Sharing Wi-Fi connection, can't ping host PC & share drives (solved)

[RyanRazer]

OK, i know tittle is a little vague so i'll explain.

I got a new desktop PC and i have no UTP cable in my room. To avoid trouble of pulling the cable across whole apartment i decided to share my Laptops Wi-Fi via UTP cable using it's ethernet port...
like this: http://www.countrymilewifi.com/how-to-share-computers-wifi-with-ethernet-devices.aspx

So far it is working like charm. No dropped connections. However, as my laptop gets 1 IP via router, it dedicates my desktop PC another one (i guess it has a dhcp service running of some kind) and that IP is a bit weird.
I would expect it to be something like: 192.168.1.5 (my laptop is 192.168.1.4, Android phone has 192.168.1.3 etc....). But instead of that standard LAN IP my desktop has: 192.168.137.251

I've never seen IP like that before.

Here's my problem: I wanted to connect my 2 Windows (win 7&8) PC's (laptop and desktop) to a HomeGroup so i can share hard drives. I've done this before but with this IP i have trouble. Both PC's are in the same homegroup and have advanced network sharing turned on....

I see other computer under connections but when i want to connect my credentials are denied(see attached SS).

i figured i first try to ping one and another but there was no success (request timed out). It is then i realised it has something to do with that strange IP.

Do you have any idea how to fix that?
Or do you maybe have an alternative software to share hard drives inside LAN? I don't care about WAN access, i just want to have access across my 2 computers....

Any advice is greatly appreciated

SS1 (first prompt):

After i enter credentials i get second, different prompt:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, so i wrote on MS support page so if anyone would like to take a look... in second post, my problem is thoroughly explained with screenshots.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ween-two/1606b6c2-dbaf-428e-8861-f4dc075b1468

I really have no idea what's wrong and how to overcome this issue.

 

[Ketchup]

Keep in mind I have not done this, but what you are doing is turning your laptop into a router. It is basically making it's own network, and dishing out IP addresses (specifically to the Ethernet port) based on a network that is separate from the IPs in the network range that your router dishes out (so as to not interfere with it's network).

As for connecting, if you have passwords required in sharing options, you need to make sure you have passwords on the computers you are connecting to and from. Honestly, I don't know if the Homegroup system will connect computers on separate networks.

 

[RyanRazer]

Keep in mind I have not done this, but what you are doing is turning your laptop into a router. It is basically making it's own network, and dishing out IP addresses (specifically to the Ethernet port) based on a network that is separate from the IPs in the network range that your router dishes out (so as to not interfere with it's network).

As for connecting, if you have passwords required in sharing options, you need to make sure you have passwords on the computers you are connecting to and from. Honestly, I don't know if the Homegroup system will connect computers on separate networks.

Aha, makes sense... Thank you.

 

[JackMDS]

These type of programs (the best is this http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/ ) are actualy Software Routers and create double NAT, thus the communication between the subnets is a big problem.

Also standard Homegroup works on IPv6 while the above is IPv4.

 

[RyanRazer]

These type of programs (the best is this http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/ ) are actualy Software Routers and create double NAT, thus the communication between the subnets is a big problem.

Also standard Homegroup works on IPv6 while the above is IPv4.

Okay but, i don't have a Wi-Fi antenna in my desktop PC... I am looking for wired solution... I'd like to share Wi-fI connection my laptop has with my Wi-Fi-less desktop PC...

 

[Ketchup]

Okay but, i don't have a Wi-Fi antenna in my desktop PC... I am looking for wired solution... I'd like to share Wi-fI connection my laptop has with my Wi-Fi-less desktop PC...

My recommendation would be to get another router and turn off the router function, effectively making it an access point. It would increase the coverage area of your wireless network, and provide Ethernet connections for the same network.

Now you can buy a device with the name "access point" or you can buy a wireless router and just turn it into an access point. I would prefer the latter due to versatility (and can come out cheaper if you don't want anything fancy).

 

[RyanRazer]

Alright, thank you. It is one more option...

I have 3 now:
- setup a filezilla,
- utp cable
- a new access point (router)

I'll have to think about each cons and pros...

Thanks guys!

 

[Ichinisan]

This always worked for me:

• Connect the systems to each other via wired Ethernet.
• On the WiFi-capable system, open Network Connections from the classic Control Panel (type "view network connections" into the Start menu or Start screen).
• On that screen, hold the Ctrl key and click to select both the wired connection and the WiFi connection simultaneously.
• With both icons highlighted, right-click and choose "bridge connections" from the pop-up menu.

I told my nephew how to do this on a Win7 desktop computer with a WiFi card so he could get his XBOX 360 connected through the PC.

 

[RyanRazer]

This always worked for me:

• Connect the systems to each other via wired Ethernet.
• On the WiFi-capable system, open Network Connections from the classic Control Panel (type "view network connections" into the Start menu or Start screen).
• On that screen, hold the Ctrl key and click to select both the wired connection and the WiFi connection simultaneously.
• With both icons highlighted, right-click and choose "bridge connections" from the pop-up menu.

I told my nephew how to do this on a Win7 desktop computer with a WiFi card so he could get his XBOX 360 connected through the PC.

I did as you instructed. Sounds like a good idea but i was unsuccessful with it.
First i "unshared" my wifi connection. Then i bridged the two but no "default gateway" was acquired to second pc.

Please see SS below





For some reason "Sharing" connection works, but "Bridging" does not.... Any clue?

 

[RyanRazer]

OK, so i wrote on MS support page so if anyone would like to take a look... in second post, my problem is thoroughly explained with screenshots.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ween-two/1606b6c2-dbaf-428e-8861-f4dc075b1468

I really have no idea what's wrong and how to overcome this issue.

