Networking 2 PC's with Internet and trying to Printer and Folder S

[Guest]

I have a desktop running XP Home SP2 connected via USB-2 to an Actiontec
Wireless Gateway DSL modem.
I use it to access the internet. I recently purchased a Notebook running
Windows XP Home Edition. It has wireless capability and I use it to surf the
internet via the Actiontec Wireless Gateway. My question is does this
configuration constitute a network of 2 computers and should I be able to
share a printer and folders the way it is presently setup, or do I need to
connect the 2 PC's in some additional way, such as Ethernet, wireless, HPNA?
Thanks.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Most likely you need to add a router to the mix, unless the Actiontec unit
is a router. Generally, two computers connected as you have connected yours
are both getting public IP addresses and won't be able to network at all.
But if the wireless gateway is a router, both will have similar IP addresses
and running the Network Setup Wizard on both PCs should allow sharing of
files, printers and so on.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have a desktop running XP Home SP2 connected via USB-2 to an Actiontec
Wireless Gateway DSL modem.
I use it to access the internet. I recently purchased a Notebook running
Windows XP Home Edition. It has wireless capability and I use it to surf the
internet via the Actiontec Wireless Gateway. My question is does this
configuration constitute a network of 2 computers and should I be able to
share a printer and folders the way it is presently setup, or do I need to
connect the 2 PC's in some additional way, such as Ethernet, wireless, HPNA?
Thanks.

What's the model number of your Actiontec Wireless Gateway DSL modem?
That will determine how you can network your computers with each other
to share printers and folders. Does it appear on this web page?

http://www.actiontec.com/support/adsl_gateways.html

The desktop might have to use an Ethernet or wireless connection
instead of USB. But without more information, I can't say for sure.

Run the Network Setup Wizard on each computer. If the Wizard detects
the Actiontec's shared Internet connection, tell the Wizard to use
that. Otherwise, tell the Wizard that the computers connect to the
Internet through a residential gateway. Then, look in My Network
Places on each computer and see if the other computer appears. If My
Network Places is empty, 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

 

[Guest]

What's the model number of your Actiontec Wireless Gateway DSL modem?
That will determine how you can network your computers with each other
to share printers and folders. Does it appear on this web page?

http://www.actiontec.com/support/adsl_gateways.html

The desktop might have to use an Ethernet or wireless connection
instead of USB. But without more information, I can't say for sure.

Run the Network Setup Wizard on each computer. If the Wizard detects
the Actiontec's shared Internet connection, tell the Wizard to use
that. Otherwise, tell the Wizard that the computers connect to the
Internet through a residential gateway. Then, look in My Network
Places on each computer and see if the other computer appears. If My
Network Places is empty, 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

 

[Guest]

The modem/gateway/router is as follows:
Actiontec 54 Mbps DSL Modem with Wireless Gateway Model #: GT701-WG
My laptop is running Windows XP media center edition 2005, not home edition
as previously stated. The Desktop is XP HOME SP2.

I spoke with my DSL tech support and was told this modem is also a router,
and that the 2 PC’s should be able to network together, hooked up the way
they currently are. Unfortunately, my DSL provider can’t help me with this
networking issue unless I purchase a 2 wire modem from them for $100.00 and
sign up for 1 year of tech support.
I’m hoping I can avoid doing that!

I have run small office or home network setup wizard on desktop and laptop.

From the desktop I can double click START, MY NETWORK PLACES,VIEW WORKGROUP
COMPUTERS, and I can see the icons for the laptop and the desktop. Clicking
on the desktop computer icon shows me the printer, shared folder and
scheduled Tasks folder, and I can drill down into those resources.
From the desktop I can double click on the laptop icon and I get the error
message:
\\computername is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you
have access permissions. The network path was not found.


From the laptop I can click start, START, MY NETWORK PLACES,VIEW WORKGROUP
COMPUTERS, and after that I get the following error message:
xxxxxxworkgroup is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you
have access permissions. The network path was not found.

My printer is attached to the desktop via USB-2 cable, and I specified that
it be shared. From the laptop I tried to add the printer, START, CONTROL
PANEL, PRINTERS AND FAXES, ADD A PRINTER, A NETWORK PRINTER OR A PRINTER
ATTACHED TO ANOTHER COMPUTER,SPECIFY BROWSE and click next. The Microsoft
windows network appears in the shared printers box. I put in various
combinations of Printer, such as the shared printer name, \\computer\shared
printer name, I tried the URL entry method, and they all sent the error
message :windows cannot connect to the printer. Either the printer name was
typed incorrectly, or the specified printer has lost its connection to the
server. For more info, click help.


When in windows explorer on the desktop, I can see the network folders in
the folder tree display on the left side of the window as
-My Network Places
- Entire Network
- Microsoft Terminal Services
-Microsoft Windows Network
- My HOME WORKGROUP
+Laptopcomputername
-Desktopcomputername
Shareddocs folder
Printersand faxes


Interestingly, when I choose windows explorer on the laptop to view the
folders tree, I see the My Network Places folder. When I click on it (or the
+) I don’t see any more network related folders.

When I tried START RUN \\computer name a got the message
Network path was not found.

However when I tried START RUN BROWSE (File types all) I was able to see
and select the network folders all the way up to MY HOME WORKGROUP
folder,(similar to the desktop mentioned above) then it quit with the error
message :

xxxxxxworkgroup is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you
have access permissions. The network path was not found.

Where would I look to check permissions for the resource?

So, that’s where it stands for now. Maybe I’ll put the Printer on the laptop
to see if I can get to it in the opposite way…..

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Problem solved. Thanks for your help. After looking at other posts it was
apparant that many others were having similar symptoms. I found my solution
in WORKGROUP IS NOT ACCESSIBLE posted 4/19 by (e-mail address removed). His post
directed me to a web page that explained how to test TCP/IP functioning.
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/. I tried Pinging
each PC, unsuccessfully. The article said that if the reply to the ping was
'Request timed out - The IP address is valid, but there’s no reply from it.
If the IP address is on a local area network, the most likely cause is a
firewall program blocking the ping.'
I tweaked my Mcafee Firewall settings on both PCs to allow access between
computers on my LAN ( Added the desktop IP address to laptop trusted IPs and
laptop IP address to desktop trusted IPs). Turned off Microsoft Firewall on
both PCs.
After that adding my printer went smoothly. Shared folders and workgroup
computers visible in windows explorer etc.