Networking two computers

[Bob]

I have tried dozens of times to get my two computers to
network, but I have had no luck. I have run the Windows
XP netork wizard (if you want to call it that), but
EVERYTIME I run it, it fails to set up the wizard. I
keep getting the following message when I try to View the
workgroup computers--

Mshome is not accessible. You might not have permission
to use this network resource. Contact the administrator
of this server to find out if you have access
permission. The list of servers for this workgroup is
not currently available.

Any clues as to what I can do to get this network to
work? Obviously Windows XP does not work well for
networking!

 

[Eric Cross]

Greetings Bob,

Make sure the XP's firewall is disabled. It will block file and printer
sharing by default. If you installed a third party firewall such as
ZoneAlarm, Sygate, or Norton make sure it is properly configured for the
network. Ensure NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled. Details here.

Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (NetBT)
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/netbt.htm

__________________
Eric

 

[Bob]

Eric,
thanks for your reply, but I tried your suggestions and
of course they didn't work. As far as I'm concerned,
Microsoft can take their network wizard and shove it up
Bill Gates' ass.
Bob

 

[Joe]

How are you connecting the PC's Bob?
with what type of hardware? and please calm down I know
you are frustrated but hang in there you will get it.
Joe

 

[David]

XP works very well for networks..
What is your network setup?
direct connect? (you need a cross-over cable)
hub? router?
NICs?

 

[Bob]

Joe,
what do you mean by your question? I'm not sure what you
mean, but I'll try to answer it. I am using a router and
I have a desktop and laptop. The network wizard in XP is
doing absolutely nothing to help me. I keep getting
error messages when I try to run the wizard, the
computers can't find each other, it cannot find MSHOME.
I have tried to run the wizard at least a couple dozen
times over the past year and a half, and it NEVER works.
You think I'm frustrated? I passed frustrated about 6
months ago. Thanks,
Bob

 

[Bob]

Sorry David, but dozens of attempts at setting up a
network through XP has told me that it does not work good
for setting up a network.
Bob

 

[Joe]

Glad to see your back. So you have never been able to
connect to the internet? Ok is there a main PC or does
your internet connection come from the wall per se" into
the router?

I suggest that you have your internet connection from your
ISP (from the wall) go directly into your PC and then add
another NIC card going out to your router or just install
a wireless nic and one inside your laptop. Another
configuration is this. If all you have are two PC's 1
desktop and 1 laptop It should work with the router Like
this:

Into the router from your cable modem/ISP/Wall make sure
you are using the correct port on the router (there is
only one for incoming) and then the following cables or
wireles out of the router (outgoing) Think about trying to
connect without using the wizard an see what you get.

Just another test here Bob:
plug the internet connection from the wall into the router
and then plug a cable out of the router into the laptop or
PC just one of them and see if you can get to the net.

I do not know exactly how you want to network so I am
assuming you want all your PC's to access the net via the
router.
Joe

 

[Guest]

Joe,
Maybe I should give you more information about my
situation. I have been connected to the internet for
years. Each computer can connect on their own. I have a
cable modem. The router is connected to the modem and
then each computer is connected to the router. I have a
desktop and a laptop. Each computer connects separately,
but I cannot share files between the two computers. I
have tried the "wizard" as Microsoft calls it, and I have
tried it using every single configuration they offer. No
matter what I try, it doesn't work. The computers can't
find each other, and then I keep getting error messages
telling me to run the wizard again. Hopefully I have
provided enough information to give you more insight.
Please refer to my original post to see the error message
I keep getting.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[Joe]

Bob,

So I want you to tell me this please.
Does your router have a hardware firewall built in it?

Second if not do you know how to share files?

Lets take the laptop and go from there.
make your way to network connections and then right click
on that connection go to properties and then to the
advanced tab. See if your fire wall is up? Do this please
for me and tell me on both PC's

Then tell me the IP address of each PC NIC's that is being
assigned by the router. Your Problem sounds as if it is
the router not XP. You cannot be the only one on the
planet that cannot network XP I am doing greater things
than this as are a lot of others. Hang in there.
We will get it
Joe

 

[nkjg]

What are the IPs of each of the computers?

Are you able to manually enter a shortcut to the other
computer in the form:

\\Desktop\Shared
or
\\Laptop\Shared

Where Shared is the name of a folder on that computer
that is set to be shared on the network.

If you want to get the two computers to be networked
safely, you need to have them both with the same first 3
sections of the IP address, i.e. 192.168.1.xx and the
router should have a connection to the cable modem.

I have set up several networks with XP on networks with
anywhere from 2 to 15 computers using either a single
router or a switch or 3 routers daisy chained together.
Once I got the routers set up to properly, I just ran the
network setup wizard for each computer and I was up and
running.

Try starting from scratch. Unplug everything. EVERYTHING.
Connect the power to the router and then press and hold
the reset button for 30 seconds (there should be one on
the back or the bottom).

Find the instructions that came with the router (or find
them of the router manufacturer's website) and follow
them step by step. While you're setting everything up,
only have ONE computer connected, once the router is
configured properly, connect the other computer. Make
sure that you have the router set to act as a DHCP server.