 

[Ichinisan]

I did as you instructed. Sounds like a good idea but i was unsuccessful with it.
First i "unshared" my wifi connection. Then i bridged the two but no "default gateway" was acquired to second pc.

Please see SS below





For some reason "Sharing" connection works, but "Bridging" does not.... Any clue?

The "IP address conflict" concerns me. Make sure the wired and wireless interfaces on all PCs are configured for DHCP instead of static/manual IP configuration.

Generally, you do it this way:

• Open the Network Connections screen again.
  
• Right-click the interface and click "Properties" from the pop-up menu.
  
• In the list of items with check marks, select "Internet Protocol version 4" (but don't remove the check mark).
  
• Click "Properties" below the list.
  
• Selection the options to obtain IP address automatically and obtain DNS server address automatically.

Do that for each physical network interface. On Win7 or earlier, that would probably be "Local Area Connection" and "Wireless Connection." On Win8, it would probably be "Ethernet" and "Wi-Fi. "

I see VirtualBox has installed a virtual network interface. I wonder if that's interfering with anything...

[edit]
Also make sure none of the other devices on your local network (both wired and wireless) have a manual/static IP. That includes video game consoles, smart TVs, Roku/Apple TV streaming devices, tablets, smartphones, network printers, network security video camera system, etc...

If you must have a static LAN IP address on one of your devices (for example, to forward ports so incoming connections can reach a device on your LAN, making it remotely accessible), then you'll need to do one of these things in your router configuration:

1. Create a DHCP reservation for that LAN device in your router's settings (not all routers have this feature).
   
2. Change the DHCP start/end address in your router. Then you can use a manual IP in the same subnet that will not conflict the the automatic / DHCP addresses your router gives out to other devices.

 

[RyanRazer]

The "IP address conflict" concerns me. Make sure the wired and wireless interfaces on all PCs are configured for DHCP instead of static/manual IP configuration.

Generally, you do it this way:

• Open the Network Connections screen again.
  
• Right-click the interface and click "Properties" from the pop-up menu.
  
• In the list of items with check marks, select "Internet Protocol version 4" (but don't remove the check mark).
  
• Click "Properties" below the list.
  
• Selection the options to obtain IP address automatically and obtain DNS server address automatically.

Do that for each physical network interface. On Win7 or earlier, that would probably be "Local Area Connection" and "Wireless Connection." On Win8, it would probably be "Ethernet" and "Wi-Fi. "

I see VirtualBox has installed a virtual network interface. I wonder if that's interfering with anything...

[edit]
Also make sure none of the other devices on your local network (both wired and wireless) have a manual/static IP. That includes video game consoles, smart TVs, Roku/Apple TV streaming devices, tablets, smartphones, network printers, network security video camera system, etc...

If you must have a static LAN IP address on one of your devices (for example, to forward ports so incoming connections can reach a device on your LAN, making it remotely accessible), then you'll need to do one of these things in your router configuration:

1. Create a DHCP reservation for that LAN device in your router's settings (not all routers have this feature).
   
2. Change the DHCP start/end address in your router. Then you can use a manual IP in the same subnet that will not conflict the the automatic / DHCP addresses your router gives out to other devices.

I disabled VB, and all settings were set to auto... On both laptop and desktop (all adapters, wifi and ethernet). DHCP seems to have trouble... I might try resetting my router.



Nevermind, i'll go for some other solution like filezilla server or something...
Don't bother too much. Thanks for your help anyway!

 

[ph2000]

the IP shouldn't be a problem
to ping you should check the gateway ip from the desktop lan status tab
you should be able to ping that IP
my guess it 192.168.137.1
but usually you also should be able to ping the WIFI ip address too
unless there's firewall rules that block it

as for credentials it asked the target user name and password
if you connect from desktop to laptop, that means you have to enter your laptop login

this article might help

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-id/...computers-running-different-windows=windows-7

http://www.groovypost.com/howto/create-windows-8-homegroup/

 

[sm625]

Windows networking is an unmitigated nightmare. Just be happy you were able to get ICS workign as well as you did. I would just rely on a combination of dropbox and flash drives. You could spend hours trying to figure this out, but to what end? It only takes a second to plug in a thumb drive.

 

[RyanRazer]

OHHH MY GOD ! ! !

I can't believe what was the problem.... D:
Here is the answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MFxEKKYfkc

tldw; (too long didn't watch): i once changed my username (i forgot that i did that) and once you change your username you can not use the new one to logon from other computers (network wise). Somewhere deep down in win registry an old username is saved......! dafq?!

To check original username: search for "run" in start, in run terminal serch: control userpasswords2. You will get a list of usernames that were originally created....

Windows networking is an unmitigated nightmare. Just be happy you were able to get ICS workign as well as you did. I would just rely on a combination of dropbox and flash drives. You could spend hours trying to figure this out, but to what end? It only takes a second to plug in a thumb drive.

Yep, you were right, it is a nightmare.....

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP. It's a nasty trick I won't fall for again, that's for sure...

 

[Ichinisan]

Yeah. Microsoft doesn't even encourage people to use the old style of sharing files that's tied to user accounts and NTFS permissions. They probably did the naming thing intentionally so that a cosmetic name change doesn't affect any existing network shares and shortcuts.

...but it's confusing!

 

[Iron Woode]

I used to do something similar when I was using a friend's wireless for internet access.

At first I used ICS on the laptop and then ethernet to a switch then to my PCs for the lan.

ICS starting acting strange so I found an alternative: CCproxy. It was easy to setup and it worked flawlessly.