Networking my computers

[Jeff]

HAH!  I give up!  Been sharing the internet connection through the router. I have spent countless hours now trying to get a network connection established to share printer and admit FAILURE.

Both machines are running X.P. eithernet cables connected to router. Log into router from my machine and it recognizes Tammy's as being a connected device. Network cards have up to date drivers. I hve run the network set up wizards countless times and ways and still no luck

ANy idears out there?

[DouginUtah]

Jeff,

I will send you a Word document which may (or may not) help you to get it set up. If it doesn't help I can get the problem solved on Dec 8, when our computer club meets.

-Doug

[Larry]

Well it's really quite simple.  I got a Dell with XP, Gateway with ME, and another Gateway with 95 all on a network.  All you need is a cable like this one. ;D



Don't laugh to hard as it only took about 12 hours to figure it out. ???

What helps the best is to walk away from the problem for a while and come back with a fresh view.

[Ga_Boy]

If ya'll had grits for breakfast you most likely would have figured this out.

[Jim_Rogers]

Sometimes you have to shut off any virus protection or firewall stuff to get it to work, that is in both computers.
I have two computers, one desk top and one laptop. I have them connected with a hub and Ethernet wires.
The desktop can take files to and from the laptop, but the laptop can't see anything in the desktop or use the printer threw the desktop connection.
So to print from either computer to the printer, I had to move the printer cable from one machine to the other.
That got old real fast.
So, I went over to the store where I got my hub and wires, my external modem and asked them about a simple a-b switch.
They set me up with an a-b switch where I have two wires coming in, one from each computer and one output wire to the printer. So when I need to print something from either computer, I just reach up and turn the switch to point to that computer. When I forget to turn the switch the computer tells me that my printer is out of paper, so I then turn the switch and it prints.
I'm not sure if this is what you need to do, but this system works for me, as both computers are on the same desk near the printer.
Good luck,
Jim Rogers

[SwampDonkey]

I don't have an extra computer or the networking hardware or I'de figure it out. I used to do all the networking at work on WIndows 95,98,NT 4.0 machines (NT sux ;D )

Anyway I have a link below from Microsloth and the 4th item in the 'This Weeks Feature' may help you out. I've never looked at it myself, but surely they know what they're talking about. ;)

Click Here

I'da used an 8 or 16 node HUB.

As Jim suggests there may be problems with active Firewall and Antivirus software running while setting up.

In my setup I have to kill the Firewall in order for Dreamweaver to be able to access by website via FTP. Also, I have to disable 'On Access Scanner' in Norman antivirus in order for my WinCE device can synchronize with the main database on my laptop PC. Pain in the butt, but we all love Windows. ;D

One other thing, did you go into each machine and setup file and print sharing on each drive you want access to and printer, your printer has to have a network driver installed, most have that option in the install?

;)

[Ianab]

Jeff

Most times I come across that problem it's due to a firewall running on one or both PCs. Usually best to turn them off and enable the firewall in your router. The Windows firewall isn't all that good, but it can be used in conjunction with file and print sharing, so long as those options are ticked.

Other firewalls secure your PC by making it appear 'invisible' on the network / internet. In this case it sounds like the firewall is working  ;) :D

Ian

[Jeff]

Two problems I encounter. When I try to access Network places on my computer I get a "network is not present or started" prompt. I also get this when I click on map networks.

On Tammy's machine when I do it, I see the network.

[SwampDonkey]

I guess the router is best when using one pc for accessing the web and sharing that with others on the network.

I'de recommend updating to XP SP2 if you haven't done so. It's got an improved (supposedly) network wizard.

Try rebooting your system to see if the networking starts up properly. I don't know how Tammy's PC can see your end of the network while your PC fails to innitiate. You sure she's not just seeing her networked devices? Or does she see your devices (HD's and networked printer). Is the printer hooked to your machine?

[SwampDonkey]

I'm not familiar with XP's new networking setup, but under Windows 95/98 everyone had to be under one Workgroup Name in order to communicate. ;)

[SwampDonkey]

double click on the My Networks Icon on the desktop

open the 1394 network by double clicking

click on properties

see that you have file and printer sharing, Client for microsoft networks, and TCP/IP in the list at the very least.

Depending on which PC is the server machine, open up My Networks and click on 'create a new connection' from that machine to add another PC to the network.

Does that help?

