Wireless file sharing

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

I read the ezlan article that Jack suggested... But if I have two machines
with two wireless cards going through a router, is that considered "sharing"
the internet? I guess it is...

Here is my deal:
I have the following hardware:

- DSL router plugged into:
- Linksys G Router
- Laptop with INTERNAL wireless network card
- Laptop with EXTERNAL wireless network card
- D-Link Wireless Print server

Running XP SP-2, Norton Firewall 2005 on one, aand McAfee on the other.

I would like to share files between the two machines.

Both already share the router to access the internet. Both share the
wireless print server.

I ran the wireless wizard on the machine with the INTERNAL, OK. Then when I
ran it on the machine with the EXTERNAL, it did not allow a connection.

Don't I want to simultaneously show an active Access Point connection AND an
active Computer-to-Computer connection?

When I ran the wireless wizard on the machine with the INTERNAL, it
defaulted to creating an "OPEN" Network Authentication with WEP encryption, a
long-ass network key, and the check box for ad-hoc connection is grayed out.

Should I start over? How do I "fix" the other machine?

How do I totally delete whatever I did LAST time I ran the Wizard?

Thanks!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

I need help with this, I have been going in circles all day!

I am opening View Wireless Networks, Change Advanced Settings.

My linksys router is there, on both machines, with a little "RKO" circle
around the antenna. Obviously, I can get on the Internet. And I can also
print from both machines to the wireless print server.

My "RJB HOME" network shows on the Preferred network screen, but it has a
little red ex through it. I have deleted, added, deleted, added ad nauseum.

On the NEW machine (InternalNIC), the "ad hoc" button is checked and grayed
out. On the OLD (external NIC), the ad hoc button is NOT checked and grayed
out.

Don't I WANT this to be ad-hoc?

Does the SSID have to match the Workgrp name? Currently they are different.

Help! And Thanks!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Hi
Sharing Files between Network computers have nothing to do with the Wireless
per-se. Wireless is just a replacement to Wire.
If your Wireless connection between the Wireless computers and the Router
work. I.e. you can surf with all the computer the Internet. Then the Sharing
problem is a Network problem regardless of the medium (wired or and
wireless).
I do not know which page you referring to but this page is geared toward
General Sharing issue: : http://www.ezlan.net/sharing.html
Jack (MVP-Networking).



"RJB" <RJB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D9089E3-29EB-47C4-AB2C-455E4B185AF7@microsoft.com...
> I need help with this, I have been going in circles all day!
>
> I am opening View Wireless Networks, Change Advanced Settings.
>
> My linksys router is there, on both machines, with a little "RKO" circle
> around the antenna. Obviously, I can get on the Internet. And I can also
> print from both machines to the wireless print server.
>
> My "RJB HOME" network shows on the Preferred network screen, but it has a
> little red ex through it. I have deleted, added, deleted, added ad
nauseum.
>
> On the NEW machine (InternalNIC), the "ad hoc" button is checked and
grayed
> out. On the OLD (external NIC), the ad hoc button is NOT checked and
grayed
> out.
>
> Don't I WANT this to be ad-hoc?
>
> Does the SSID have to match the Workgrp name? Currently they are
different.
>
> Help! And Thanks!
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

> Don't I WANT this to be ad-hoc?

No.

If you have Linksys Wireless G Router as you mentioned in your previous
posting, then you should be setting up a "Wireless Infrastructure-Mode
Network", not a "Wireless Ad-Hoc Network". An Ad-Hoc Network is one set up
WITHOUT a Wireless Access Point, using only computer systems with Wireless
Network Interfaces. A Linksys Wireless G Router is an Access Point with a
Hub and other things thrown in.

> Don't I want to simultaneously show an active Access Point connection
> AND an active Computer-to-Computer connection?

No.

An Ad-Hoc network uses one computer configured as a Host in place of the
Wireless Access Point or Router. The Host is connected to the Internet and
shares this connection wirelessly with the other systems, providing the IP
address configuration, Network Address Translation, DNS settings and other
services.

If you have the Linksys Wireless G Router, these services should be provided
by the Router and the systems connect wirelessly to the Router, NOT to each
other in Ad-Hoc mode.

