Internet/File Sharing with mixed network

[Guest]

I have 4 port ethernet wired hub with a DSL modem plugged into one port, a
desktop running XP home plugged into one port and a WAP plugged into one port
with a laptop running XP Pro on the wireless connection. The internet is
working fine on both computers, but I can't seem to get file sharing between
the two computers to work. Is this because I have a hub and not a router, or
should this work?

 

[Chuck]

I have 4 port ethernet wired hub with a DSL modem plugged into one port, a
desktop running XP home plugged into one port and a WAP plugged into one port
with a laptop running XP Pro on the wireless connection. The internet is
working fine on both computers, but I can't seem to get file sharing between
the two computers to work. Is this because I have a hub and not a router, or
should this work?

Gary,

How do your two computers get internet service? Are you paying your ISP for two
connections, or are you running a proxy server on the desktop computer?

I can't say for sure that your problem is caused by the hub, but I am intrigued
by your setup. Let's see what we can find to look at...

Are you running both Client for Microsoft Networks, and File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks (Local Area Connection - Properties), on each computer?
Do you have shares setup on each?

Are you running NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (Local Area Connection - Properties - TCP/IP
- Properties - Advanced - WINS) on each computer?

Make sure the browser service is running on the desktop computer. Control Panel
- Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable the
browser on the laptop.

On the XP Pro computer, enable Simple File Sharing (Control Panel - Folder
Options - View - Advanced settings).

Make sure that the Guest account is enabled, on each computer. Enable Guest
with Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net user guest /active:yes" in the command
window.

On XP Pro, check your Local Security Policy (Control Panel - Administrative
Tools) - User Rights Assignment, on the XP Pro computer, and look at "Deny
access to this computer from the network". Make sure Guest is not in the list.

Do any of the computers have a software firewall (ICF / WF, or third party)? If
so, you need to configure them for file sharing. Firewall configurations are a
very common cause of (network) browser, and file sharing, problems.

If no help yet, provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is
NOT checked!, copy and paste entire contents into your next post.

 

[Guest]

Chuck, thanks for your quick response, I am only paying for one internet
connection. I have a Paradyne DSL modem supplied by the tele company. When
this was first installed about 6 months ago, I only had the desktop. I don't
think I set up anything to get that to work. I just got the laptop and the
tele company said I could just plug it into the hub and it would work. That
worked fine, so I then added the WAP and went wireless with the laptop. This
also works for the DSL connection. Now I was trying to get the file sharing
to work and went through the network setup with file sharing and neither
computer knows anything about the other. I don't have time right now to try
the suggestions you have made, but will see if I can do that later. Thanks
again.

 

[Guest]

Chuck, I had a chance to try some things and still no luck. I am running both
Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer sharing on both computers.
On the NetBIOS question, it is set to default on both computers. I disabled
Norton Firewall on the desktop and set Windows firewall to allow file sharing
on the laptop. When I click on View Workgroup Computers, I only see the
laptop from that computer and nothing when I try the desktop. I tried to run
the ipconfig, but don't get a file stored on either computer. It looks like
it runs, but no file exists after.

 

[Guest]

I was able to get the config information:
Desltop


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Compaq2003

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : redwing.net



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : redwing.net

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast
Ethernet NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-DC-EA-A2-2B

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.153.95

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.252.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.152.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.152.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.144.10

206.10.109.10

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 19, 2004
6:51:21 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 19, 2004
7:06:21 PM

The laptop:


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Milton

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : redwing.net



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme Fast Ethernet

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-06-1B-C6-1A-09



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : redwing.net

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dual-band Wi-Fi Wireless Mini
PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-05-4E-4B-6D-B1

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.153.6

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.252.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.152.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.152.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.44.144.10

206.10.109.10

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 19, 2004
7:01:20 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 19, 2004
7:16:20 PM

 

[Guest]

Chuck, I don't know how it happened, but after I did the ipconfig and found
out the IP addresses of the 2 computers, I used ping and net view to test the
connections and now everything seems to work. Thanks for your help.

 

[Chuck]

I was able to get the config information:

<SNIP>

OK. Take the following code (everything inside the "#####"). (Did I get the
names and ip addresses right)?

Copy the code, precisely as it is keyed, into Notepad. Ensure that Format -
Word Wrap is not checked.
Save the file as "cdiag.cmd", as type "All Files", into the root folder "C:\".
Run it by Start - Run - "c:\cdiag".
Wait patiently.
When Notepad opens up displaying c:\cdiag.txt, first check Format and ensure
that Word Wrap is NOT checked! Then, copy the entire contents (Ctrl-A Ctrl-C)
and paste (Ctrl-V) into your next post.

Do this from both computers, please.

#####

@echo off
set FullTargets=Compaq2003 66.44.153.95 Milton 66.44.153.6
set PingTargets=127.0.0.1 66.44.152.1
Set Version=1.03
@echo CDiagnosis V1.04 >c:\cdiag.txt
@echo Start diagnosis for %computername% (Targets %FullTargets%) >>c:\cdiag.txt
for %%a in (%FullTargets% %PingTargets%) do (
@echo. >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo Target %%a >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo. >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo ping %%a >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo. >>c:\cdiag.txt
ping %%a >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo. >>c:\cdiag.txt
for %%b in (%PingTargets%) do (if %%a!==%%b! goto :BypassFor)
@echo net view %%a >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo. >>c:\cdiag.txt
net view %%a >>c:\cdiag.txt
@echo. >>c:\cdiag.txt
)
:BypassFor
@echo End diagnosis for %computername% >>c:\cdiag.txt
notepad c:\cdiag.txt
:EOF

#####

Tell us a bit about the network you're on. Are these the only two computers
connected to this router (66.44.152.1)? If not, do you trust everybody else?
If you're going to open up file sharing on your two computers, are you safe?

 

[Chuck]

Chuck, I don't know how it happened, but after I did the ipconfig and found
out the IP addresses of the 2 computers, I used ping and net view to test the
connections and now everything seems to work. Thanks for your help.

Very interesting. Thanks for the update, Gary.

 

[Guest]

Yes, this is an in house network with only these 2 computers. Am I safe from
the internet? I have norton firewall with only one exception (the laptop) on
my desktop and Windows firewall on the laptop with file sharing enabled. I
didn't run the other cmds that you listed in this post as it seems everything
is working. Thanks for your help.

 

[Chuck]

Yes, this is an in house network with only these 2 computers. Am I safe from
the internet? I have norton firewall with only one exception (the laptop) on
my desktop and Windows firewall on the laptop with file sharing enabled. I
didn't run the other cmds that you listed in this post as it seems everything
is working. Thanks for your help.

Gary,

If those are the only 2 computers connected to each other, you're probably safe.
I was asking because address 66.44.153.95 subnet mask 255.255.252.0 is not
normal, and could result in problems using the internet. IP address 66.44.152.1
is NOT a private address - is that maybe your ISPs gateway?
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1918.html

You normally would use something like 192.168.0.1 (for the router, if you own
it), and maybe 192.168.0.51 or similar for Compaq2003.

Are you behind a NAT router, or do you have 2 computers connected to your ISP
directly? What device (make and model please) are both computers connected to?

I pinged your computer (66.44.153.95) earlier this evening. I'm not sure if
you're safe or not.