XP Network Setup Info

[Dick Sutton]

I have a small network set up (1 Win XP & 3 Win98 machines). I used
the Network Setup Wizard and everything worked great! I was
impressed!

When I went in to see what the wizard had actually done, I was
surprised by the results. I noticed that the TCP/IP was set up for
DHCP. Where is that address dynamically coming from? Obviously,
somewhere from within Win XP & Win 98, but where. I am curious how
the IP addresses get assigned due to the fact that the order of the
machines booting up is not known in advance.

I have also read that NetBios is not directly supported under Win XP
but I notice that NetBios over TCP/IP is set as an option.

I am impressed that the Network Setup Wizard works so well, but can
anyone point me to a document that details what the wizard is doing
and then ultimately how the network gets dynamically set up when each
of the machines are turned on?

Thanks in advance...

Dick Sutton

 

[JB]

Your xp box is providing the DHCP, it should be the one directly connected
to the internet. It should also have an IP address of 192.168.1.1. The DHCP
addresses are assigned as need when each machine boots, but the xp box must
be turned on in order to assign addresses.
The wizard is just setting your xp box as a dhcp server.When you run the
setup disk on the other machines, it just sets them to use dhcp.

 

[Kyle Lang [MSFT]]

Description of Home Networking Wizard in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;262227

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have a small network set up (1 Win XP & 3 Win98 machines). I used
the Network Setup Wizard and everything worked great! I was
impressed!

The Wizard has always worked well for me, too. However, there are
messages in the news group from time to time saying that the Wizard
failed to run or gave an error message.

When I went in to see what the wizard had actually done, I was
surprised by the results. I noticed that the TCP/IP was set up for
DHCP. Where is that address dynamically coming from? Obviously,
somewhere from within Win XP & Win 98, but where. I am curious how
the IP addresses get assigned due to the fact that the order of the
machines booting up is not known in advance.

If there's a DHCP server (e.g. broadband router, ICS host) on the
network, the IP address comes from it. If there's no DHCP server, Win
XP and Win98 automatically assign themselves compatible "automatic
private" IP addresses in the 169.254.x.x range.

I have also read that NetBios is not directly supported under Win XP
but I notice that NetBios over TCP/IP is set as an option.

NetBIOS is fully supported, and it's necessary for file sharing
between XP and 98. What you read is that NetBEUI isn't supported.
The names are similar, but NetBIOS and NetBEUI are entirely different.

I am impressed that the Network Setup Wizard works so well, but can
anyone point me to a document that details what the wizard is doing
and then ultimately how the network gets dynamically set up when each
of the machines are turned on?

Thanks in advance...

Dick Sutton

--
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

 

[Dick Sutton]

Thanks Kyle & JB. That's the info that I was wondering about. I was
so used to having to set everthing up manually that I was skeptical
about the wizard working correctly.

Maybe I was just lucky not having problems, but I'll take a little
luck any day.

Thanks again...

Dick Sutton