challenge to networking experts

[MajBach]

Tried to make this as simple to follow as possible yet thorough.
Really appreciate the time you take to read.

2 PCs: a desktop and a laptop (computer names are the same for
simplicity here)Both XP Pro
The desktop is connected via USB to a DSL modem.
The laptop is connected to the desktop via Ethernet cable

Problem: cannot share files between the two after every conceivable
method of setting them up including network wizard, network ID name
changes, computer name changes, disabling firewall etc. Strange - had
them working once before but don't know what I have done to create
this problem.

Observations:
Both computers can easily surf the Internet, so, the laptop IS
communicating with the desktop. I set this up through the network
wizard.

The laptop 'sees' itself and the shared folders within it when I
select "view workgroup computers". The desktop computer does not see
itself. Neither computer 'sees' each other.

On the desktop:
'Network Connections', there are two: "USB Internet Shared" and
"Ethernet" (I named myself).
The TCP/IP Protocol Properties for USB Internet is "Obtain IP address
automatically"
For the Ethernet connection the TCP/IP is 192 168 0 1 and 255 255 255
0
Both have file and print sharing 'On'

On the Laptop under Network Connections
There is only the one: "Local area connection" and the TCP/IP is set
to "obtain Automatically"

When both PCs are powered on:
On the Desktop when I type: "ping desktop", it's successful with no
loss
When I type "ping laptop", "could not find host
When I type "ping 192 168 0 1", works fine, no loss
However
If I turn the LAPTOP off and type "ping 192.168.0.1", I get request
timed out

When on the laptop:
Everything is the same as above EXCEPT when I type "ping desktop", it
DOES in fact see the desktop.

Here's another weird thing:
If I am on the desktop and type \\desktop, it does see the folders I
have set to share but clicking on any of them says they "may be
inaccessible"
But when I try \\laptop, it says "the location cannot be reached

Conversely, when I am on the laptop and type \\laptop....everything is
good but when I type \\desktop, I get a long pause and finally 'the
network path was not found'

What do I do now?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Guest]

If you forget the internet for a minute,try connecting the 2 from the
ethernet
connection,set up a home network useing the wizard.If all works as it should,
then you might need to add a network pci card.Hence,with some pcs its the
only way to set 2 pcs together & have an internet connection.

 

[alanglloyd]

I am by no means an expert, but I understand that ...

a) Every TCP/IP node must have an appropriate four-part IP address.

b) Every internet name must have a corresponding IP address in some
look-up table

c) The web internet look-up table is held on a Domain Name Server
(DNS) in web-space

d) Local internet look-up table is held in a "Hosts" file or on an
"LMHosts" file (for NetBios == Win interconnectivity) on the PC.

If you can "Ping <IP address>" but cannot "Ping <domain name>" then
the pinging node cannot "resolve" the domain name - ie cannot access
the look-up table on a DNS or a Hosts or LMHosts file.

"Obtain IP address automatically" means that the node is connecting to
a web-server which gives the node a temporary TCP/IP address by which
the node is known. I would have thought that a local network would
need to have a specified IP address because AFAIK local windows
networks do not allocate node IPs in that way.

That is the limit of my knowledge <g>.

Alan Lloyd

 

[MajBach]

I'll try with what you have given me so far.
Andrew: I would agree and follow your advice had I not already had the
present configuration working the very first day I attempted it.I got
the laptop, did a network wizard on both, assigned shared files and
then mapped network drives and bingo, internet and file sharing on the
laptop. Wish I knew what I did since that time.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Tried to make this as simple to follow as possible yet thorough.
Really appreciate the time you take to read.

2 PCs: a desktop and a laptop (computer names are the same for
simplicity here)

That would be a major problem; each computer on the LAN needs to have a
unique name.

Both XP Pro
The desktop is connected via USB to a DSL modem.
The laptop is connected to the desktop via Ethernet cable

Is this a cross-over cable, or a straight ethernet cable. It must be a
crossover cable for the two computers to communicate with one another?

Problem: cannot share files between the two after every conceivable
method of setting them up including network wizard, network ID name
changes, computer name changes, disabling firewall etc. Strange - had
them working once before but don't know what I have done to create
this problem.

Observations:
Both computers can easily surf the Internet, so, the laptop IS
communicating with the desktop. I set this up through the network
wizard.

The laptop 'sees' itself and the shared folders within it when I
select "view workgroup computers". The desktop computer does not see
itself. Neither computer 'sees' each other.