Your wireless systems will communicate to one another THROUGH the Wireless G
router.


> Does the SSID have to match the Workgrp name? Currently they are
> different.

The SSID and the Workgroup name are used for different things. They CAN be
the same but do not need to be and I would recommend that you NOT use the
same name.

To easily share Files and Printers using Microsoft Windows Networking
without a Domain Controller, the computers should share the same Workgroup
Name.

To communicate together on a Wireless Network, each wireless device should
be configured with the identical SSID.

> On the NEW machine (InternalNIC), the "ad hoc" button is checked and
> grayed
> out. On the OLD (external NIC), the ad hoc button is NOT checked and
> grayed
> out.

If you have some devices already configured with the Ad-Hoc turned on, and
others with it turned off, and they are using the same SSID, I strongly
recommend that you Remove the preferred connections from wireless connection
properties page on all systems and start over using a new, unique SSID.

On each Windows system, before adding the Preferred Wireless Network, open
the Properties page of the wireless connection and select the Wireless
Networks tab. Click on the Advanced button and select "Access Point
(infrastructure) Networks Only". Then Clear the box marked "Automatically
Connect to Non-Preferred Networks". Then click on Close to close the
Advanced page and OK to save those settings. This will get them talking
Infrastructure-Mode only, not Ad-Hoc.

Then set up ONE of your systems at a time to talk to the Internet through
the Wireless Router. Once you have one system talking to the Internet
through the Wireless router, then set up the others one at a time. Once they
are all talking to the Internet, the wireless network should be fine.

After all the systems are talking to the Internet THEN make sure that the
Workgroup is the same and try sharing your files and printers.

Hope this clears up more dust than it kicks up...
--
William L. Whipple
WWW.EZine.Com


"RJB" <RJB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D9089E3-29EB-47C4-AB2C-455E4B185AF7@microsoft.com...
>I need help with this, I have been going in circles all day!
>
> I am opening View Wireless Networks, Change Advanced Settings.
>
> My linksys router is there, on both machines, with a little "RKO" circle
> around the antenna. Obviously, I can get on the Internet. And I can also
> print from both machines to the wireless print server.
>
> My "RJB HOME" network shows on the Preferred network screen, but it has a
> little red ex through it. I have deleted, added, deleted, added ad
> nauseum.
>
> On the NEW machine (InternalNIC), the "ad hoc" button is checked and
> grayed
> out. On the OLD (external NIC), the ad hoc button is NOT checked and
> grayed
> out.
>
> Don't I WANT this to be ad-hoc?
>
> Does the SSID have to match the Workgrp name? Currently they are
> different.
>
> Help! And Thanks!
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

WLW:

Nope. Still not happening. I am usually pretty good at troubleshooting this
nonsense, but I am flippin' STUMPED.

On my NEW machine (the one with the internal card), I can see the Shared
Folder on the OLD machine under "My Network Places". On the OLD machine, I
cannot see anything from the NEW machine, even though there are a few shared
folders.

Have turned OFF my Netgear utility on the old machine (Netgear is the
external wireless NIC);

Am ON the internet using the Windows Wireless utility - on BOTH computers;

The SSID for the wireless router/internet connection is "linksys". That is
active on BOTH computers, and both are ON the internet;

File sharing is ON on BOTH computers. Workgroup is the SAME on BOTH computers;

I have turned off the Windows firewall on both, and the Norton firewall on
the old (internal NIC) machine.

Thanks for your advice so far... I think I tried to add TOO MUCH instead of
just letting those smart people from Redmond run my life for me!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

> On my NEW machine (the one with the internal card), I can see
> the Shared Folder on the OLD machine under "My Network
> Places". On the OLD machine, I cannot see anything from the
> NEW machine, even though there are a few shared
> folders.

If the NEW machine can see the Old machine, then the Wireless and IP
settings are probably all correct. I would say to double-check the firewall
settings, check for things like Virus Blocking stuff, and then, as much as I
hate to suggest it, I'd would guess that the TCP/IP Stack is corrupted.

When you change configurations too much on a system, especially if you run
the Network Setup Wizard too many times, then you end up with a lot of
garbage lying around in the Registry. This can keep Windows Networking and
especially File and Printer Sharing for working reliably.

