Networking XP home & PRO computers w/Linksys Router

[Derek]

To whom it may concern:

After spending 2 days, I need some assistance with
networking. Here is what I have.

I have one computer running XP PRO. It is plugged into a
LinkSys Router. I have another computer running XP Home.
It is in the same router. I have configured the WorkGroup
and the Pro computer can see the shared stuff on the Home
one. When I Right Click, Sharing & secuirty, and try to
share that one, it does show in the (network places).
However, the Home one double click to access it, and he
gets the (access is denied)- does not have permission.
Anyway, the purpose of networking is so we can transfer
files back and forth.

Thanks for your attention and help.

My email address is (e-mail address removed). Please send
it there.

 

[Chuck]

To whom it may concern:

After spending 2 days, I need some assistance with
networking. Here is what I have.

I have one computer running XP PRO. It is plugged into a
LinkSys Router. I have another computer running XP Home.
It is in the same router. I have configured the WorkGroup
and the Pro computer can see the shared stuff on the Home
one. When I Right Click, Sharing & secuirty, and try to
share that one, it does show in the (network places).
However, the Home one double click to access it, and he
gets the (access is denied)- does not have permission.
Anyway, the purpose of networking is so we can transfer
files back and forth.

Thanks for your attention and help.

My email address is *email_address_deleted*. Please send
it there.

Derek,

Asked here, answered here. For everybody's benefit.

On the XP Pro computer, check to see if Simple File Sharing (Control Panel -
Folder Options - View - Advanced settings) is enabled or disabled. With XP Pro,
you need to have SFS enabled.

For XP Home, and for XP Pro with Simple File Sharing enabled, make sure that the
Guest account is enabled (for XP Pro, thru Local User Manager (Start - Run -
"lusrmgr.msc")).

And Derek, please don't contribute to the spread and success of email address
mining viruses. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a
bit safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the
internet - read this article.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Chuck]

Dear Chuck,

Just want to ask one more question. The Linksys Router is connected to the internet. It is a firewall that prevents other people from seeing the network. I you open (guest account), is that a security threat?

Derek,

The Linksys router uses NAT to route solicited network traffic to the computer.
Unsolicited (malevolent) network traffic goes nowhere, producing a firewall
effect.

The router is one component of protection. It only filters incoming network
traffic.

Other bad stuff that you need to defend against is spyware and viruses. An
attack of either, directed against a weak (well known) object such as the Guest
account, could infect your computer. For that reason, use of the Guest account
is not encouraged.

Since you have an XP Home system, however, you cannot avoid use of the Guest
account. But, you can protect yourself in other ways.

Install a personal firewall on both computers. A good firewall for novices is
ZoneAlarm (free) from <http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp>. A
personal firewall will defend you against any incoming attack thru the NAT
router, plus defend you against unwanted outgoing traffic from installed spyware
or viruses.

Use AntiVirus protection. Realtime, plus a regularly scheduled virus scan.
Regularly updated.

Use Adware / spyware protection. Realtime, plus a regularly run adware /
spyware scan. Regularly updated.
Complete instructions, using Spybot S&D and HijackThis (both free) are here:
<http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=227>.

Harden your browser. There are various websites which will check for
vulnerabilities, here are three which I use.
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/
https://testzone.secunia.com/browser_checker/

Block Internet Explorer ActiveX scripting from hostile websites (Restricted
Zone).
<https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/main.htm> (IE-SpyAd)

Set up blocking of known dangerous scripts from installing.
<http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html>

Block known spyware from installing.
<http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html>

Harden your operating system. Check at least monthly for security updates.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Block possibly dangerous websites with a Hosts file. Three Hosts file sources I
use:
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
(The third is included, and updated, with Spybot (see above)).

Maintain your Hosts file (merge / eliminate duplicate entries) with:
eDexter <http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html>
Hostess <http://accs-net.com/hostess/>

Secure your operating system, and applications. Don't use, or leave activated,
any accounts with names or passwords with trivial (guessable) values. Don't use
an account with administrative authority, except when you're intentionally doing
administrative tasks.

Use common sense. Don't install software based upon advice from unknown
sources. Don't install free software, without researching it carefully. Don't
open email unless you know who it's from, and how and why it was sent.

Stay educated. Know what the risks are. Stay informed. Read Usenet, and
various web pages that discuss security problems. Check the logs from the other
layers regularly, look for things that don't belong, and take action when
necessary.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

Chuck,

Thanks again.

I think I understand. I do have Spybot on my machine and it is checked. I also have Nortan Internet security (pop-ups,) and Norton Antivirus.

I will take your advise.

Thanks,

Derek

 

[Guest]

Is there another way to do this. Perhaps, using Static IP's on the computers?

 

[Chuck]

Is there another way to do this. Perhaps, using Static IP's on the computers?

Derek,

I'm not sure what "this" is. Use of dynamic vs static ip addresses does not
make a lot of difference when securing your LAN.

If you install a personal firewall on each of your computers, and you wish to
share files or other services between them, you generally have to use static ip
addresses, so you can open access to specific addresses. This is generally a
recommendation that I make for wireless networks. For a wired network, it is
generally safe to open each firewall to the entire subnet, so dynamic addresses
can be used, in your case.

So, unless I'm not understanding you at all, you'd gain nothing by using static
ip addresses.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

Dear Chuck,

I followed your instructions very well. I came home and enabled SFS on the XP Pro. I enabled The "guest Acct" on both machines. Went to the folder and clicked (sharing and security). Check Share, gave name, and clicked can update. To no aval, it still did not work.

What else can you say to help me get on the right track. Can I contact you via phone?

 

[Chuck]

Dear Chuck,

I followed your instructions very well. I came home and enabled SFS on the XP Pro. I enabled The "guest Acct" on both machines. Went to the folder and clicked (sharing and security). Check Share, gave name, and clicked can update. To no aval, it still did not work.

Derek,

Do you still have access to the XP Home from XP Pro?

When you enabled the Guest account on the XP Pro, did you use Local User Manager
(Start - Run - "lusrmgr.msc")?

Try restarting one of the computers - either one should have the same result.

Do you have any personal firewalls (XP ICF or any third party products) on
either computer?

From each computer, test shares visibility (use actual name / address of each
computer as appropriate):
Start - Run then:
1) \\ThisComputerByName
2) \\ThisComputerByIPAddress
3) \\OtherComputerByName
4) \\OtherComputerByIPAddress
Report visibility of shares / error displayed in each test (8 tests total).

Cheers.
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.