Two Windows XP machines for ad hoc network

S

Shannon Jacobs

Seems to be a pretty scarce topic. Does that mean it's really a trivial
problem? I would like to hope so, though I've had no success untrivializing
it so far. Mayhaps the problem is with my Japanese reading, so I've included
the related Japanese newsgroup. (All of the machines involved are Japanese
and running Japanese versions of all of the relevant programs and OSes. I
read Japanese computer lingo moderately well, if slowly. $BF|K\8l$NEz$($G$b$$(B
$B$$$G$9!#(B)

Situation: Two Windows XP machines, both IBM ThinkPads with built-in 802.11
capability. Both machines have been connected to various networks at various
times, so I'm certain their hardware is okay. I'd like to connect them to
each other using an ad hoc network, but no success so far. My initial goal
is file sharing, though I may go on to ICS if I get that far.

Initial actions: Following various guidelines found on the Web, I have
configured the ad hoc connection several times. In all cases, the steps seem
to be more or less the same, though there are slight variations. No luck.

Corrective actions so far: All firewalls disabled. IBM Access Connections
uninstalled and reinstalled on one of the machines. The two machines
continue to ignore each other. Their responses to the 'network repair'
command are slightly different. One of them eventually responds with a
message telling me to contact my system administrator, and the other one
just keeps on trying.

Suspicion 1: Perhaps the problem is that the two computers have slightly
different 802.11 capabilities, and I somehow need to limit the newer one to
what the older one understands? (My reading suggests that this part should
be automatic, however?)

Suspicion 2: Perhaps the preinstalled IBM Access Connnections may be the
culprit, since it is a powerful connection management tool, and it may be
too smart for my own good. I have not been able to make much out of its
complicated Japanese explanations, so I have just been trying to ignore it
by working from the "normal" instructions. I have not been able to find
sufficient English documentation for that program (and reinstalling it also
failed to provide English at any level).

Suspicion 3: It may be the case that some of my earlier experiments have
disabled or misconfigured some obscure setting.

Diagnostic suggestions? Tips or hints would also be appreciated.
 
S

SUMMONER

I suggest you try to create a basic non encrypted ad-hoc network to
start with, on a channel that is not in use by other near by networks.

Call it's name/ssid "test" for simplicity and remember that it can
sometimes take 30-40seconds before the wireless utilities shows a valid
wireless connection.

If that happens you still have to configure IP addresses, ie:
192.168.1.1 for one and 192.168.1.2 for the other laptop.

Also remember that there is button on the front of the Thinkpad
(somewhere near the power button I think), which turns the wireless
antenna on/off.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regard

Malte
 
C

Chuck

Seems to be a pretty scarce topic. Does that mean it's really a trivial
problem? I would like to hope so, though I've had no success untrivializing
it so far. Mayhaps the problem is with my Japanese reading, so I've included
the related Japanese newsgroup. (All of the machines involved are Japanese
and running Japanese versions of all of the relevant programs and OSes. I
read Japanese computer lingo moderately well, if slowly. ?????????
????)

Situation: Two Windows XP machines, both IBM ThinkPads with built-in 802.11
capability. Both machines have been connected to various networks at various
times, so I'm certain their hardware is okay. I'd like to connect them to
each other using an ad hoc network, but no success so far. My initial goal
is file sharing, though I may go on to ICS if I get that far.

Initial actions: Following various guidelines found on the Web, I have
configured the ad hoc connection several times. In all cases, the steps seem
to be more or less the same, though there are slight variations. No luck.

Corrective actions so far: All firewalls disabled. IBM Access Connections
uninstalled and reinstalled on one of the machines. The two machines
continue to ignore each other. Their responses to the 'network repair'
command are slightly different. One of them eventually responds with a
message telling me to contact my system administrator, and the other one
just keeps on trying.

Suspicion 1: Perhaps the problem is that the two computers have slightly
different 802.11 capabilities, and I somehow need to limit the newer one to
what the older one understands? (My reading suggests that this part should
be automatic, however?)

Suspicion 2: Perhaps the preinstalled IBM Access Connnections may be the
culprit, since it is a powerful connection management tool, and it may be
too smart for my own good. I have not been able to make much out of its
complicated Japanese explanations, so I have just been trying to ignore it
by working from the "normal" instructions. I have not been able to find
sufficient English documentation for that program (and reinstalling it also
failed to provide English at any level).

Suspicion 3: It may be the case that some of my earlier experiments have
disabled or misconfigured some obscure setting.

Diagnostic suggestions? Tips or hints would also be appreciated.

Shannon,

Most folks, when using wireless, use a router and an infrastructure mode.
Routers are so cheap these days, why make it hard on yourself.

You have two basic issues to make work.
# Wifi connectivity.
# Windows XP file sharing.

