Home network

burdette

We have a desktop PC running WinXP, a wireless router, and we just bought a new laptop running Vista Premium. The wireless works great, but we want to be able to get to PC files from the laptop, and we want to print. (I also want to find out if we can access the Outlook on the desktop from the laptop, and do email from the laptop, or are we going to have to switch back to an online-based email to have access from both machines).

I have read a TON of articles and FAQs and how-to's on home networking. TOO much information and some of it is conflicting - I'm overwhelmed. I did manage to get the My Documents folder on the PC set to "share", but that is my only progress so far.

I wanted to ask here for help because, as I said, sometimes there is just too much information out there, and often it is overly complicated.

For example, I just installed a new video card (thanks gain, Polkthug). Based on the reading I did before-hand, I was expecting a pain in the arse. Some articles had me in the BIOS, some had me changing this and that, disabling onboard video, etc. Ended up all I had to do was run the NVIDIA driver install app, shut down, install the card, fire up the machine and WinXP did the rest. Didn't even ask me if I wanted to install new hw, it just WORKED.

I'm thinking maybe some of the home networking information might be similar - way more than I need to know and just not as complicated as it can sound.

Thanks.

Sami

I don't know how basic you need it to be so I'll start with ping:

From desktop:
1) Run command prompt and type in 'ipconfig'
2) Note the IP Address from results

From laptop
Steps 1 and 2

From desktop command prompt:
ping 'IP Address of the laptop'
Result: Reply from 'IP Address of the laptop' OK
Result: 'Request timed out.' FAIL

Repeat from laptop

Sami

After ping is OK, see if you can connect to the shared folder in the desktop:

From laptop:

1) Open 'My Computer', click on the toolbar options 'Tools'->'Map Network Drive'
2) Select Drive letter
3) Folder: \\'IP Address of the desktop'\'shared folder name'

You should now have the desktop folder mapped as a drive on your laptop

Sami

Printer

Share your printer just like you did share the folder, then from the laptop

1) 'Start'->'Settings'->'Printers and faxes'
2) 'Add a printer'
3) Next -> Select 'A network printer...'
4) Select 'Connect to this Printer...'
5) Name: \\'IP Address of the desktop'\'shared printer name'

NOTE: You need to have the drivers for the laptop.

jakelm

Sami, will this process only access shared files or can you use this to access the entire HD of a PC onyour network? Similar to PC anyware?

PhantomOG

If you get this working, let me know what magic you performed.

I have the same setup, PC with XP and laptop with Vista Premium. I can see the PC on my "network map" on the Vista laptop, however, I can't see or access any shared files.

The only thing I haven't done is disable the Windows Firewall on the XP PC which is what I've read might work. Didn't sound like something I wanted to do as a fix.

EDIT: I haven't tried mapping the drive with the IP, only the computer name. I'll give that a shot tonight.... I'm not holding my breath

Sami

jakelm wrote: »

Sami, will this process only access shared files or can you use this to access the entire HD of a PC onyour network? Similar to PC anyware?

Only the shared folders. You should never share your entire HD.

PC Anywhere is a remote desktop, similar to VNC. I haven't used it so I don't know all the features of it.

Sami

PhantomOG wrote: »

EDIT: I haven't tried mapping the drive with the IP, only the computer name. I'll give that a shot tonight.... I'm not holding my breath

Can you ping the computer with the name? If you can't, set your routers DHCP service to assign IP address based on the MAC address and specify the computer name there.

PhantomOG

Yep, ping in both directions works.

Amazingly enough, mapping the shared drive as \IP\sharedfolder worked whereas \compName\sharedfolder didn't

I owe you one.

Now, try to figure this one out. The PC I want to access has two physical hard drives with shared folders I want access to. One, the SATA hard drive that came with the Dell Box, shares just fine now. The second, is a PATA drive that I have hooked up via a Promise PCI IDE controller card (Dell was kind enough not to solder on IDE connectors). Anyways, I can't access any shared folders on that drive....

And whenever I tried to add the shared printer I get a complaint about not finding the driver. So I got smart, unplugged the printer from the computer directly into the laptop. Vista see and installs the printer just fine. However, when I re-plug the printer back to the desktop and try to add it as a network printer, it still claims it can't find the damn driver.

Vista obviously has the driver somewhere... but where?

Polk addict

If its new, you can manually install the driver from the desktop that is using it via wireless.

You can just copy and install the driver from the desktop. You just use the Contol Panel to find out where the driver is...

PhantomOG

Desktop is XP, laptop is Vista... didn't think using the desktop driver would be a good idea on the laptop.

The laptop does already have the driver located somewhere... it installs the printer just fine when connected directly. Why it won't when adding over the network is beyond me.

Polk addict

Oh woops sorry...

burdette

Thank you for the helpful information and discussion. I'l try the suggestions as soon as I can.

Thanks again.

burdette

Both pings worked.

When I try to map the network drive, the laptop says it can't connect to the IP address of the PC.

I rechecked the pings, they both still work.

Your 'step 3' said:
3) Folder: \\'IP Address of the desktop'\'shared folder name'

I'm wondering what I need for 'shared folder name'. The actual address of the shared folder under properties is:
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents

I tried just "my documents" for shared folder name, and I tried that whole thing. I tried "Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents"

When I hit "diagnose", the box says "Windows confirmed that this computer cannot connect to 'ip address of PC'.

