Wanna use my laptop on 2 networks...

[Guest]

What is the easiest way to use my XP Pro laptop both with the office network
and my home network?

Yesterday, I got it on the office network without too much problem (uses a
domain and a wired connection - my laptop has both wired network card and
wireless).

Last night, I set up a wireless access point on my home network (workgroup
with 2 other computers that are wired) and it worked fine.

Today, I can't get it to go back to the wired connection when I'm at the
office!

I don't want to do different logins for each (since I want to use the same
Outlook mailbox and other settings in both places) and I'm not sure even that
would work anyway! When I login, I can choose to login to either my computer
or the work domain - can't you tell it "when I log into the computer, I want
it to use my wireless connection to this workgroup" and when I login into the
work domain tell it to use the wired connection to the domain with this
password. ???

Is there a way to do something like that? I'd like it to be somewhat easy at
least! Am I just missing something? Or is there a utility program I can
download to do this???

I am somewhat computer knowledgeable but not overly familiar with XP and
this is my first time ever using a wireless network.

Thanks!

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

What is the easiest way to use my XP Pro laptop both with the office
network and my home network?

Yesterday, I got it on the office network without too much problem
(uses a domain and a wired connection - my laptop has both wired
network card and wireless).

Last night, I set up a wireless access point on my home network
(workgroup with 2 other computers that are wired) and it worked fine.

Today, I can't get it to go back to the wired connection when I'm at
the office!

What do you mean? Are you getting an IP address from your DHCP server?

I don't want to do different logins for each (since I want to use the
same Outlook mailbox and other settings in both places)

Good plan

and I'm not
sure even that would work anyway! When I login, I can choose to login
to either my computer or the work domain - can't you tell it "when I
log into the computer, I want it to use my wireless connection to
this workgroup" and when I login into the work domain tell it to use
the wired connection to the domain with this password. ???

Your computer should use whatever network connection it has enabled. Try
running an ipconfig /all while in the office and see if you got an IP
address.

Is there a way to do something like that? I'd like it to be somewhat
easy at least! Am I just missing something? Or is there a utility
program I can download to do this???

I am somewhat computer knowledgeable but not overly familiar with XP
and this is my first time ever using a wireless network.

The wireless connection really shouldn't be an issue. Just remember not to
change your computer's domain membership - log into the domain all the time,
even when not on the domain's network. Once you've logged in using your
domain account (using cached credentials), and have an IP address on any
network, you can map shared drives, use printers, whatnot, very easily - one
way, in a command line:

 

[Chuck]

What is the easiest way to use my XP Pro laptop both with the office network
and my home network?

Yesterday, I got it on the office network without too much problem (uses a
domain and a wired connection - my laptop has both wired network card and
wireless).

Last night, I set up a wireless access point on my home network (workgroup
with 2 other computers that are wired) and it worked fine.

Today, I can't get it to go back to the wired connection when I'm at the
office!

I don't want to do different logins for each (since I want to use the same
Outlook mailbox and other settings in both places) and I'm not sure even that
would work anyway! When I login, I can choose to login to either my computer
or the work domain - can't you tell it "when I log into the computer, I want
it to use my wireless connection to this workgroup" and when I login into the
work domain tell it to use the wired connection to the domain with this
password. ???

Is there a way to do something like that? I'd like it to be somewhat easy at
least! Am I just missing something? Or is there a utility program I can
download to do this???

I am somewhat computer knowledgeable but not overly familiar with XP and
this is my first time ever using a wireless network.

Thanks!

Lori,

From what I'm seeing, you're looking at three separate issues, when switching
between home and office mode:
1) Different network cards used.
2) Different physical networks (that your network cards connect to) (even if
you have DHCP at work, you should not have it at home).
3) Different authentication maybe (a domain at work?).

Windows can be configured to support switching between all issues, but it is a
considerable amount of work. You may be better off using a third party
solution. These third party programs let you store multiple network
configurations, and switch between them easily:

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

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

NetSwitcher
http://www.netswitcher.com