Need help setting up a wireless network btwn 2 computers via router

[Steve B.]

Hi all,

I have two desktop computers running Windows XP. One is hard wired to
a NetGear Wireless router for my cable modem and the other is
wirelessly connected to the router via a Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter.
They both have internet access, so I know that the router and
connection are operating properly.

I have been trying to set up a wireless network between the two
computers and so far I have been unsuccessful. My goal is to be able
to access information wirelessly on each computer from the other. I
also want to be able to run programs that may not be installed one
computer from the computer that is installed on. For example the
computer upstairs has my iTunes music directory and I would like to be
able to play the music on my downstairs computer without having to
transfer the music library. Finally, I also want to be able to print
through the downstaris computer that has the printer directly plugged
into it.

Can anyone be kind enough to provided me with step by step
instructions on how to get this setup. I am not very saavy with
networks and really would appreciate one of you computer gurus
providing your expertise.


Thanks in advance!!!

Regards,

Steve B.

 

[John R Weiss]

Hi all,

I have two desktop computers running Windows XP. One is hard wired to
a NetGear Wireless router for my cable modem and the other is
wirelessly connected to the router via a Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter.
They both have internet access, so I know that the router and
connection are operating properly.

I have been trying to set up a wireless network between the two
computers and so far I have been unsuccessful. My goal is to be able
to access information wirelessly on each computer from the other. I
also want to be able to run programs that may not be installed one
computer from the computer that is installed on. For example the
computer upstairs has my iTunes music directory and I would like to be
able to play the music on my downstairs computer without having to
transfer the music library. Finally, I also want to be able to print
through the downstaris computer that has the printer directly plugged
into it.

Running apps across the network may or may not work, depending on the app. For
file access, printing, etc:

Make sure each computer has a unique name and is in the same Workgroup
(Control Panel, System, Computer Name).

Make sure both computers have at least one account (preferably with
Administrator privileges) with the same UserName and password (Control Panel,
User Accounts).

Set up a share for each Drive letter (preferable for a small, closed home
network) or Folder you want to see from the other computer (My Computer,
[Drive], Properties, Sharing). Allow "Full Control" Permissions for the
Administrators and the common UserName noted above. Delete the "Everyone"
permissions that Windows sets up by default.

Restart both computers. On each computer:

Open Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer) and go to My Network
Places, Entire Network, Microsoft Windows Network, [workgroup name].

Click on each shared Drive or folder on that computer, then Right-click
and "Map Shared Drive". Assign a letter.

That should do it.

 

[Mr Critter]

Steve,

If both computers are able to access the Internet, you have half the
battle won. I am assuming that you are using the built-in DHCP server
on the Netgear to assign addresses to each computer. I'm not sure of
your skill level and I don't want to insult you, so if you need help
with any of the steps below, let me know.

1. First make sure that you can ping one computer from the other. If
you cannot ping each machine from the other, you may have to disable
the Windows firewall or add the local address range to both computer's
"allowed" list within the firewall settings.

2. Once you are able to ping each direction, make sure both computers
are in the same workgroup. If not, change one or both of them so they
match.

3. Once both systems are in the same workgroup, make sure you have the
folders "shared" that you wish to be viewed by the other computer.
This is necessary to see the other computer folder within "My Network
Places".

4. Grab a "Coke" and start transferring files ;-)

Let me know if you need more details on any of these steps.

vr,
Mr Critter
IT Director
(unlisted) School System

 

[Steve B.]

John,

Thanks for the help. I'm still unclear on a few items. You mentioned:

<Allow "Full Control" Permissions for the Administrators and the
common UserName noted above. Delete the "Everyone"
permissions that Windows sets up by default.>

Can you please be more specific in how to do this. I can't seem to
find these settings.

My other question is...In the Control Panel, I see two options for
setting up a Network. One is "Network Setup Wizard" and the other is
"Wireless Network Setup Wizard," will either of these two walk me
through the steps to which you are referring?

Would it be easier for you to guide me through one of those wizards?

Also with regards to security once I do get this network setup. What
type of security do you recommend and how do I set it up?

Hi all,

I have two desktop computers running Windows XP. One is hard wired to
a NetGear Wireless router for my cable modem and the other is
wirelessly connected to the router via a Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter.
They both have internet access, so I know that the router and
connection are operating properly.

I have been trying to set up a wireless network between the two
computers and so far I have been unsuccessful. My goal is to be able
to access information wirelessly on each computer from the other. I
also want to be able to run programs that may not be installed one
computer from the computer that is installed on. For example the
computer upstairs has my iTunes music directory and I would like to be
able to play the music on my downstairs computer without having to
transfer the music library. Finally, I also want to be able to print
through the downstaris computer that has the printer directly plugged
into it.

Running apps across the network may or may not work, depending on the app. For
file access, printing, etc:

Make sure each computer has a unique name and is in the same Workgroup
(Control Panel, System, Computer Name).

Make sure both computers have at least one account (preferably with
Administrator privileges) with the same UserName and password (Control Panel,
User Accounts).

