Sharing internet connection and files on vista

[konakona]

Hi folks,

I recently moved to a new location, and here we get wireless internet connection in our rooms. Out of the two computers I brought here with me, only one has a wireless card (primary computer). What I am trying to do is:

1) Connect to the internet thru wireless on the primary comp
2) Use WRT54GC to form another local network to giving internet access to the secondary using ICS
3) share files between the two computers, but not with the other comps on the wireless network

Back at my old place, we had comcast cable. To achieve the same result described above, I just used the router as a switch by disabling the DHCP server, then accepting WAN connection on one of the regular ports to redistribute it to computers connected to the remaning ports on the router. Assuming that same would hold, I attempted to replicate the above at the new place at no avail.

My intuition tells me that I should make that wireless network public, and the wired one private to prevent other computers from outside accessing my files on the local network I have built. Am I on the right track, or have it all wrong and backwards?

I did some searching beforehand, apparantely I wasnt using the right keyword or something like that.

 

[JackMDS]

You can get a device like Linksys WET54g plug to a Wireless Router WAN port and configure a normal local Network ehind the Wireless Router.

Successful Sharing involves some general consideration in Network settings, http://www.ezlan.net/sharing.html
As well as specific adjustment of each computer according to what it is allowed to be shared.

Vista File and Printer Sharing- http://www.microsoft.com/techn...evaluate/vista_fp.mspx

Windows XP File Sharing - 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 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

 

[konakona]

JackMDS,

thank you for a resourceful reply as usual. In my case at hand though, I do not have access to the wireless router - not my own property. They just provide internet connection through wireless, and I can browse just fine with the machine that does have wireless adapter. The other lacks a wireless adapter, and I am too cheap to get one; I am trying to get it working through ICS with what I have at disposal.

For now I guess I will go through your link to get started

 

[JackMDS]

Vista ICS,
http://windowshelp.microsoft.c...-fb92bc2b14771033.mspx

 

[konakona]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Vista ICS,
http://windowshelp.microsoft.c...-fb92bc2b14771033.mspx

Jack, I have read quite a few pages on the internet including the one in your link, still no go. Sharing files between the two computers is fine, but the secondary computer just doesn't seem to be able to connect to the internet.

ipconfig /all on the second machine says:

Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address . . : 169.254.243.137(Preffered)

shouldn't this be 192.168.0.x if everything is working as expected? IP addresses for both IPv4 and IPv6 are set to be obtained automatically.

To repeat, both comps are on vista and connected through wired connection(a router with DHCP turned off), and internet connection is through wireless.

oh wait, is this you, by any chance? Very similar to my case, except that I don' have access to that WAN router. Bridging didn't do the trick, neither by itself nor in conjuction with ICS

 

[Pantlegz]

the ip address 169.254.x.x means that computer didn't find a DHCP; was the ip on that machine staticly set? If there is no DHCP, there is no way to for the computer to know what ip address or subnet mask to use. Which would explain your issues. If you want to set an ip address to 192.168.x.x just make sure the first x is the same on both, and I don't think 0 works and the second x has to be unique and not 1 or 255.

As far as filesharing goes, just set it to password protected, or limit access to only local users and add permissions for the other pc to access files being shared. I would reccomend the password becase with vista/xp pro the permissions always seems to not work for me across a workgroup

 

[konakona]

well I got it working with bridging, just had to restart the network on the guess comp. It warned me about IP conflict, but internet worked fine for all I care. Thanks though

 

[JackMDS]

If it work with Bridging it means that it works off the Router that provide the service to the whole place.

That means that if you are Not careful in the way you configure the sharing you are visible to other people that are on this Network as well.

 

[konakona]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
If it work with Bridging it means that it works off the Router that provide the service to the whole place.

That means that if you are Not careful in the way you configure the sharing you are visible to other people that are on this Network as well.

can I circumvent that by using ICS instead? really coudlnt get to figure out how to get it work though Pantlegz1, are you suggesting I should go with static IPs?

 

[JackMDS]

ICS being a software NAT can provide better protection since it creates a second network.

If you bind only the second Network's TCP/IP to File Sharing you would have better protection.

 

[Pantlegz]

I prefer static IP's but thats just me. And if you're only working with 2 PCs it'll simple. If you're going with dynamic you have to have DHCP setup somewhere or the PC's wont automatically get IP/DNS info. honestly I had so many issues with ICS on my laptop i gave up on it, it would work but dropped all the time(still said it was conneted) but it was wireless so that might have been some of the issue.