CAN'T GET NETWORKING TO WORK

[John McGaw]

Yes I was YELLING. I am soooooo frustrated. I have 2 laptops and 1
desktop networked together using a linksys router. I can see the other
computers, and sometimes I can access them, but not all the time. is
there somewhere I can get a step by step instruction to network them
together? I don't know if I have missed something or what. The more I
read the more confused I am getting.

Thank you.
Kathy

You could start by at least sharing some useful information. What operating
system(s) do the computers run? They are connected how? (Ethernet,
wireless, some combination)? What _does_ work on your network? (ping,
internet connection, file sharing) What does _not_ work?

 

[Kathy]

Yes I was YELLING. I am soooooo frustrated. I have 2 laptops and 1 desktop
networked together using a linksys router. I can see the other computers,
and sometimes I can access them, but not all the time. is there somewhere I
can get a step by step instruction to network them together? I don't know
if I have missed something or what. The more I read the more confused I am
getting.

Thank you.
Kathy

 

[John McGaw]

As this is a vista newsgroup I thought everyone would assume that I
amrunniong Vista, sorry about that. All three computers
they are connected using ethernet, but the 2 laptops can go wireless
(tried it doesn't work either), Most of the thime I can ping, but not
always, They all can connect to the internet, I just cannot consistantly
network the 3 together.
I apologize for not giving the proper info.

Kathy

Certainly no need to apologize. I guessed that at least one of your
computers was Vista, thus the posting here but there are many mixed
networks out there. Mine has W2K, XP, and Vista (and sometimes a Linux or
two), and this makes things more complicated yet.

Do you have a common account on each machine -- same name and password?
That is usually one of the first suggestions given for failure-to-share
problems. When your sharing fails, what sort of error messages are you
getting (if any)? Anything showing up in the management console messages?

 

[Kathy]

As this is a vista newsgroup I thought everyone would assume that I
amrunniong Vista, sorry about that. All three computers
they are connected using ethernet, but the 2 laptops can go wireless (tried
it doesn't work either), Most of the thime I can ping, but not always, They
all can connect to the internet, I just cannot consistantly network the 3
together.
I apologize for not giving the proper info.

Kathy

 

[Kathy]

No the accounts are all different, the workgroups the same. I get the error
saying that I may not have permission to access.
Not sure what "management console messages" means.

Thanks
Kathy

 

[Gordon]

No the accounts are all different, the workgroups the same. I get the
error saying that I may not have permission to access.

Then create IDENTICAL accounts with passwords on each machine. You don't
have to log-in on those accounts, but they must be there. Explanation: on a
Peer-to-peer network, which this is, each machine has to know who is
entitled to access it. As there is no central server for users to log-on to,
this information is stored locally on each machine, therefore there must be
the same account on all machines that are going to share data..

HTH

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi
First log to the Linksys Sup[port page of your Router, make sure that it is
compatible with Vista and that you have the latest firmware.
Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local
traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista Native Firewall should be
Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers on
what is some time called the Trusted Zone.
Then follow this, Vista File and Printer Sharing-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx
Jack (MVP-Networking).

 

[Mick Murphy]

A bit of info re networking Vista:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.

Permissions/Share info is there as well.

If using Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro I.S., make sure file and printer
sharing is enabled in THEIR firewall (or LAN allowed, depending on how their
Exceptions are worded in their Firewall)

1st thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is
the SAME.

In Vista Network and Sharing:

Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)

Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)

File Sharing: ON

Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s old
Shared Docs)

Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and
passwords on ALL computers in your Network) If you have it ON, and no
identical usernames/passwords, you will be asked for a username and password
when you try to access a Vista computer from an XP computer, or a Vista
computer.


--
Mad Mike

No the accounts are all different, the workgroups the same. I get the error
saying that I may not have permission to access.
Not sure what "management console messages" means.

Thanks
Kathy