Home Network help

LancerEvo

Junior Member
Jun 17, 2003
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Setup:
Cable modem------Netgear Switch

from the switch---Bro's PC---My PC(xbox and PS2)

We are both using Windows XP w/SP1. We both have each others accounts on both machines.It will not let us network our computers at all. The closest we have been to an actual working network is being able to see each others PC, but not being able to get in to it. It says something about not having rights to access the PC, to contact the network admin. :(

Sometimes it wont even allow us to see the PC's :( In XP when running the network connection wizard it gives us 5 options.

1.Computer connects directly to the internet. Other computers on my network connect to the internet through this computer.

2.This computer connects to the internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway.

3.This computer connects to the internet directly or through a network hub. Other computers on my network also connect to the internet directly or through a network hub.

4.This computer connects directly to the internet. I do not have a network.

5. This computer belongs to a network that does not have an internet.

Which option do I have to choose, and which does my brother have to choose. What else can I do to help me get my network up and running?
 

shootinyou

Senior member
Jun 12, 2001
947
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LancerEvo welcome to the forums.

I'm far from an expert But it sounds like the same thing I just went through.
I ended up disableing the 1394 connection on both boxes to solve the problem.

Look in TCP/IP properties and see that obtain an IP address automatically box is
checked on both boxes also.

You should be using option #3 in the setup wizard.

Hope this helps

Dave

and disable all firewalls for initial setup.
 

Rich1234

Junior Member
Jul 10, 2001
3
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Where to start...

OK.. Your goal here is to share internet and communicate locally between your PCs.. Right?

I assume by switch, you don't mean router with a built in switch..

Unless you set up a deal with your ISP (cable co.) to have multiple IPs, you only have one. When your PCs (DHCP enabled, I presume) connect to the cable modem via the switch, they resolve to the same single IP that was provided by the ISP. You cannot have this.

To verify, do this on both machines:

Go to Start>Run Type cmd in the window and hit return.

Type 'ipconfig /all' (no quotes)

The IP Address: XX.XX.XX.XX numbers cannot be the same on both. They probably are.

To resolve this, you need:

a) another IP address from your ISP for each device you wish to hook up. ($$$)

(Not a good idea, I'll spare you the details)

or

b) a router. The home/small office ones from Linksys/D-Link/Netgear/3Com/etc. were designed exactly for what you're trying to do and are very reasonably priced. This will also eliminate the need for multiple addresses (and the fee) listed in choice a.

And yes. #3 will be what you need after you get the router. #3 will not work for the internet unless you have NAT. This will allow both computers to use different IP addresses to talk to each other locally, yet use the single IP address your ISP provided you to surf the net.

You'll also need to be members of the same Workgroup and use common accounts and passwords between the two to share the files. Will cover in more detail after you resolve your main problem if you'd like..

You may also have to configure the router to allow the game machines to access the internet in a special way, but I've never owned one so I'm not sure exactly how they're set up. I do know it's possible though..

Rich
 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
29,545
422
126
Do not use the "lame wizard", configure the Network's settings manually.

Log to the following page.

Scroll down, in the middle (yellow hi-lited) you will find info, and links to solve sharing problems.

Link: Basic Networking