Just for kicks, I tried the printer. Eventually got "Windows cannot connect to the printer. The server printer spooler service is not running. Please restart the spooler on the server or restart the server machine."

bruss

right click the folder you are sharing and click the sharing option. it should have a "shared name" thats the name you want to use.. same with the printer

Sami

Open explorer (not internet explorer) on C:\Documents and Settings\Owner and right click on 'My Documents' and select 'Share'. From there you will see what the shared name is. Most likely it is going to be 'My Documents'. So lets say the ip is 192.168.0.100, this is then what you need to type in on the laptop:

\\192.168.0.100\My Documents

Print Spooler is a service. Make sure you have it started up:

1) Start -> Run -> Services (or you can do Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services)

2) Locate 'Print Spooler'

3) Right click -> Properties

4) Startup Type: Automatic

5) Start

6) Apply

burdette

Did all that. The My Documents folder is shared, shows as shared (with the little hand holding it)...

Tried again from the laptop. Chose Z... typed in \\IP of desktop\My Documents. I get the "Network Error" box. Diagnose again gives the "windows confirms it cannot connect to 'ip address desktop'.

When I hit see details, I get this:

Error 0x800704b3
The nework path was either typed incorrectly, does not exist, or the network provider is currently unavailable. Please try retyping the path or contact your network administrator.

The pings worked (I just checked again). This doesn't.

Do I maybe need to change something on the router settings? I'm using the Belkin wireless g router.

I've done just enough work on computers to know that somewhere hidden deep within somewhere, is some box that is checked that shouldn't be, or some box that isn't checked that should be... and it is mocking me.

PolkThug

Burdette you need to figure this out so you can come set mine up!

SKsolutions

Default workgroup name in Vista is WORKGROUP
Default workgroup name in XP is MSHOME

Change one to the other

jakelm

I right clicked on My Documents, went to sharing and security. This is what pulled up. Do I check off 'share this folder on a network' and name it? Then when connecting to the Pc, type \\Ip address\ and the name of the folder I just named?

Example:

Folder: \\111.222.33.10\joe bob's documents ?

Sami

Yep, check on (not off ) 'Share this folder..." and give it a name. I'd give something short like bobs_docs so you can access it with \\111.222.33.10\bobs_docs

Like SKsolutions pointed out, it's good if your computers are on the same workgroup (not absolutely necessary but in most cases it prevents odd problems). I'd give a custom name for the workgroup too, f.e. 'bobs_lan'.

jakelm

What if the 2 pc were on 2 different connections in 2 different areas? Could I just type in the Ip adress and do the same thing. If I can ping my PC at home, from work, would this work?

PhantomOG

I'm pretty sure the sharing is just over the local network connection.

burdette

Sami wrote: »

Yep, check on (not off ) 'Share this folder..." and give it a name. I'd give something short like bobs_docs so you can access it with \\111.222.33.10\bobs_docs

Like SKsolutions pointed out, it's good if your computers are on the same workgroup (not absolutely necessary but in most cases it prevents odd problems). I'd give a custom name for the workgroup too, f.e. 'bobs_lan'.

Do I have to change the name of the shared folder to something other than it already is? The whole point of this is that we want to be able to get to the My Documents folder on the PC from the laptop so we can work on files from the laptop, and print from the laptop. Doesn't the name of the shared folder in the sharing set up have to match the actual real name of the folder on the computer?

What I don't understand is why the error I'm getting is that the laptop can't even find the PC. It doesn't say that it can't find the shared folder, the error says it can't even find the connection, even though the pings are working... ?

(from the flow of this thread, it is obvious I'm not the only person who is trying to get their home networks running.. that makes me feel a little better!)

jakelm

Sounds like a Firewall problem, either with the router or pc. Allowing ping, but not sharring.

Sami

jakelm wrote: »

What if the 2 pc were on 2 different connections in 2 different areas? Could I just type in the Ip adress and do the same thing. If I can ping my PC at home, from work, would this work?

Your router would need to have port forwarding setup for this.

PCWork (LAN IP) -> RouterWork (Internet IP) -> RouterHome (Internet IP) -> PCHome (LAN IP)

In order for the PCWork to communicate with PCHome, RouterHome needs to say ok, file sharing, those requests are forwarded to PCHome at address ****.****.****.****

Sami

burdette wrote: »

Do I have to change the name of the shared folder to something other than it already is?

No, you don't. It doesn't have to be the same name as the actual folder is either.

jakelm

Sami wrote: »

Your router would need to have port forwarding setup for this.

PCWork (LAN IP) -> RouterWork (Internet IP) -> RouterHome (Internet IP) -> PCHome (LAN IP)

In order for the PCWork to communicate with PCHome, RouterHome needs to say ok, file sharing, those requests are forwarded to PCHome at address ****.****.****.****

Gotcha Sami, thanks. So you would have to open all the doors that stand in the way from work to home?

Sami

Yes sir, if you have a hardware router the setup should be simple. On a linux router it's not more difficult either.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298804

The following ports are associated with file sharing and server message block (SMB) communications:
• Microsoft file sharing SMB: User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports from 135 through 139 and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ports from 135 through 139.
• Direct-hosted SMB traffic without a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS): port 445 (TCP and UPD).

burdette

So what are my next steps? Pinging works, folder is (I believe) shared correctly, but laptop says it can't connect to the PC.

I opened the router control panel last night but by that time I was tired and didn't want to get to a level of frustration where I don't even want to work on this. So I took a break. I'll try again tonight if I have anything new to try.

As for firewalls... if I remember correctly, I think both computers explicitly had a dialog box that said something like "Windows firewall settings are set to allow sharing"... something like that. But I know I haven't made any changes to firewall settings...

Thanks again for the help.

Sami

Hard to diagnose the problem remotely, it most likely would be a few minute thing to identify at the location. Have you made sure your computers are on the same workgroup?

Go to router DHCP settings and set the dynamic IP's to static based on the NIC's MAC address, and give the connection a name. Try pinging with that name, and if that works try connecting to share again.