Network Help!!

[BMM389EC]

Help! Before I throw these things out the window.

Bought a new desktop and a Linksys Router. Have successfully set up the internet on the new desktop and my old laptop through the router but have had no luck what so ever setting up a network so that I can transfer stuff between the two computers. Want to send photos,songs in Itunes etc on the laptop to the desktop. I've run Windows Network Setup Wizard or whatever it's called on both and have had no luck at all.

Anyone got any tips/pointers? All advice appreciated!!!!

[amanoffewwords]

Best if you could tell us the versions of Windows you have - it makes a difference to the answer.

Cheers,
Charles

[Conan the Librarian]

Many peeps have nervous breakdowns with networks. If using XP then do make sure that you are updated on all machines concerned (Service Pack 2 etc. etc.) I was having a "moment" with my own setup, but when SP2 was on all PCs then it seemed to click into place quite readily.

watching the thread with interest,

Conan

[FJJP]

Have you 'shared' the hard drives?

On desktop, double left click on My Computer. Select and right click on the hard drive. Select the 'Sharing and Security' option, the 'Sharing' tab and follow the instructions. You want network users to be able to move and change folders, etc, I presume? Anyway, I think the options are self-explanatory. On each computer, make the hard drives 'shared'.

If you have any further queries, please indicate your OS...

[timmcat]

Also, ensure you have 'file and printer sharing' enabled on the host PC. (should find this in the properties tab of your connection).

[BMM389EC]

Hello All
Thanks for the replies so far. Both are running XP which are fully up to date. I tried sharing the hard drives of both like suggested. No luck. When I go to My Network Places there's an option on the side View Workgroup Computers or something like that. When I click on that it says I dont have authority and must contact the administrator!!!???

[FJJP]

Unless there is a security or 'fiddler' issue, I would use administrator rights for each comp as the norm - it saves a huge amount of hastle. I don't even bother with a password to open the default profile.

If you are sure that you have administrator rights when you tried to share drives, I'm at a bit of a loss.

The only thing I can suggest is that you try the following:

Double left click on 'My Computer' on the desktop.
Right click on the drive to be shared.
Left click on 'Sharing and Security'.
Left click on the 'Sharing' tab.
Under 'Network Sharing and Security' there are 2 tick-boxes. Untick these and then click on 'Apply'.
Now re-tick those 2 boxes and click 'Apply' then 'ok'.

With a bit of luck the 'sharing hand' should appear under the disk symbol.

To check, open Windows Explorer, expand 'My Network Places' and the disks shared will be listed by name; it should include the disk you have just re-done.

Try that and let us know how you got on...

FJJP

[toothpic]

Hi,
Read somewher that you need to switch off the firewalls to both computers the first time you run the network set up wizard, and then turn them on again once the network has been set up...

Kev

[BMM389EC]

I give up! Shared both hard drives, ran the network set up wizard again-nothing. Any more ideas?

[Saab Dastard]

BMM389EC,

Networks aren't too bad, you just need to be methodical so that you can pinpoint where the problem lieth!

I assume that you are cabling both PCs to the Linksys switch ports, and that the Linksys is configured to supply IP addresses to each PC via DHCP, and is in turn connected to the broadband device.

You can view the IP configuration by typing IPCONFIG /ALL at the command prompt (Start, Run, CMD). Check that both computers have an address in the same range (e.g. 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3) and that the Subnet masks are the same (e.g. 255.255.255.0). You should also ensure that they both have the same Default Gateway (the Linksys device, probably) and are both picking up the same DNS servers.

Check that each PC can communicate with the Default Gateway by pinging it from the command line: PING 192.168.0.1, or what ever the DG IP address is on your network. Next ensure that each computer can ping the other: PING 192.168.0.2, or what ever the addresses are on your network. Then check that you can ping the NAME of each computer from the other: PING MYPC1, or whatever (to find the name, right click "My Computer, Properties, Computer Name Tab).

If you can do all this, then the problem lies further up the chain, and we can investigate shares and security issues.

If you can't, report back so that further troubleshooting can be attempted!


SD

[Stick Flying]

This does sound to me to be a firewall issue. I got the same denial pop-up when I first tried to network.

I am running Nortons and there are a couple of places where you need to make changes to allow file transfer.

Firstly you need to set the IP range in the networking section and you have to allow (if not already) windows file transfer in the advanced section.

If you are running Nortons and still having probs PM me and I will take you through what could be the issue.

[SilentlyScreaming]

Worth a quick check - goto System Properties on each PC (control panel), and check the Computer Name tab, and make sure they are on the same domain.
Could be wrong, but I believe you'd have net access on both PCs if domains were mis-matched, but not file sharing etc.

[Saab Dastard]

SilentlyScreaming,

You mean Wokgroup, not Domain.

Unless there is a Domain Controller server (highly unlikely in a home network), the computers can only be in a Workgroup.

SD

[SilentlyScreaming]

You're right, thanks for spotting that.
Serves me right for posting from work I supposed :>

[BMM389EC]

OK-figured it out! Have to turn of the Norton Firewalls on both computers! Surely I dont't have to turn them off everytime I want to transfer stuff!!??

[Ausatco]

No you don't. I have Zonealarm Pro on 3 computers on a wireless network and file transfers between the 3 work fine.

It will just be a matter of configuring Norton's firewall. Can't help you with that, unfortunately.

AA

[Stick Flying]

No you dont have to turn them off. Just re-read my original post at the areas you need to configure your firewall.

Stick