Two network configurations...?

[Kenneth]

Howdy,

On my XP Laptop, I use wireless in my office, and also when
I travel.

In the office, the IP address is assigned statically.

But, when I travel, I need a dynamically assigned address.

Now, when I travel, I have to go into Network | Properties
and then drop down the protocols for the wireless card. Once
there, I reset everything for TCP/IP.

When I return to the office, I reverse the process...

I suspect that there must be an easier way, perhaps through
some sort of hardware profile.

What is the best way to handle this common situation?

Sincere thanks,

 

[beb]

Try configuring you machine using these instructions.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/tips/autoconfig.mspx

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Howdy,

On my XP Laptop, I use wireless in my office, and also when
I travel.

In the office, the IP address is assigned statically.

But, when I travel, I need a dynamically assigned address.

Now, when I travel, I have to go into Network | Properties
and then drop down the protocols for the wireless card. Once
there, I reset everything for TCP/IP.

When I return to the office, I reverse the process...

I suspect that there must be an easier way, perhaps through
some sort of hardware profile.

What is the best way to handle this common situation?

Sincere thanks,

These programs let you store multiple network configurations and
switch between them easily:

NetSwitcher
http://www.netswitcher.com

MultiNetwork Manager
http://www.globesoft.com/mnm_home.html

Mobile Net Switch
http://www.mobilenetswitch.com
--
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

 

[Kenneth]

These programs let you store multiple network configurations and
switch between them easily:

NetSwitcher
http://www.netswitcher.com

MultiNetwork Manager
http://www.globesoft.com/mnm_home.html

Mobile Net Switch
http://www.mobilenetswitch.com

Hi Steve,

I am giving NetSwitcher a try, and it seems to work like a
charm.

Sincere thanks,

 

[Kenneth]

Try configuring you machine using these instructions.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/tips/autoconfig.mspx

Howdy,

I do appreciate the suggestion, and have read the article,
but...

I actually have more than two configurations, and it seems
that NetSwitcher may be the way for me to go.

All the best,

 

[Kenneth]

These programs let you store multiple network configurations and
switch between them easily:

NetSwitcher
http://www.netswitcher.com

MultiNetwork Manager
http://www.globesoft.com/mnm_home.html

Mobile Net Switch
http://www.mobilenetswitch.com

Hi again Steve,

I installed and configured NetSwitcher with no trouble (or
so I thought), but now, have an odd problem:

We have six systems on our lan, five are Win2000 Pro boxes,
and those all connect via Cat5.

The sixth box is my laptop. It is a WinXP box, and can
connect via Cat5, or wireless (hence my desire for
NetSwitcher)...

Here's what's happening -

If I set NetSwitcher on the laptop accordingly, and then
plug the laptop into the lan, all is fine. The laptop can
browse the Internet and all systems see, and can browse the
laptop. Also, it can see and browse all other systems.

With the hardwired setting, if I attempt to view the lan
Workgroup, all machines display by name, including the
laptop.

If I then set NetSwitcher to my wireless configuration (that
is, hardwire card disabled, and static IP assigned to the
internal wireless card), the laptop can still browse the
Internet, but it cannot browse any other systems on our lan,
and none of them can browse the laptop.

The laptop can successfully ping any other system on our
lan, but only by IP address, that is, it cannot successfully
ping by any system's name. When I try, I get the "Unknown
host error."

Other systems can successfully ping the laptop, but only by
IP address, and not by name.

If, on the laptop, I attempt to view the lan Workgroup,
nothing displays...

If I drop down previously mapped lan network locations, they
display, but each computer name is listed as "Unknown."

When I saw all this, I thought "AHA!, the NetSwitcher
wireless setting does not include the proper Workgroup
designation for the laptop!" But when I checked, it does.

My tech support friends at Dell were, (Hmmm, how to say this
in a polite way...?) something less than helpful, and so I
thought to try here.

With apologies for the long post, I ask for any insight you
might provide.

Very sincere thanks,

 

[Kenneth]

Hi again Steve,

I installed and configured NetSwitcher with no trouble (or
so I thought), but now, have an odd problem:

We have six systems on our lan, five are Win2000 Pro boxes,
and those all connect via Cat5.

The sixth box is my laptop. It is a WinXP box, and can
connect via Cat5, or wireless (hence my desire for
NetSwitcher)...

Here's what's happening -

If I set NetSwitcher on the laptop accordingly, and then
plug the laptop into the lan, all is fine. The laptop can
browse the Internet and all systems see, and can browse the
laptop. Also, it can see and browse all other systems.

With the hardwired setting, if I attempt to view the lan
Workgroup, all machines display by name, including the
laptop.

If I then set NetSwitcher to my wireless configuration (that
is, hardwire card disabled, and static IP assigned to the
internal wireless card), the laptop can still browse the
Internet, but it cannot browse any other systems on our lan,
and none of them can browse the laptop.

The laptop can successfully ping any other system on our
lan, but only by IP address, that is, it cannot successfully
ping by any system's name. When I try, I get the "Unknown
host error."

Other systems can successfully ping the laptop, but only by
IP address, and not by name.

If, on the laptop, I attempt to view the lan Workgroup,
nothing displays...

If I drop down previously mapped lan network locations, they
display, but each computer name is listed as "Unknown."

When I saw all this, I thought "AHA!, the NetSwitcher
wireless setting does not include the proper Workgroup
designation for the laptop!" But when I checked, it does.

My tech support friends at Dell were, (Hmmm, how to say this
in a polite way...?) something less than helpful, and so I
thought to try here.

With apologies for the long post, I ask for any insight you
might provide.

Very sincere thanks,

Hello again,

I neglected to mention that none of the systems have a
software firewall...

Thanks again,