Networking 2 computers (Win XP Pro and Win ME)

[Henry Richards]

I am trying to set up 2 computers Win XP Pro(Host) and
Win ME (Client)in a net work to share printers and
drives. I originally had two machines with Win Me and
things were fine. I have a cable modem connected thru a
hub to the 2 machines. I checked Steve Winograd's site
and spent 2 days going thru his recommendations, but
havent been successful. The Win XP machine is connected
to the printer and can access the Internet, however I
havent been lucky with the other machine with Win ME.The
other strange thing I observed is that, When I right
click the High speed Internet (Lan) in Network
connections,then PROPERTIES, ADVANCED, the page has
nothing except a box for Internet Connection Firewall,
other writeups in this forum there are other choices such
as a choice to share files and Printers..Please
help...henry

 

[LarryC]

see my post reply to Avihu above; i went that time
consuming road also. It aint all that hard!
Mine works and does everything I ever dreamt of in a
network !!!!!!!!!!
"how sweet it is"

 

[Henry Richards]

I have tried your approach, but havent been
successful.Could you please send me a step by step way of
doing it?..regds Henry

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I am trying to set up 2 computers Win XP Pro(Host) and
Win ME (Client)in a net work to share printers and
drives. I originally had two machines with Win Me and
things were fine. I have a cable modem connected thru a
hub to the 2 machines. I checked Steve Winograd's site
and spent 2 days going thru his recommendations, but
havent been successful. The Win XP machine is connected
to the printer and can access the Internet, however I
havent been lucky with the other machine with Win ME.The
other strange thing I observed is that, When I right
click the High speed Internet (Lan) in Network
connections,then PROPERTIES, ADVANCED, the page has
nothing except a box for Internet Connection Firewall,
other writeups in this forum there are other choices such
as a choice to share files and Printers..Please
help...henry

No, the choice to share files and printers isn't located on the
Advanced tab. Anything saying that it's there is wrong. If that
information is on the PracticallyNetworked site, please tell me, and
I'll get it fixed.

Henry, do I understand correctly that the cable modem and both
computers connect to a network hub, not to a broadband router?

If it's a hub, your network setup is described in the Windows XP Help
and Support program. Click Start | Help and Support, search for the
topic "Network configurations overview", and look at the section
labeled "Individual Internet connections".

The solution given there is to install the IPX/SPX protocol for file
sharing and to disable file sharing on TCP/IP. I've written a web
page showing how to do it:

Windows XP Network Protocols
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/network_protocols.htm

There are two reasons to use IPX/SPX instead of TCP/IP for file
sharing:

1. If your cable or DSL provider assigns IP addresses in different
subnets to your computers, it isn't possible for them to communicate
with each other using TCP/IP.

2. Since your computers connect directly to the Internet through the
cable or DSL modem, they receive public IP addresses that are
accessible by everyone on the Internet. Using TCP/IP for file sharing
could let other people access your shared files.
--
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

 

[Henry Richards]

I tried everything you suggested, but yet cannot access
files on the other computer. My configuration is : 2 PC (
one running XP and the other ME) are connected together
via a Hub and share a Cable Modem connection. Each PC has
one NIC. Could you please give a step-step writeup to
configure a network so I can share files and Printers
between the 2 PCs?

-----Original Message-----

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I tried everything you suggested, but yet cannot access
files on the other computer. My configuration is : 2 PC (
one running XP and the other ME) are connected together
via a Hub and share a Cable Modem connection. Each PC has
one NIC. Could you please give a step-step writeup to
configure a network so I can share files and Printers
between the 2 PCs?

The answer that follows applies to computers that connect to a cable
modem or DSL modem through a hub or switch. It doesn't apply if they
connect through a broadband router.

Your network setup is described in the Windows XP Help and Support
program. Click Start | Help and Support, search for the topic
"Network configurations overview", and look at the section labeled
"Individual Internet connections".

The solution given there is to install the IPX/SPX protocol for file
sharing and to disable file sharing on TCP/IP. I've written a web
page showing how to do it:

Windows XP Network Protocols
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/network_protocols.htm

There are two reasons to use IPX/SPX instead of TCP/IP for file
sharing:

1. If your cable or DSL provider assigns IP addresses in different
subnets to your computers, it isn't possible for them to communicate
with each other using TCP/IP.

2. Since your computers connect directly to the Internet through the
cable or DSL modem, they receive public IP addresses that are
accessible by everyone on the Internet. Using TCP/IP for file sharing
could let other people access your shared files.

Another alternative would be to remove the hub or switch, get a
broadband router, connect the cable modem to its WAN port, and connect
the computers to its LAN ports. In that case:

1. You'd only need to get one IP address from your cable modem
provider, which would save you money if your ISP charges a monthly fee
for more than one IP address.

2. The broadband router would assign private IP addresses to your
computers. Private IP addresses aren't accessible by other Internet
users, so your network would be safe.

3. You could use TCP/IP as the only network protocol, with no need for
IPX/SPX.
--
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

 

[Henry Richards]

I bought a broadband router (Linksys). Now both machines
can access the web, and could see each other. I further
installed Sygate Home Network and Firewall, but since
that my network is messed up.
1) Do I need Sygate Home Network at all? My reason for
installing the network was to assign Host status to one
of the computers and Client status to the other. With
this ordering, I can the install Sygate firewall on the
host computer and protect the client as well. Am. I off
base?
2) With the router, how do I protect intrution into both
computers without installing Firewall on both? Or do I
need a firewall at all?

-----Original Message-----

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I bought a broadband router (Linksys). Now both machines
can access the web, and could see each other. I further
installed Sygate Home Network and Firewall, but since
that my network is messed up.
1) Do I need Sygate Home Network at all? My reason for
installing the network was to assign Host status to one
of the computers and Client status to the other. With
this ordering, I can the install Sygate firewall on the
host computer and protect the client as well. Am. I off
base?
2) With the router, how do I protect intrution into both
computers without installing Firewall on both? Or do I
need a firewall at all?

1) Sygate Home Network shares an Internet connection between two or
more computers. Your Linksys router already shares the Internet
connection between your computers. Your computers don't have a
host-client relationship with each other, because they're both clients
of the Linksys router. Un-install Sygate Home Network.

2) Your broadband router acts as a hardware firewall, preventing other
Internet users from accessing your network. You don't need a firewall
program to do that.
--
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