, what
do I see?
For the W2K computer it is:
m-2000.
For the XP it is:
cmx-ni521nap.

Please note that in both instances there is a period at the end of the
string. Is the period to be included when inputting the name as part
of the connection process? It does not appear in one case when I look
under Microsoft Windows Network / Workgroup (e.g. m-2000)

How it the user supposed to know what the name of the computer is?

Also, for the W98 machine there is no tab under System Properties that
gets you to any name whatsoever. It turns out to be under Network,
which is *not* present as an item in Control Panel in W2K & XP. So the
user (me) is looking all over the place to find the same information,
but organized differently between versions of Windows. It takes some
time to find it (if at all).

This is just one instance of the many, many, many cases where nothing
is clearly defined, where things are not properly identified, and where
there is little of no consistency between Windows versions when it
comes to configuration issues.

Also, aside from connections and networking, a simple question? If you
walk up to a Windows machine, how do you determine what user is 'logged
on'? In Unix you could get to a virtual terminal and type 'whoami'.
Clean. Simple. What's the equivalent in Windows.


To repeat, I'm not an expert with Windows. I am somebody who wants
ComputerA to connect to ComputerB with a DirectConnect cable. Why am I
dealing with user accounts? Why is there, under Properties for a
Direct Connection, a tab for Networking, with TCP/IP and Client for
Microsoft Networks checked? Is there some TCP/IP action going on?

No doubt, there is a clear explanation somewhere about the
relationships between all these things (computer, cable, user,
workgroup), but I've yet to see it. And there is *no way* to grasp a
sense of the heirarchy when dealing with small-scope dialogue boxes
(and sub-boxes and tabbed pages) which only deal with a specific data
entry (e.g. IP address range).


I know this post covers much more than direct connection issues and I'm
not expecting any answers to the (mostly) rhetorical questions. But I
will end with this: I may very well have to give up on connecting
these two computers because Microsoft has such a bad UI (and Help and
underlying organization) That is a sad state of affairs.

Am I alone in this regard?