Check the IP addresses of each computer. Check this both
from "ipconfig /all" in the command prompt and in the
router's DHCP configuration menu. The computers should
have the exact same subnet mask and the first 3 parts of
the IP addresses the same, i.e 192.168.1.xx. If this
doesn't fit, then you're never going to get the Windows
Network Setup Wizard to work.

Once you've got the IPs and subnet masks described above,
NOW run the setup wizard. Make sure that you input the
exact same settings into each computer. Share a folder
and see if you can make a shortcut to that folder in the
form

\\computer\folder

If this still doesn't work (and you've actually followed
everything that I've said here), let us know.


Hope this helps,

Nick
nkjg/at\interchange/dot\ubc/dot\ca

"The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over
and over expecting different results."

 

[Guest]

Joe,
my router does have a firewall built in.
I have disabled the firewall in XP on both computers.
Yes, I know how to set up the file sharing.
The IP address on the laptop is 192.168.2.3
The IP address on the desktop is 192.168.2.4
As far as me being the only person on the planet to have
a problem networking in XP, I have to disagree with
that. As I am looking through the other posts in this
newsgroup, I am seeing quite a few people that are having
networking problems.
Thanks again,
Bob

 

[Guest]

Nick,
I appreciate the time you put into your response, but I
must say that the length of your answer only
substantiates my opinion that the Windows XP "wizard" is
just the opposite. If I have to go through all of that
to get a network set up, how the heck can they call it a
wizard?? After having spent hours attempting to set this
thing up only to get one error after another, I am
absolutely certain that there has to be an easier way to
do this, and Microsoft does not use that way!
thanks again,
Bob

 

[nkjg]

I totally agree with you about how Microsoft's naming
conventions are usually total crap. Take the example of
the screen resolution when it comes to the dpi setting.
To me, when I hear the term dpi, I think the higher the
setting, the smaller the image, while in the display
settings, it's the exact opposite (it has to do with
screen inches... like the average joe would know that).

I just took the time to post all that to help you get
your network set up. That was the main reason why you
posted, right? =P

I've found often enough that when something really
frustrating comes up, just start from scratch. I've set
up enough networks in XP and done enough clean installs
to be able to make all the necessary key strokes and
mouse clicks blindfolded (almost... it depends on the
mouse sensitivity, lol). With enough repetition, it'll be
easy enough to troubleshoot just about anything.

Hope this helps,

Nick
nkjg/at\interchange/dot\ubc/dot\ca

 

[Guest]

Nick,
thanks for the response. I agree with you about starting
from scratch. I consider myself to have intermediate
knowledge of computers, but this network thing has me
stumped. It's not killing me to not have a network, but
I think it would be nice to have it set up. I'll keep
hammering away at it (not literally!) and I'm sure it
will work one of these days.
thanks again,
Bob

 

[Bruce J. Weiers]

I would second the recommendation to start from scratch, with this
additional recommendation along the same line: go to Device Manager and
uninstall the network card. (You should probably make sure you have
drivers handy for your network card, before you do this.) Reinstall the
network card, and then run the network setup wizard, choosing the
"connect thru a residential gateway option" on both computers.

That really should be enough. It is meant to just work in its default
configuration. Really.

 

[Joe]

Would you be willing to try this?
try adding a crossover cable from one pc to the other and
see if you can connect the two. If so you may need
(indicating router trouble) a hub try a hub downstream of
the router and out to the 2pc's and see what's up. can you
get to your ohter pc like this:
\\192.168.2.3\mydocuments if my documents being shared
enabled dont worry so much about the wizard too much
attention is being put on this, our goal is to get you to
share files and the internet.

You may also have an incompatible router. Why dont you get
a Microsoft wireless basetation kit and try again.
I think you will succeed.

As I am looking through the other posts in this

newsgroup, I am seeing quite a few people that are having
networking problems.

This primarily because thay are learning just as you are
with trouble shooting and their first set up there are
many reasons Bob, But once you cure yours you will also
agree.
I have to go now but I will be back later there are some
real smart people here and they truly will help you keep
trying. As I said you may need to make some hardware
changes. Sorry but if you fix your problem after 1 year it
to me is worth it.
Joe

 

[Bob]

Joe,
I am not willing to try a crossover cable. I really
don't want to spend that much time on this. I now have
had two routers, a wired one and now a wireless that I
just bought earlier this week. I figure if I can't get
this set up with a brand new router and two computers
running XP, maybe it just won't work. I will try a
couple others things, but I'm not going to waste too much
time on this. The really funny thing is that when I ask
my cable company for help, they refer me to either HP or
Microsoft. When I've asked HP, they refer me to the
router manufacturer or Microsoft. I've asked Microsoft
for help, and they tell me I have to pay them to get the
tech support. I've grown tired of everybody referring me
to somebody else. What is so secretive about this that
causes nobody to give me a direct answer?
Thanks again,
Bob

 

[Bob]

Bruce,
thanks for the suggestion, but with my luck, I'll
uninstall the network card and my system will probably
crash! I don't have that much confidence in Microsoft!
I'm not going to go that far with this problem.
Thanks anyway,
Bob

 

[Bob]

Joe,
I may have made some progress on this networking issue.
For some reason, I decided to disable zonealarm. The
good news is that the two computers are finding each
other and I am able to share files. The bad news is
zonealarm is disabled, and I don't want to take any
chances on allowing access to outside computers. Any
ideas?
thanks,
Bob