On the desktop:
'Network Connections', there are two: "USB Internet Shared" and
"Ethernet" (I named myself).
The TCP/IP Protocol Properties for USB Internet is "Obtain IP address
automatically"
For the Ethernet connection the TCP/IP is 192 168 0 1 and 255 255 255
0
Both have file and print sharing 'On'

On the Laptop under Network Connections
There is only the one: "Local area connection" and the TCP/IP is set
to "obtain Automatically"

When both PCs are powered on:
On the Desktop when I type: "ping desktop", it's successful with no
loss

Yes, it'd be a very rare machine that cannot ping itself. This isn't
particularly meaningful, other than to indicate that the IP stack is
probably installed correctly.

When I type "ping laptop", "could not find host

Is there a firewall enabled on the laptop? If so, you'll need to
disable it.

When I type "ping 192 168 0 1", works fine, no loss

That shouldn't work at all, as it isn't a valid IP address. There must
be dots (.) between hte 4 number groupings. It seems to be being
accepted as a host name.

However
If I turn the LAPTOP off and type "ping 192.168.0.1", I get request
timed out

How could you expect it to resond to a ping if it's turned off?

When on the laptop:
Everything is the same as above EXCEPT when I type "ping desktop", it
DOES in fact see the desktop.

Here's another weird thing:
If I am on the desktop and type \\desktop, it does see the folders I
have set to share but clicking on any of them says they "may be
inaccessible"
But when I try \\laptop, it says "the location cannot be reached

Conversely, when I am on the laptop and type \\laptop....everything is
good but when I type \\desktop, I get a long pause and finally 'the
network path was not found'

What do I do now?
Thanks in advance!

On each WinXP PC, create local user account(s), with non-blank
password(s), that have the desired access privileges to the desired
shares. To rephrase, identical (as in username/password) accounts must
exist on each machine. Log on to the other PCs using those account(s),
and you will be able to access the designated shares, provided your
network is configured properly. Also, make sure that WinXP's built-in
firewall is either disabled on the internal LAN connection, or set to
allow exceptions for File and Print Sharing.

Usually, WinXP's Networking Wizard makes it simple and painless --
almost entirely automatic, in fact. There's a lot of useful,
easy-to-follow information in WinXP's Help & Support files, and here:

Home Networking
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/homenet/default.asp

Networking Information
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking.htm

PracticallyNetworked Home
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/index.htm

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I'll try with what you have given me so far.
Andrew: I would agree and follow your advice had I not already had the
present configuration working the very first day I attempted it.I got
the laptop, did a network wizard on both, assigned shared files and
then mapped network drives and bingo, internet and file sharing on the
laptop. Wish I knew what I did since that time.

You can ignore anything Andrew E. suggests; he's the newsgroup's
resident troll, and he never deliberately posts anything that's even
remotely correct.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[MajBach]

Well thanks for your replies. I have made some progress before reading
them but still not satisified.

1st: this whole crossover cable. How would I know. The cable I am
using came with the DSL modem and up until I got the laptop, I was
using it for my internet. When I got the laptop, I simply switched
over to a USB internet connection (running into my desktop) and used
the Ethernet for a connection between the two.

Keep in mind, the laptop DOES have internet access via the desktop
thru this cable AND there was a day when I could file share as well
(only one day though). As well, 'laptop' and 'desktop' are not the
true PC names, just what I used in this post.

Since posting, I added NWLink NetBIOS, NWLink IPX etc, MS TCP/IP
version 6 protocolsto both the USB Internet Shared and Local Area
Connection on the desktop and to the LAN connection on the laptop.
BOOM, the desktop can now see itself and the laptop. Additionally, i
can transfer files between the two when on the dektop.

On the laptop however, I cannot talk to the desktop, when I try it
says I do not have persmission etc. Firewalls are off on both PCs. So
now I have all these protocols going and limited connectively - still
not what it was but it might help one you determine wha is going on. I
cannot remove the TCP/IP protocol as when I do, they lose the
internet.
Whats next?

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Well thanks for your replies. I have made some progress before reading
them but still not satisified.

Did it ever occur to you that there might be a better newsgroup to
post this problem to?

 

[MajBach]

Did it ever occur to you that there might be a better newsgroup to
post this problem to?

Got anything constructive to say hemmorhoid breath? no it didn't.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Got anything constructive to say hemmorhoid breath? no it didn't.

athome.discussion-homenetworking,
comp.os.ms-windows.networking.misc,
comp.os.ms-windows.networking.windows

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Well thanks for your replies. I have made some progress before reading
them but still not satisified.

1st: this whole crossover cable. How would I know. The cable I am
using came with the DSL modem and up until I got the laptop, I was
using it for my internet. When I got the laptop, I simply switched
over to a USB internet connection (running into my desktop) and used
the Ethernet for a connection between the two.

There's a major problem source. You must have a crossover cable to
connect the two computers directly.





--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell