Help me get my network working

[Muse]

I intend to build a NAS eventually, probably running WHS. Near term, I'm thinking I can maybe get by OK using the notebook I just bought as a file server, doubling as a desktop replacement. It's running Vista Home Premium 32 bit, to be upgraded to Windows 7 32 bit when available (couple of months, presumably).

This new notebook is:

Acer Aspire 6530-6522 (AMD Athlon X2 2.0GHz, 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Vista Home Premium)

This notebook is connected wirelessly to my Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 wireless router, so is my other laptop, which runs XP Pro. My XP Pro desktop and printer are connected to the router by ethernet.

Can I get some instructions, hints, etc. on how I can get my XP Pro machines to see (read and write permissions) the data on the Vista (soon to be Windows 7) notebook? Right now, the HD is seen, but I can't write to it. I want full power, but want to do it the right way.

 

[JackMDS]

Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista/XP Native Firewall should be Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers on what is some time called the Trusted Zone (consult your 3rd Party Firewall instructions.

General example, http://www.ezlan.net/faq#trusted

Vista File and Printer Sharing- http://technet.microsoft.com/e.../library/bb727037.aspx

Windows XP File Sharing - http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040 http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040

Printer Sharing XP - http://www.microsoft.com/windo...t/honeycutt_july2.mspx

Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357

Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista (Not need for XP-SP3) - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

Sharing between Windows XP and Mac - http://www.realifewebdesigns.c.../mac-pc-file-share.asp

 

[Muse]

Thanks. I used Zonealarm free for several years but stopped using it around 3 years ago once I realized that Windows had a firewall built in. Can I do this in Vista's (and later Windows 7) firewall? I suppose the router (flashed to dd-wrt), might have a firewall going on too.

Looks like I'm going to be doing a lot of reading tomorrow. I'm really excited to get this running, though. The more I think about having a file server, the more I figure I need one. I'm way too tired to read those articles now, but tomorrow after a good night's sleep, I'll tackle 'em.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista/XP Native Firewall should be Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers on what is some time called the Trusted Zone (consult your 3rd Party Firewall instructions.

General example, http://www.ezlan.net/faq#trusted

Vista File and Printer Sharing- http://technet.microsoft.com/e.../library/bb727037.aspx

Windows XP File Sharing - http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040 http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040

Printer Sharing XP - http://www.microsoft.com/windo...t/honeycutt_july2.mspx

Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357

Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista (Not need for XP-SP3) - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

Sharing between Windows XP and Mac - http://www.realifewebdesigns.c.../mac-pc-file-share.asp

My impression is that there are various ways I could do this just glancing at the first (Edit: strike that, the 2nd) link. It has me wondering if I should enroll in a networking course at my local college. Can I get some guidance here? Do I want to set up a domain? Establish a Public Folder? Go a different route?

 

[JackMDS]

Domain entails using one computer with real server OS like Windows 2003/2008.

Regular computer connects as a workgroup (peer-to-peer).

Windows Home Server is a subset of Windows 2003 that the domain controller was disabled so it can be easily used as a file/media/web server in a peer-to-peer topology.

If you have only few computers there is No reason to use a Domain.

Regardless of whether you use peer-to-peer or domain toplogy, File Sharing and Firewalls adjustments need to be done correctly.

 

[ecom]

Are you using Vista at least SP1? I ran into some issues when sharing files between Vista and XP machines that were resolved in SP1.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: ecom
Are you using Vista at least SP1? I ran into some issues when sharing files between Vista and XP machines that were resolved in SP1.

The laptop came loaded with SP1, Windows Update had me install SP2 yesterday.

I had no trouble setting up file sharing from one XP Pro machine to another but now that I have my files on a Vista machine, it's a different story. I'm sure it's not difficult, I'm just inexperienced. Never used Vista before this week, and my networking experience is shall we say spotty. Done it a little now and again, it's not my zone of experience exactly.

 

[Muse]

This laptop had McAfee Security Center preinstalled, a trial version. I figure what's the point in using it and configuring it if I'm just going to have to ditch it in 60 days, so I uninstalled it. Now, Vista's firewall is on. I can't find a way to create a trusted zone in it. Is it possible to do this with a range of IPs? I did in Zonealarm and Ezlan shows how you do it in Norton Firewall, but I don't see it in Vista's firewall.

 

[Muse]

I think I'm 90% done here. It wasn't as complicated as I thought it might be. Lot's of nutty happenings, but I'm almost out of the swamp. No Public Folder folderol. No exceptions in the firewall (can't find that stuff in Vista's firewall). Just enabling sharing of files and folders and making sure it entails reading and writing privileges. Mapped drives. It might be a little slow. It took about 7 times as long to copy files over the network to my new laptop as it took to copy them from a 7200 RPM SATA external USB connected 500 GB HD.

 

[ReggieDunlap]

Well you mentioned the vista machine was connected to your "network" wirelessly so that will have some bearing on the data transfer speeds i would guess.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: ReggieDunlap
Well you mentioned the vista machine was connected to your "network" wirelessly so that will have some bearing on the data transfer speeds i would guess.

Yes, and the HD is 5400 RPM and the laptop's wifi is suspect in terms of performance (Atheros). Should have things pretty set up today and I can start running my own benchmarks, keep notes and evaluate. I may buy a bigger faster HD for the vista machine, 320 GB or 500 GB or even bigger if available and reasonable, and 7200 RPM. Then move the 250 5400 HD in it to my other laptop (Lenovo T60) which only has a 60 GB in it. Maybe I can even have a 2nd HD in the Lenovo, have to check on that.