Wireless to Existing Wired LAN Problem

[imported_hshendon]

OK, I have read the many helpful links in here to the various ways to set up wireless networks and add wireless to them using access points, but still have a problem.

First, here is the problem. My new laptop is wireless capable. To connect it to my existing wired LAN, I purchased a wireless access point. Now, after setup, my wireless computer can connect wirelessly to the wireless network and accesses the internet just fine. However, it cannot see the workgroup computers in the wired LAN.

Here is my setup cable>cablemodem>linksys router>2 PCs and the Wirelss access point.

I setup a wireless network through the access point and laptop. The existing wired lan had everything set up already and all PCs in the same workgroup. Ran the network setup utility on the laptop as well and set it with the same workgroup - still no network access, but internet OK.

Laptop cannot see workgroup PCs at all. Workgroup PCs can see laptop, but cannot access it at all (permissions error).

Any thoughts? This has become very frustrating for me.

PS - Sorry for being such a n00b.

 

[imported_hshendon]

Bump - OK 13 views - I know some of the anandtech faithful can help! Please!

 

[Changlinn]

so the ap is connected to the router?
What operating systems on all pc's, I assume win2k/xp you should just need to turn on simple file sharing on the laptop. Make sure netbios is on, on the laptop.
Try pinging the other pc's from the laptop via there computer name and via there ip, post the results here.

 

[JackMDS]

Your problem has nothing to do with Wireless.

You need to configure each computer Sharing Settings.

Log to this page it has a lot of links to instructions to Windows Network Settings, and Sharing.

Link to: Windows Network - Installing & Sharing.

:sun:

 

[Changlinn]

it could have something to do with wireless if he/she has the ap directly connected to a pc instead of too the router/switch.

 

[imported_hshendon]

I do have the AP connected to the router. I will try to do what you said later today. I am almost positive I turned on file and print sharing when I ran the network wizard on the laptop, though. Doesn't seem to explain why I cannot see the other PCs from the laptop, though.

 

[imported_hshendon]

OK - I got it to work finally, but only after disabling the Windows Firewall and the Norton Personal Firewall.

This concerns me a little as I do not want people to be able to see or access my PC if I do not want them to when I connect to a network outside of home.

I will try to re-enable the Norton firewall tonight as I think that Windows Firewall was the culprit.

More to come...

 

[Changlinn]

Leave the windows firewall off, and add an exclusion or simlar to the norton firewall, to exclude your local networks ip range, this should allow sharing etc.

 

[imported_hshendon]

Bingo! We have a winner!

Thanks for everyone's help!

For the record, I turned off Windows Firewall, then added the range of IP's my router assigns out via DHCP plus the address of my router, and WHAMO! Good, clean, access.

One last question - is it necessary to give access to the router, or since most routers use that IP as a default, should I not allow that one?

 

[Changlinn]

I can't think of any reason you should add the router to that exclusion, though I have my exclusions set to for example 192.168.0-192.168.0.255 Just becuase I have friends occasionally connecting to my network.
But if you have wireless, best to leave it as few addresses as possible if the wireless is on the same subnet.

 

[imported_hshendon]

OK, great - I did 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.100-192.168.1.200

I think that should cover it - agree?