Set up a share for each Drive letter (preferable for a small, closed home
network) or Folder you want to see from the other computer (My Computer,
[Drive], Properties, Sharing). Allow "Full Control" Permissions for the
Administrators and the common UserName noted above. Delete the "Everyone"
permissions that Windows sets up by default.

Restart both computers. On each computer:

Open Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer) and go to My Network
Places, Entire Network, Microsoft Windows Network, [workgroup name].

Click on each shared Drive or folder on that computer, then Right-click
and "Map Shared Drive". Assign a letter.

That should do it.

Thanks in advance!!!

Regards,

Steve B.

 

[Steve B.]

Mr Critter,

Please do not worry about insulting me. In fact, insult away as long
as I get this setup. I've spent the entire day and still not there
yet.

I appreciate your help, but at the risk of appearing like a total
moron, could you please be VERY specific with eh steps, including how
to ping one system from the other. I need "idiot" proof step by step
instructions on how to set up this network.

My other question is...In the Control Panel, I see two options for
setting up a Network. One is "Network Setup Wizard" and the other is
"Wireless Network Setup Wizard," will either of these two walk me
through the steps to which you are referring?

Would it be easier for you to guide me through one of those wizards?

Also with regards to security once I do get this network setup. What
type of security do you recommend and how do I set it up?

Steve,

If both computers are able to access the Internet, you have half the
battle won. I am assuming that you are using the built-in DHCP server
on the Netgear to assign addresses to each computer. I'm not sure of
your skill level and I don't want to insult you, so if you need help
with any of the steps below, let me know.

1. First make sure that you can ping one computer from the other. If
you cannot ping each machine from the other, you may have to disable
the Windows firewall or add the local address range to both computer's
"allowed" list within the firewall settings.

2. Once you are able to ping each direction, make sure both computers
are in the same workgroup. If not, change one or both of them so they
match.

3. Once both systems are in the same workgroup, make sure you have the
folders "shared" that you wish to be viewed by the other computer.
This is necessary to see the other computer folder within "My Network
Places".

4. Grab a "Coke" and start transferring files ;-)

Let me know if you need more details on any of these steps.

vr,
Mr Critter
IT Director
(unlisted) School System

Thanks in advance!!!

Regards,

Steve B.

 

[Mr Critter]

No problem Steve, we've all been there ;-)

To further expand on the steps....

1. To verify the network connection: Click "Start" > "Run" and enter
"cmd" and then press "OK" to bring up the command prompt. Another way
to get there is to go to "Start" > "All Programs" > "Accessories", and
then click on "Command Prompt". Once you have the black "DOS" window
open with a prompt, type "ping 192.168.20.2" substituting the IP
address of the machine you're trying to reach. You should receive
something like "Reply from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=244"
or something similar to this. At the end, you should see something
like "Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss)". If you
receive anything other than "0% loss" you have a connection issue of
some kind to contend with.

2. One the "ping" is successful, ensure computers are in the same
workgroup. Right-click on "My Computer" and then click on
"Properties". This will open the "System Properties" window. Click on
the "Computer Name" tab and then click the "change" button. The window
that should be displayed will show a box labled "Workgroup". Make sure
the name shown in this box is the same for all computers. If you have
to change this setting, you will normally be forced to reboot for the
changes to take affect.

3. Once the workgroups are the same, make sure the folder you wish to
access across the network are "shared". To do this, use Windows
Explorer (located in Start>All Programs>Accessories) to find the folder
you wish to share to the other computers. Once you find the folder,
right click the icon and then click "properties" or "sharing and
security". Both will take you to the same window. Click the "Sharing"
tab and make sure the "Share this folder" option is selected. Enter a
name in the "Share name" text box that you will recognize when looking
in "My Network Places". After entering the name, click the
"Permissions" button and make sure "Everyone" is displayed under "Group
or User names:" and that either "Change" or "Full Control" is checked
in the permissions. This section can be confusing, so I'm using these
suggestions to get you up and running. You may want to further define
these share permissions as you become more familiar with XP options.
After you have clicked "Apply" or "OK" on this window, you will be
taken back to the previous properties window. Next click on the
"Security" tab and make sure the username you will be accessing this
computer with is listed under "Group or User names:". Also make sure
that this user has "Read and Execute" and "Write" permissions. Click
Apply/OK to take you back to Windows Explorer. You will need to repeat
this step on all computers. If you need more restrictive permissions,
we will need to go more indepth. Next, go to "My Network Places" and
see if you can see each computer from the other. If not, verify the
previous steps and then let me know.

4. After all of that, you may need the "Coke" anyway ;-)

I hope this doesn't seem too basic, but I didn't want you to have any
doubts.

Let me know if you need more info.

vr,

Mr. Critter

 

[Mr Critter]

Steve, I might clarify.....The permissions listed in the previous post
are not very restrictive within your local network. If security within
that realm is important, you will need to change the "Everyone" group
to a particular user account. "Everyone" is helpful for getting things
working, but it is not restrictive regarding security inside your LAN.
Neither will really make you more vulnerable to the other side of your
firewall. If a hacker got that far, the user accounts within Windows
wouldn't be much of a hindrance.