Home Network - What am I doing wrong?

[CPA]

I have two computers: one using WinXP Pro and one using WinXP Home. I have just installed an SMC Barricade 4 port Broadband Router. Both are connected straight to the router. I can get internet connection on both systems.

Now I want to share files between the two systems. I just can't seem to get it to work. Is it possible with my current setup? What am I missing. I have tried the instructions provided on WinXP and some websites, but I just can't get the computers to "see" the shared folders on each system. Coincidently, I was able to gain access, somehow, to a network at some university. Don't know how, but it happened.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Zlash]

Are you using dhcp on the router to give your 2 machines IP addresses?

 

[Hoober]

Are they on the same workgroup? Are there usernames/accounts created on both computers for the users who want to access certain folders/files? Are they on the same subnet? Is anything hardcoded? How are the permissions set on the two computers?

 

[PlatinumGold]

i though winxp home lacked networking features among other things. probably not true.

 

[PlatinumGold]

i though winxp home lacked networking features among other things. probably not true.

 

[CPA]

<< Are you using dhcp on the router to give your 2 machines IP addresses? >>



I thought I was, but how can I be sure. This I do know, in order to access the internet I have to sign in at a specific address. So I have a static IP. But doesn't dhcp supposed to emulate dynamic IP addressing?

 

[CPA]

<< Are they on the same workgroup? Are there usernames/accounts created on both computers for the users who want to access certain folders/files? Are they on the same subnet? Is anything hardcoded? How are the permissions set on the two computers? >>



Same workgroup? Yes

Usernames created on both computers? Only the one unique username for each. I have my shared folder set to allow sharing between users. Do I have to set up both accounts on each computer?

Same subnet? Yes

Anything hardcoded? Depends. The barricade router forces you to run IPCONFIG /RENEW to obtain an IP address (Only had to run this on my first machine). After that, I had to get the barricade connected to the internet by inputting my static IP information.

Permissions? They are set up to allow sharing of one folder - Shared Folder.

 

[Woodie]

<< Usernames created on both computers? Only the one unique username for each. I have my shared folder set to allow sharing between users. Do I have to set up both accounts on each computer? >>


Yes. Each machine has to have the same user IDs, and passwords!

To find out if you're configured as DHCP: Start -> run -> cmd
ipconfig /all

Now, look for this line:
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

 

[CPA]

My DHCP is enabled.

My DNS Servers and IP Addresses are different, but the Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DHCP addresses are all the same.

One thing I have been wondering. WinXP does not use NetBeui, instead only installing TCP/IP. Some of the installation guides I have read suggest installing NetBeui. Is this true or should I be able to get this thing working without that?

 

[Woodie]

Your DNS servers should be the same on both machines, as should gateway, netmask and DHCP Server. IP address has to be different. So, the IP configuration sounds ok. Now, let's check connectivity:

Go to a dos prompt (cmd).
ping ip address of OTHER computer
You should get a few lines back, and a summary that says:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
0% loss is the important part, and indicates success.
Now, go to the other machine, and repeat the test.

If these tests fail, then you most likely have a cableing/hardware problem. (cross-over cable, bad cable, wrong hub ports, etc..)
Note: This just tests basic TCP/IP configuration and connectivity. It has nothing to do w/ Windows sharing, or application layer configuration. But, there's no point in testing any of that until you've proven that you do have connectivity.

NetBEUI:
This is simply another transport protocol. Think of it as having two cars at home: Ones an old beater (NetBEUI) that is unsafe to take on the freeway, but it's great for driving around the neighborhood, and never needs maintenance. The other is a nice new truck (TCP/IP) that is great for the freeway, but guzzles gas, and is finicky, and needs regular maintenance.

NetBEUI is available for XP, via download from MS. Many people recommend it (myself included) for home networks, as it improves the security environment of the network, and is very easy to configure. The typical setup for a dual-protocol client is:
All Microsoft clients/services bound to NetBEUI, and NetBEUI set as the default protocol.
TCP/IP installed, with NOTHING bound to it, and NetBEUI over TCP/IP set to disabled.

This way, your default file-sharing stuff can never go onto the Internet (by accident), since the protocol it's using can't go to the internet.

BTW, are you having fun w/ this yet??

 

[CPA]

Oh yeah, after three days of dismay I am having lots of fun

Two more questions:

What is the easiest way to change my DNS servers. Since I am using an SMC Barricade I had to set up to have DNS detected automatically. Should I now change that to a specific DNS server for each?

What is exactly meant by binding? I think I understand the concept, but how do I know exactly what is bound to what?

Woodie, Thanks for all of the help.

 

[Hoober]

The Barricade should pick up the DNS servers your ISP is using automatically unless you are using a static IP address that your ISP gave you and is asking you to use. If you want to manually configure the DNS servers that your clients point to, then you should use the ones that your ISP gives you to use or the ones that are shown on the configuration screen of the Barricade. It would be easier to simply set everything to automatic using DHCP since the Barricade will pass down all of that information, including the IP's of the clients automatically.

And binding is the actual binding of protocols to one another so that Windows recognizes which protocols to use when doing certain functions. (Right, so that made a lot of sense). Bascially you bind Microsoft Client for Networks and file/printer sharing, if you have it installed, to the old beat up car (NetBEUI). Then Windows knows that whenever it needs to do something using network resources it will automatically use the NetBEUI protocol instead of say TCP/IP. While not very fast or effecient this is the easiest way to set up a home network because, as Woodie said, its the easiest to configure and maintain.

 

[CPA]

Hoober,

My address is static, yet when I set up my barricade I changed the setting to detect automatically. Then in barricade's setup I placed my static address. But I am still unable to connect the two. Here's a question, do I have to go to Barricade's IP and set up my client also? I only did that step on my first machine.

As far as binding, I have not installed NetBeui, but do have file sharing and Microsoft Client installed and active (checked). I have read that these two should be unchecked if using TCP/IP. Is that correct?

 

[Hoober]

CPA,

I think I would configure the Barricade to set things up statically instead of the dynamic auto-detect. Just hardcode the DNS numbers, your ISP's gateway, and the IP address they gave you in the configuration screen. That way when you run the DHCP server from the router it will hand down numbers you know are correct. I know you said that your internet was working, I guess I'd just do this to make sure that its not something with the router that's preventing the file sharing.

On the clients set up TCP/IP to detect everything automatically. It should pull the information it needs from the router everytime the computer boots into windows. Check to make sure the internet is working after all this configuration. Then start troubleshooting the network connectivity problems.

First, Client for Microsoft networks needs to be enabled and bound to TCP/IP or vice versa. In the Client you need to have the workgroup set to whatever you want the workgroup on your network set to. That way the computers will be able to see each other. Client for Microsoft networks controls this setting for whatever microsoft network you have set up. Once that's done we can work on permissions between 98 and the XP machine.