[WoodSmith]

Is the printer connected to the router or  connected to one of the computers?

[Jeff]

I quit on this for tonight as I am brain dead, but to answer a couple quick questions. Yes service pack 2 is installed on both machines. Printer is connected to Tammy's Machine which is designated as the server machine.

Tammy's machine recognizes her network connection and devices. Mine does not even open after running wizard. get the error/prompt I mentioned above.

[WoodSmith]

Jeff,
I have a similar configuration. I bought a 5 port switch/hub that connects to the router,(which gives me internet access for my LAN)

I have connected 2 computers to the switch/hub one designated as the server and has 2 printers

 connected to it and I also have a wireless access point connected to the switch for wireless connectivity for my laptop that I use in various places in the house.

I found that the  LAN (Local Area Network) segment would not function properly using the available ethernet ports on the router.

If you could borrow a 10/100 hub or switch you might be able to narrow it down to network infrastructure or network software.

If you disable any and all firewalls and determine that you have in fact setup the drives and or directories on the drives  for sharing over the network and it still won't allow

 you to network than I would look at the physical connectivity between the router and all other networked devices.

There is one inherent problem that comes with using one of your computers as a print server,

if you leave the server on all the time the printer will from time to time loose connection. And I usually have to restart the server.

The best way which of course happens to be the more expensive route is to buy an ethernet print server device to connect the printer directly to the LAN.

Also you will want to keep the firewall active on the router to keep your LAN hidden from the outside world.

[WoodSmith]

Oh ya make sure that you have netbios selected from Protocol in Network neighborhood properties.

[Ianab]

Sounds as if the 'network browser' function on your PC may be broken.
A couple of other tricks you can try

1:  Use the 'Search for Computer' function in explorer, it may find the other PC and let you map the shared drive and printer, even though you cant browse to it.

2: Fit a cheapo pci network card using a different brand of network chip, this forces windows to completely rebuild the network stack on your PC and usually gets it correct. Often you can then remove it and re-load the drivers for the onboard network and it will now work fine.

These are tricks that have got me out of spots in the past,  when the PC just wont do what the book says it should. maybe they will help ya

Ian.

[Arthur]

Jeff

you havnt mentiond your hub.  sound like do done have one.

If you have a hub you need standard 1 to 1 wire if you are just connecting one PC to another then you will need a crossover cable.  This has some of the pairs switched.  This will enable you to see the network ortherwise your pc will not see anything.

or you can get a hub.  Get a switching hub as they are faster and should have enough ports for you to put the router and the printer onto the hub.  You wont need two pc running in that case.

[iain]

try the link below good selection of fixers :D

http://www.hammersource.com/Sledge_Hammers.html

[SwampDonkey]

Goto Tammy's machine and try adding your computer to the network by 'create a new connection' under My Network Places/Network connections. While your in there open up the '1394 connection' on Tammy's machine to see the protocals and clients that are setup under 'properties', then open yours and see if they match. On your machine under My Network Places/Network connection you can try the 'repair this connection' under the network tasks.

[Danny_S]

If it were me, with 2 computers, I would fire the router out to the curb for the scrap man, and put a second nic card in Tammy's machine. Make sure you have a CROSSOVER cable running between them and it whould set up just fine. IF'n yo dont know the differ betwinxt the strait through and a crossover, look at the wires in the end of the jacks. The strait through will have the same color pattern on each jack and the crossover it will be mixed up. As Arthur_Dayson said earlier, if the cable is wrong you might as well have a clothesline cable runnin betwinxt dem!!!

Unless of course your printer uses a network cable you can delete this post. heh

Wait!  Take over Tammy's machine as your own and then it will be her problem that she cant print!!!!!  :D

[SwampDonkey]

Yes the cross over cable could be the culprit too, if ya aren't using one. ;D

[Jeff]

There are two eithernet cables going to the router. one from each computer.

[DanG]

Man! I hate messing with stuff like that. I'd probbly just go out and buy a second printer and fergit the whole DanG mess. :

[OneWithWood]

Jeff,
I don't know squat about networking, but I think the printer needs to have a network card and be hooked up to the network directly.  When you look at My Network can you see the printer?

[Bruce_A]

I bought the second printer at wally world and then the computer went down will get another one before christmas.  Cheap printer was $29.00 with the ink.  Ink for the other one I had was $59.00.