Damn networking!!!

[Kurt Schmidt]

I have a very simple network -- a cable modem (Comcast) connected to a
Netgear Router FVS318. To that I have connected a Netgear WAB102 802.11ab
access point and a desktop computer. I also have a laptop computer that
connects to the access point through the 802.11a protocol using a Netgear
WAG511 wireless card. Both computers are running Windows XP Pro SP1 and
both are running a firewall -- the laptop a Norton Personal Firewall, the
desktop a Zone Alarm Pro firewall.

For years I have been trying to connect both computers so that they could
see each others selected drives or directories, and simultaneously see the
internet. I can do one or the other but not both. I am so frustrated that
I am almost ready to chuck it all out the window. No matter what I do, no
matter how may books I follow, what advice I get, just no matter what, I can
only do one or the other, but never, ever both. For God's sake, it cannot
be that difficult!!!! Well, I see a multitude of sites that offer advice on
apparently just this subject, so it probably is that difficult, but would
someone please tell me why is it so damn difficult to do that?

Or better yet, in steps simple enough for an amoeba, how to get it done.

BTW, I have decided against using NetBui (sp?) because I read in several
places that 1) XP did not support it, and 2) that it was like opening the
barn door to hackers.

Thanks!
Kurt

 

[Carey Holzman]

www.careyholzman.com/netfixes.htm

Tip #1 on all PCs

Carey

"Kurt Schmidt"

 

[Carey Holzman]

Also, if you'd like me to walk you through it personally, send me an email
at (e-mail address removed)

Carey

"Kurt Schmidt"

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have a very simple network -- a cable modem (Comcast) connected to a
Netgear Router FVS318. To that I have connected a Netgear WAB102 802.11ab
access point and a desktop computer. I also have a laptop computer that
connects to the access point through the 802.11a protocol using a Netgear
WAG511 wireless card. Both computers are running Windows XP Pro SP1 and
both are running a firewall -- the laptop a Norton Personal Firewall, the
desktop a Zone Alarm Pro firewall.

For years I have been trying to connect both computers so that they could
see each others selected drives or directories, and simultaneously see the
internet. I can do one or the other but not both. I am so frustrated that
I am almost ready to chuck it all out the window. No matter what I do, no
matter how may books I follow, what advice I get, just no matter what, I can
only do one or the other, but never, ever both. For God's sake, it cannot
be that difficult!!!! Well, I see a multitude of sites that offer advice on
apparently just this subject, so it probably is that difficult, but would
someone please tell me why is it so damn difficult to do that?

Or better yet, in steps simple enough for an amoeba, how to get it done.

BTW, I have decided against using NetBui (sp?) because I read in several
places that 1) XP did not support it, and 2) that it was like opening the
barn door to hackers.

Thanks!
Kurt

You're wise not to follow advice to install any protocol other than
TCP/IP.

NetBEUI is available as an un-supported protocol in Windows XP, and
Microsoft recommends not using it. Nothing in Windows networking
requires, or has ever required, NetBEUI.

However, NetBEUI, doesn't open anything to hackers since it's an
unroutable protocol. Hackers who try to access your network over the
Internet use TCP/IP, which is why every computer with an Internet
connection needs a firewall.

Your Netgear router acts as a firewall, blocking undesired connection
attempts from Internet hackers, so you don't need another firewall for
that protection. I strongly recommend un-installing (not just
disabling) Norton Personal Firewall and Zone Alarm Pro while
troubleshooting your network. Problems like the ones that you
describe are commonly caused by misconfigured firewall programs.
Don't re-install them until everything else is working, and then make
sure to configure them to allow access by computers on the local area
network.

Why install those programs when the router blocks incoming connection
attempts? They have a feature that the router doesn't: they can block
undesired outgoing traffic from your computer to the Internet, which
can occur if a virus or spyware program gets by your other defenses
and gets installed on your computer.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Ed.]

First of all I would turn off the firewalls if you haven't already tried
that. Your router should have a built in NAT which is like a firewall.
Other third party firewalls are probably doing the blocking as you
described.

If it then works, you can install your third party firewalls and configured
them correctly to work with the router.

Also I found that XP with SP/1 and having the Windows firewall turned on
causes me the problem as you have. Since SP/2 I can have the Windows
firewall turned on and there is no problem.

"Kurt Schmidt"

 

[Fred Marshall]

You didn't say what it was that you did in order to do one or the other but
not both.....

Fred

"Kurt Schmidt"

 

[Jim K]

Kurt,

Go ahead and try NetBEUI. My Netgear router wouldn't let the browsers see
the other computers until I installed it. As soon as I did, it worked fine.
I had to download it, though. I can tell you the file names and where to put
them if you need.

With the router, you probably don't have to worry about getting hacked from
without, as others have said. You do still have to worry about trojans and
spyware, etc. One of the best and easy preventitives for this is not to use
Internet Explorer.

Jim



"Kurt Schmidt"
<JvxvJvxv@NG_KRZNCF@QBG_PBZ*.you.must.use.reverse.of.31tor.on.it.and.then.ed
it.it> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

 

[Kurt Schmidt]

You didn't say what it was that you did in order to do one or the other but
not both.....

Fred

Thanks to the wonderful advice from all of you!

I muddled with so many settings that I am no longer sure of what I did for
what. I think that if I give my computer(s) information on a default
gateway and maybe assign them their own 192.168. ... addresses, then they
can see each other but not the Internet; if I set everything automatic then
they can see the Internet but have no clue about each other. That my best
guess what I did.