Share files on a WindowsXP Network

[openjive]

Hi,

Here's the issue - I have an SMC wireless router. My DSL connection
and printer are configured to go through the router. I have a desktop
computer that is plugged directly into the router (no problem printing
and getting on the internet). I have a laptop that only connects
wirelessly to the router (again no problem printing and accessing the
internet).

I have tried and tried to get these 2 machines to view shares exposed
by the other machine. I would really like to be able to access data
from one computer when working on another one (whole point of a network
right).

Can a router do this? Is there something obvious that I am missing?
Thanks

Greg

 

[Ross Durie]

Nothing to do with router as this refers to routing packets between Internet
and private LAN. Think of the device as being a router with inbuilt switch
and wireless access point.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0204.mspx

 

[Ross Durie]

P.S. Disable XP pre SP2 firewall or upgrade to SP2.

 

[Rick Wintjen]

Hi,

Here's the issue - I have an SMC wireless router. My DSL connection
and printer are configured to go through the router. I have a desktop
computer that is plugged directly into the router (no problem printing
and getting on the internet). I have a laptop that only connects
wirelessly to the router (again no problem printing and accessing the
internet).

I have tried and tried to get these 2 machines to view shares exposed
by the other machine. I would really like to be able to access data
from one computer when working on another one (whole point of a network
right).

Can a router do this? Is there something obvious that I am missing?
Thanks

Greg

If you disabled DHCP in order to secure the wireless network, that can
be your problem. I have a SMC2404, and when I re-enabled DHCP with a
range of only one address server, and set my wired PC to get that one
address (to help maintain security), my LAN came back. Somehow, the DHCP
server in the router affects LAN DNS function.

 

[Ross Durie]

DNS is used for Internet access, which in this case is working.

 

[Rick Wintjen]

DNS is used for Internet access, which in this case is working.

The PC names on a Windows network is also a form of DNS; a server keeps
a list of names that are associated with IP address.
In my SMC router, this function is apparently hidden in the DHCP server.
Either that, or Windows queries the DHCP server to get a list of LAN
IPs, then queries each IP for a network name.
In any case, the LAN DNS function was disabled when I turned the DHCP
server in the router off.

 

[openjive]

Hey guys thanks for your comments,

DHCP on the Router is enabled... the MS Firewall has always been
disabled (I use Norton)... I create a couple of shares on the desktop
as per the links sent in by Ross. Interesting thing... on the desktop
I can see the shares exposed by to the network by the desktop... but on
the laptop I cannot see any of it's exposed shares? Neither of the
shares are hidden so this is not a factor.

Any other thoughts? Thanks for your time.

Greg

 

[Rick Wintjen]

Hey guys thanks for your comments,

DHCP on the Router is enabled... the MS Firewall has always been
disabled (I use Norton)... I create a couple of shares on the desktop
as per the links sent in by Ross. Interesting thing... on the desktop
I can see the shares exposed by to the network by the desktop... but on
the laptop I cannot see any of it's exposed shares? Neither of the
shares are hidden so this is not a factor.

Any other thoughts? Thanks for your time.

Greg

Can both PCs see each other under the workgroup in Network Neighborhood?
Also, Win XP won't let you share a subdirectory of a user account, e.g.:
c:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\foldername. It looks like
it's shared, but not really.

 

[Ross Durie]

What pure crap. The router has absolutely no idea of the names of the
machines (actually connected by a switch which uses MAC addresses) on your
network. The router also has NO place in resolving the names.

Where did you learn this rubbish.

P.S. Run "nbtstat -n" at a command prompt. Exercise: Determine where nbtstat
obtains its information.

 

[Ross Durie]

Go back to sleep. Maybe you would like to turn off simple file sharing and
use the security/sharing tabs to change permissions as required. How do you
think a domain controller gives access to home directories.

 

[Ross Durie]

Disable or completely (preferred) uninstall Norton on each machine -
otherwise ports 135, 137, 138, 139 and 445 need to be open on the LAN for
NetBIOS over TCP/IP to work.

 

[greglives]

Disable or completely (preferred) uninstall Norton on each machine -
otherwise ports 135, 137, 138, 139 and 445 need to be open on the LAN for
NetBIOS over TCP/IP to work.