Have you been able to get the 2 computers to connect, so that you can ping each
from the other? That's where you need to start. Remember, in ad-hoc mode, you
will have no DHCP server. Either you must use fixed ip assignments, or suffer
APIPA addresses. This is similar to using a cross-over cable for wired
connectivity.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/setting-up-wifi-lan.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/setting-up-wifi-lan.html
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/connecting-two-computers-with.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/connecting-two-computers-with.html

But again, for the price, why not buy a router. It's a much better use of your
time and money.
 
L

Lem

Shannon said:
Seems to be a pretty scarce topic. Does that mean it's really a trivial
problem? I would like to hope so, though I've had no success untrivializing
it so far. Mayhaps the problem is with my Japanese reading, so I've included
the related Japanese newsgroup. (All of the machines involved are Japanese
and running Japanese versions of all of the relevant programs and OSes. I
read Japanese computer lingo moderately well, if slowly. $BF|K\8l$NEz$($G$b$$(B
$B$$$G$9!#(B)

Situation: Two Windows XP machines, both IBM ThinkPads with built-in 802.11
capability. Both machines have been connected to various networks at various
times, so I'm certain their hardware is okay. I'd like to connect them to
each other using an ad hoc network, but no success so far. My initial goal
is file sharing, though I may go on to ICS if I get that far.

Initial actions: Following various guidelines found on the Web, I have
configured the ad hoc connection several times. In all cases, the steps seem
to be more or less the same, though there are slight variations. No luck.

Corrective actions so far: All firewalls disabled. IBM Access Connections
uninstalled and reinstalled on one of the machines. The two machines
continue to ignore each other. Their responses to the 'network repair'
command are slightly different. One of them eventually responds with a
message telling me to contact my system administrator, and the other one
just keeps on trying.

Suspicion 1: Perhaps the problem is that the two computers have slightly
different 802.11 capabilities, and I somehow need to limit the newer one to
what the older one understands? (My reading suggests that this part should
be automatic, however?)

Suspicion 2: Perhaps the preinstalled IBM Access Connnections may be the
culprit, since it is a powerful connection management tool, and it may be
too smart for my own good. I have not been able to make much out of its
complicated Japanese explanations, so I have just been trying to ignore it
by working from the "normal" instructions. I have not been able to find
sufficient English documentation for that program (and reinstalling it also
failed to provide English at any level).

Suspicion 3: It may be the case that some of my earlier experiments have
disabled or misconfigured some obscure setting.

Diagnostic suggestions? Tips or hints would also be appreciated.

I'd uninstall IBM Access Connections from both machines. IIRC, this is a utility
that lets you switch between multiple networks (e.g., one at home and one at work)
that have different setup configurations. You don't really need this, and you're
more likely to get help (here at least) from people who know how WinXP does things
than how IBM does it. (I did a clean install of WinXP on an IBM A22m that came with
Win98se pre-installed; one of the IBM apps that I elected NOT to install was Access
Connections; this laptop successfully connects (not at the same time) both to an ad
hoc wireless connection (wireless printer) and to an infrastructure network (wireless
router) with no further user input.)

The main things to make sure of are that both laptops are configured to use:
-- the same SSID
-- the same channel
-- the same 802.11 protocol (e.g., make sure that one laptop isn't set to use 802.11b
while the other is set to use 802.11a)
-- (at least at first) no encryption

Make sure that the radio in each laptop is on. There may be a physical switch
somewhere on the laptop or right-click on the wireless connection and see if there is
an "enable" or "disable" item to click.

While having the most recent driver may be a good idea, do NOT get this from Windows
Update. Get it from the www.ibm.com site for your model.

You said "Following various guidelines found on the Web, I have configured the ad hoc
connection several times." Please list the setps you took to configure the
connections.
 
K

kevin_mcse

You said you are using 'network repair'. I believe this is for getting
re-attempting to aquire an IP address from a DHCP server. When you are
in Ad-hoc mode, it is up to each PC to get thier IP manually. Try the
following settings:

PC1

IP 192.168.1.2
Subnet 255.255.255.0
Gatewaye 192.168.1.1 or leave blank

PC2

IP 192.168.1.3
Subnet 255.255.255.0
Gateway 192.168.1.1 or leave blank

This should work unless there are other IP devices using these same
addresses. Also make sure your firewalls are disabled on bothe PCs.
Finally go to the available wireless connections and join each other
from both PCs.
 
S

Shannon Jacobs

Thanks for the various replies. Not completely certain, but it appears that
my second hypothesis was correct, and the problem is that the powerful
network utility program is too smart to let users do what I wanted to do.
Apparently it actually deactivates all secondary connections once it has
decided on the best primary routing. Seems strange, and apparently precludes
using ICS.

I don't remember most of the specific suggestions to thank people
specifically. Well, except for that suggestion about using the wireless hub.
That one was pretty dumb. On the other hand, perhaps I failed to include
sufficient context to make it clear why that was infeasible.

However, the entire alternative approach has apparently been mooted by some
corporate standard or guideline or something. Apparently wireless networks
are regarded as too dangerous to allow us to even try to work with them.
 

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