How to connect two XP machines using Cross-over cable?

[Guest]

Hi,

My goal is to connect two XP machines using a cross-over cable to share
files between the two.

What I did:

1. Physically connect two XP machines (one XP home, the other XP
professional) using cross-over cable.
2. SET both computers to the SAME workgroup name (MSHOME).
3. set the IP addresses:

IP: 192.168.1.2 (for one computer)
IP: 192.168.1.3 (for other computer)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

4. set a folder SHARING
5. browse the network for the other machine.

Result: I can't see either machine from the other one.

Question: What did I do wrong? What's missing?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Eric

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Hi,

My goal is to connect two XP machines using a cross-over cable to share
files between the two.

What I did:

1. Physically connect two XP machines (one XP home, the other XP
professional) using cross-over cable.
2. SET both computers to the SAME workgroup name (MSHOME).
3. set the IP addresses:

IP: 192.168.1.2 (for one computer)
IP: 192.168.1.3 (for other computer)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

4. set a folder SHARING
5. browse the network for the other machine.

Result: I can't see either machine from the other one.

Question: What did I do wrong? What's missing?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Eric

Make sure that any firewall program (Windows Firewall, Norton, McAfee,
ZoneAlarm, etc) is configured to allow access by other computers on
the local area network. Note that recent versions of Norton Antivirus
have a firewall function built in (Internet Worm Protection).

Run the Network Setup Wizard on each computer to fully enable file
sharing.

Network browsing in Windows XP (through My Network Places) is so
unreliable that I recommend not using it. To access the other
computer, type the other computer's name in the Start > Run box in
this format:

\\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

 

[Kerry Brown]

In addition to Steve Winograd's suggestions there may be a hardware problem.
Some on board network cards do not initialize properly if they don't sense
an electrical connection on startup and thus don't always work with a
crossover cable. This can sometimes be fixed by turning off both computers
then powering them up at the same time, or within a few seconds of each
other. The proper solution is to not use a crossover cable but to purchase a
cheap switch (less than $40.00) and connect both computers to the switch
with standard Ethernet cables.

 

[Guest]

Thank u all for you feedbacks!

The problem was what Steve suggested: "Network browsing in Windows XP
(through My Network Places) is so unreliable "

Regards,
Eric

 

[Guest]

Hi,

My goal is to connect two XP machines using a cross-over cable to share
files between the two.

What I did:

1. Physically connect two XP machines (one XP home, the other XP
professional) using cross-over cable.
2. SET both computers to the SAME workgroup name (MSHOME).
3. set the IP addresses:

IP: 192.168.1.2 (for one computer)
IP: 192.168.1.3 (for other computer)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

4. set a folder SHARING
5. browse the network for the other machine.

Result: I can't see either machine from the other one.

Question: What did I do wrong? What's missing?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Eric

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Thank u all for you feedbacks!

The problem was what Steve suggested: "Network browsing in Windows XP
(through My Network Places) is so unreliable "

Regards,
Eric

You're welcome, Eric. I assume that this means that you're able to
access the other computer by typing its name in the Start > Run box.

Here's another way to access another computer without using My Network
Places: create a desktop shortcut to the other computer, specifying
the shortcut's target as "\\computer". Clicking the shortcut shows
the other computer's shared folders and printers.

It appears that Microsoft has finally realized that My Network Places
is unreliable. Windows Vista doesn't have My Network Places. Vista
has a "Network" window that shows all of the computers in all of the
workgroups on the network. Clicking a computer shows that computer's
shared folders and printers.
--
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

 

[bavan]

hi

i have a laptop and pc, which i can ping my laptop by itself and pc as well, but i was not able to connect both pc's, I have disabled windows firewall on both computers,

still i couldn't able to share a file from my Pc(Desktop),
And top of that my laptop say administrator does not have a permission to access workgroup Mshome,

workgroup in both pc and laptop are same Mshome

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