There are some Knowledge Base articles that address that issue. You may want
to look at:

http://www.ezine.com/QandA/FixWinXPTCPIPStack.shtml

Hope this helps,
--
William L. Whipple
WWW.EZine.Com


"RJB" <RJB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4E32EB11-1EF9-48B8-8DAB-352C4BE8302E@microsoft.com...
> WLW:
>
> Nope. Still not happening. I am usually pretty good at troubleshooting
> this
> nonsense, but I am flippin' STUMPED.
>
> On my NEW machine (the one with the internal card), I can see the Shared
> Folder on the OLD machine under "My Network Places". On the OLD machine, I
> cannot see anything from the NEW machine, even though there are a few
> shared
> folders.
>
> Have turned OFF my Netgear utility on the old machine (Netgear is the
> external wireless NIC);
>
> Am ON the internet using the Windows Wireless utility - on BOTH computers;
>
> The SSID for the wireless router/internet connection is "linksys". That is
> active on BOTH computers, and both are ON the internet;
>
> File sharing is ON on BOTH computers. Workgroup is the SAME on BOTH
> computers;
>
> I have turned off the Windows firewall on both, and the Norton firewall on
> the old (internal NIC) machine.
>
> Thanks for your advice so far... I think I tried to add TOO MUCH instead
> of
> just letting those smart people from Redmond run my life for me!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

For file sharing, since they're both laptops - which means one or both might
be away from network - I set up Shared Documents as a Briefcase, and then
I'll update whenever one leaves the house. Do you recommend an alternative?

Also, I am set up as Administrator on both machines, with access to my
personal files ("My Documents", etc.) limited only to me. Will XP recognize
if I am logged on to one machine that my username and password will grant
permission to the files, etc., on the OTHER machine? (That is, if I go
through My Network Places to the other hard drive, can I access My Documents
on THAT machine)?

Thanks for your help.


"WLW" wrote:

> > On my NEW machine (the one with the internal card), I can see
> > the Shared Folder on the OLD machine under "My Network
> > Places". On the OLD machine, I cannot see anything from the
> > NEW machine, even though there are a few shared
> > folders.
>
> If the NEW machine can see the Old machine, then the Wireless and IP
> settings are probably all correct. I would say to double-check the firewall
> settings, check for things like Virus Blocking stuff, and then, as much as I
> hate to suggest it, I'd would guess that the TCP/IP Stack is corrupted.
>
> When you change configurations too much on a system, especially if you run
> the Network Setup Wizard too many times, then you end up with a lot of
> garbage lying around in the Registry. This can keep Windows Networking and
> especially File and Printer Sharing for working reliably.
>
> There are some Knowledge Base articles that address that issue. You may want
> to look at:
>
> http://www.ezine.com/QandA/FixWinXPTCPIPStack.shtml
>
> Hope this helps,
> --
> William L. Whipple
> WWW.EZine.Com
>
>
> "RJB" <RJB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:4E32EB11-1EF9-48B8-8DAB-352C4BE8302E@microsoft.com...
> > WLW:
> >
> > Nope. Still not happening. I am usually pretty good at troubleshooting
> > this
> > nonsense, but I am flippin' STUMPED.
> >
> > On my NEW machine (the one with the internal card), I can see the Shared
> > Folder on the OLD machine under "My Network Places". On the OLD machine, I
> > cannot see anything from the NEW machine, even though there are a few
> > shared
> > folders.
> >
> > Have turned OFF my Netgear utility on the old machine (Netgear is the
> > external wireless NIC);
> >
> > Am ON the internet using the Windows Wireless utility - on BOTH computers;
> >
> > The SSID for the wireless router/internet connection is "linksys". That is
> > active on BOTH computers, and both are ON the internet;
> >
> > File sharing is ON on BOTH computers. Workgroup is the SAME on BOTH
> > computers;
> >
> > I have turned off the Windows firewall on both, and the Norton firewall on
> > the old (internal NIC) machine.
> >
> > Thanks for your advice so far... I think I tried to add TOO MUCH instead
> > of
> > just letting those smart people from Redmond run my life for me!
>
>
>