How to set up a mixed wire and wireless home network

[Guest]

Hi,
I have a laptop connected to a wireless router.
I have a PC connected to the same router with cable.
Both of them have XP system and can access to internet individually.
I try to build a home network such that they
can share with each other on some resouces like printer, etc.
However, there seems no such feature in XP. Either you have to
set up an enthire wired network, or a wireless one.
Is there any solution at all?

Thanks

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Hi,
I have a laptop connected to a wireless router.
I have a PC connected to the same router with cable.
Both of them have XP system and can access to internet individually.
I try to build a home network such that they
can share with each other on some resouces like printer, etc.
However, there seems no such feature in XP. Either you have to
set up an enthire wired network, or a wireless one.
Is there any solution at all?

Thanks

The Network Setup Wizard (in Start > All Programs > Accessories >
Communications) works for both wired and wireless connections. Run it
on both computers. If the Wizard detects your router's shared Internet
connection, tell it to use that. Otherwise, tell the Wizard that the
computer connects to the Internet through a residential gateway
(router).
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

Aloha qzh,

It can be done, yes. Start here: http://www.geekgirls.com/windowsxp_home_network.htm

-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr - MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
Microsoft OneNote FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/onenotefaq.htm

 

[Jim]

Hi,
I have a laptop connected to a wireless router.
I have a PC connected to the same router with cable.
Both of them have XP system and can access to internet individually.
I try to build a home network such that they
can share with each other on some resouces like printer, etc.
However, there seems no such feature in XP. Either you have to
set up an enthire wired network, or a wireless one.
Is there any solution at all?

Thanks

Silly me, not realizing that a mixed network cannot be setup, I went ahead
and did it anyway.
Jim

 

[Jim]

Silly me, not realizing that a mixed network cannot be setup, I went ahead
and did it anyway.
Jim

The way I did it was:

On my desktop, I loaded the router software from the CD which came with the
router. This disk sets up the router and the desktop for using Ethernet.

I executed the Network Setup Wizard on the desktop and made a setup disk at
the appropriate place in the wizard.

I took the setup disk over to my laptop and executed the software on it.
This step insures that the desktop and laptop are synchronized.

I then executed the Wireless Network Setup Wizard on the laptop.

The end result is a working LAN provided that you have correctly configured
your firewalls.

Jim

 

[Guest]

The "wireless setup wizard" is for setting-up a peer wireless network between
two wireless cards. It is not relevant here.

As your computers are both connected to a router, all you need to do is to
ensure that the router is not set to isolate the two network segments from
each other. Other than that, same rules apply as for wired networking.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

The "wireless setup wizard" is for setting-up a peer wireless network between
two wireless cards. It is not relevant here.

As your computers are both connected to a router, all you need to do is to
ensure that the router is not set to isolate the two network segments from
each other. Other than that, same rules apply as for wired networking.

According to the first screen that it displays, XP's Wireless Network
Setup Wizard sets up a computer to "connect through a wireless access
point. (This is called a wireless infrastructure network)."

In running the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, I see no mention of peer
(ad-hoc) wireless networks. I've only used it to set up
infrastructure networks.

Are you and I referring to the same program? If you've used it to set
up a peer wireless network, please tell us how.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Jim]

The "wireless setup wizard" is for setting-up a peer wireless network
between
two wireless cards. It is not relevant here.

As your computers are both connected to a router, all you need to do is to
ensure that the router is not set to isolate the two network segments from
each other. Other than that, same rules apply as for wired networking.

One of my computers is connected to the router via an ethernet cable. The
other is connected to the router via wireless. FYI, I am posting this
message to the router via the wireless connection. My other computer is
turned off.

In any case, you need to set the encryption key for the wireless internet
adapter with the Wireless Network Wizard. Some adapters have their own
program to finish the network setup...

Jim

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

One of my computers is connected to the router via an ethernet cable. The
other is connected to the router via wireless. FYI, I am posting this
message to the router via the wireless connection. My other computer is
turned off.

In any case, you need to set the encryption key for the wireless internet
adapter with the Wireless Network Wizard. Some adapters have their own
program to finish the network setup...

Jim

It's OK to use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, Jim, but it's not
necessary. If you don't use the Wizard, Windows XP will simply prompt
for the encryption key when you attempt to connect to a particular
wireless network for the first time. And, as you say, some adapters
have their own wireless network configuration program.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Guest]

According to the original poster (who doesn't seem to have commented further,
maybe he's solved it anyway) both computers are already successfully
connected to the router.

Thus if there is a file-sharing problem it can only be in the area of the
File and Printer Sharing service or bindings, or perhaps in firewall or
router rules that block ports 139/445.

Redoing the wireless setup (with wizards or otherwise) can only introduce
problems that don't exist at the moment.

There is no need to touch the wireless settings. Other than perhaps to check
that WPA is active on the router, as this is more important when using the
connection for file-sharing.

 

[Guest]

Sharing resources on a home (business) network is very easy. You want a
shared printeuy a print server. Better yet, for a little more money ydevices
will come with thier own sharing devices. Personally, I use a Brother
MPC-420 that takes care of printing, faxing and scanning needs on our network.

Mixing and matching wireless/wired is no problem at all. Their are some
limiting factors. On the wired side the number of devices is limited to the
number of ports on whatever router/access point is used. But even then
additional hubs/switches coulf be added. On the wireless side, there are up
to 255 addresses available (not 256, one is used for the router). The wired
devices (printer, etc) need to have an IP address assigned to it (them) so if
you use 3 wired peripherals, there would be 252 IP addresses available.

These'e more technical stuff involved (transparent to user) that I'd be glad
to tell you about, but you get the picture...

Jeff

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi

Wireless is just a replacement for a Wire.

So, if both computers can use the Internet while working with the same
Wireless Cable/DSL Router, they are already configured as a Local
peer-to-Peer network.

In order to share files, and other resources, the file sharing should be
configured on each computer.

File Sharing configuration is the same regardless of the Wire Wireless
aspect.

Successful Sharing involves some general consideration in Network settings,
http://www.ezlan.net/sharing.html

As well as specific adjustment of each computer according to what is allowed
to be shared.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040

Jack (MVP-Networking).