Can't share files via Internet connection

[Joseph Bruno]

I've got two PCs - call them Host (XP Pro) and User (XP Home). They are
connected via Ethernet.
Host has some shared folders (and its Guest account is password-protected).
User can access them over Ethernet and is asked for a password. Everything
works well.
I want to have the same functionality when connecting across the Internet.
So I do the following:

On Host, in the Networking tab of Connection Properties, enable File and
Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.
On User , in the Networking tab of Connection Properties, enable Client for
Microsoft Networks.
Temporarily disable Windows Firewall on both computers [to make sure that
this is not a firewall issue].
On Host, dial in to an ISP that gives us a static IP address.
On User, dial in to another ISP.

After this: on User, I can ping Host and get a reasonable response. I can
also set up TCP/IP connections from User to Host.

TRY:
net use \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\test password
where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is Host's IP addess (that works with ping) and 'test'
is the name of the shared resource.

RESULT:
Long pause, then error 53.

So - why is it that malicious hackers can connect easily to my open network
shares and I can't? I have presumably missed something obvious but I don't
know what.

 

[Chuck]

I've got two PCs - call them Host (XP Pro) and User (XP Home). They are
connected via Ethernet.
Host has some shared folders (and its Guest account is password-protected).
User can access them over Ethernet and is asked for a password. Everything
works well.
I want to have the same functionality when connecting across the Internet.
So I do the following:

On Host, in the Networking tab of Connection Properties, enable File and
Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.
On User , in the Networking tab of Connection Properties, enable Client for
Microsoft Networks.
Temporarily disable Windows Firewall on both computers [to make sure that
this is not a firewall issue].
On Host, dial in to an ISP that gives us a static IP address.
On User, dial in to another ISP.

After this: on User, I can ping Host and get a reasonable response. I can
also set up TCP/IP connections from User to Host.

TRY:
net use \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\test password
where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is Host's IP addess (that works with ping) and 'test'
is the name of the shared resource.

RESULT:
Long pause, then error 53.

So - why is it that malicious hackers can connect easily to my open network
shares and I can't? I have presumably missed something obvious but I don't
know what.

Joseph,

An Error 53 is name (resource) not found. This could have several causes.

Using the internet for file sharing is a very dangerous business. You'd do well
to setup a VPN between any clients and servers (hosts) connected thru public
networks. Please do not ever, even for testing, connect to the internet without
a firewall or NAT router protecting you.

I'm not sure if DialUp Networking / RAS is VPN compatible, unfortunately.

Consider using a pair of NAT routers that can act as VPN endpoints, such as the
Linksys BEFSX41, to connect your computers.
<http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=34&scid=29&prid=433>

If Client and / or Host are actually using dialup to access the internet, you'll
need routers with dialup and VPN capability. One possibility is the SMC
7004ABR, which has VPN passthru capability. With this setup, you'll need a VPN
endpoint installed.
<http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?event=viewProduct&localeCode=EN_USA&cid=1&scid=&pid=858>

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

 

[Jerry]

Here http://www.careyholzman.com/netfixes.htm or here
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/ may have info to
help.