Setting up a home newtwork using XP

[Jimmy Little]

Setting up a home newtwork using XP

Hi I’m going round a friends house to set up a home network later today using two pc’s.

Yesterday I installed a Speedtouch multiuser 510 ADSL gateway router connected to the the AOL BB (one of two router that works with AOL!!) that has gone ok and the internet works fine… acording to the manuel all I need to go is connect a network cable and autodectect the settinging.

But… I would also like to share files and folders that are on the first computer, how do I go about doing this?

[Zak33]

I feel a little "deja vu" man.....

http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.p...894#post108894

I gotta ask Bobby, you little network guru....aint you sussed this one out yet?

Now I'm NOT gonna knock anyone who is happy to help just thought that MAYBE this was already covered.

Have you tried a "Search" on the subject on this very forum..our new Search facility is so funky you might die of excitement

Good luck...but I do wonder a bit......

[Furton]

If you have simple file sharing enabled it's pretty easy to do as you only have to make sure both comps are on the way WorkGroup or Domain to share files. That would be a very basic set up though.

[Nick]

This is dead easy. Here's how in a few simple steps

1) Get the main machine connected to the network and running on the internet. Then run XP's built in network set-up wizard. At the end of that, it'll ask you if you want to create a disk to use on other PCs, click yes and then restart the first PC, then run the disk on the second PC and restart that one.

2) Swear and curse for 20 minutes while nothing works, have a cup of tea and curse for anything between 1-8 hours while repeatedly running the network setup wizard and disk in any random order.

3) Re-install XP.... twice.... on both machines.

4) Repeat the step 1.

5) Repeat the step 2.

6) Repeat all the steps up to this one.

7) Finally, open up the run box, type 'ipconfig' on both machines, note down the numbers that come up and then set it all up manually from within the properties box for your network adapters.

Job done.

ps. For an additional challenge, try doing this over an 'ad hoc' peer to peer wireless network with data encryption turned on.

[Richie]

Why do step 7 Deck ??

If the IP's are assigned by DHCP then they will probably never change unless a manual change is done (ipconfig /release and /renew) as XP will try and ask for same IP address before lease expires. If there is only a few machines then it will get the IP back fine.

[Iain]

Almost certainly because steps 3-6 will result in XP not retaining the address. Unless you know of a way to allow a formatted PC to keep it's IP ?

But more importantly, are you taking his post seriously ?

[Nick]

It was a light-hearted look at setting up a home network, drawn from my own experience, that's all.

In the end I found the only way I could get it to work was to run IP config and assign the IP addresses for the gateway machine and network cards manually. For some reason the XP Network setup wiz just wasn't doing it and I couldn't get anything to connect to anything else.

manually configuring networks card and addresses may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it does make things an awful lot easier than watching little blue progress bars all day and still not getting the results you want.

All I was doing was having a giggle at my own ineptitude with anything electrical... except a kettle of course...

[Richie]

But more importantly, are you taking his post seriously ?

Let me state that my post was a genuine question, hence the question marks and was not in one slightest bit a dig at Deckard or the info he supplied.


Thanks to Deck for explaining why he recommended step 7. I have had a couple of probs with WinXP network wizard as have a few others I know (not the same problem however).... PITA most of the time.



To Az - I have read and re-read my post and cant find a single way in which it can be read in an offensive way. I will apologise to Deckard if he has read this as such but I dont take to kindly to the attitude given by yourself Az and the manner in which your post is directed at me.

Thank you.

[Moby-Dick]

Richie - I dont think Az was directing at yourself. 'tis a long and winding story.....

[Zak33]

Richie dude.....Az is deffo not pulling you up......

Deck had a nightmare with HIS network and I did too, with NTL...TiG sorted me out

[Ferral]

The 2 PC's at mine wouldn't network at all using the XP wizard. To get it working I had to format both machines even if just one needed doing as XP just wouldn't recognise the 2 PC's on the network if one or the other was formatted.

In the end bought the router and connected both PC's to it then the broadband modem and it was sorted within minutes of doing it. I didn't have to install all the crap that comes on the NTL disks either (Correctconnect, Broadjump etc...) as soon as both PC's were restarted it was there and working ! I didn't even have to log into the router to configure the connection !

Router has been the best thing I have ever bought, has made life so much easier and now the PC downstairs doesn't have to be on if I want to use the net on mine !

[goof]

I found this page at Ozcable guy's site immensely helpful when setting up ICS.

Now I never have any problems getting ICS working, but I'd agree with the prices that routers are these days, you'd be as well picking one up. But then they can bring up their own problems

[Richie]

Fair enough Moby/Zak.... If not aimed at me then thats fine.