Wireless Network

[~~Tides~~]

Set up my new modem/router today. Desktop (ethernet) and laptop (wireless) both getting connected to the internet fine.

However, when I tried to set up a 'home network' (printersharing, file sharing etc), i got myself in a slight mess and nothing seemed to work.

How do you actaully go about this? I'm using XP, and I know there is the 'set up home network wizard' and 'wireless network wizard' but i couldnt work out either of them.

The router is a Belkin ADSL Modem with wireless router...

ps. also wonder, how do you put a password on to your wireless connection? As it is currently unprotected.


Many Thanks in anticipation...

[blueivy]

Set up my new modem/router today. Desktop (ethernet) and laptop (wireless) both getting connected to the internet fine.

However, when I tried to set up a 'home network' (printersharing, file sharing etc), i got myself in a slight mess and nothing seemed to work.

How do you actaully go about this? I'm using XP, and I know there is the 'set up home network wizard' and 'wireless network wizard' but i couldnt work out either of them.

There is a lot to what you want to do. If we go through it in steps you will get it done. I've not put it all here as it's a lot to take in initially!

The 'wireless network wizard' won't help you setup file sharing etc. It's only for creating wireless connections and replicating those changes to other computers. As you only have one wireless computer, and it's working, it's redundant.

The Network Setup Wizard can be handy to setup your network, however it only turns on file and printer sharing - you still need to share out the folders and printers for it to work. It's a bit like unlocking your car, you still need to open the doors to get in (so to speak :-))

First of all make a note of the name of the computer that the folder or printer that you want to share is on. Right click on the folder or printer and select Sharing and Security. Put a tick box in Share this folder/printer on the network and type in a name for the share (every share must have a unique name). Select OK. The printer or folder will now be shared on the computer.

On the other computer, you will need the name of the first computer above. Go to Start->Run and type in \\FIRSTCOMPUTERNAME (where FIRSTCOMPUTERNAME is the actual name of the first computer above). You should see a list of shares that the computer has shared out, including the one that you shared out above. If it's a folder you shared out, then open it and you should see the contents; if it's a printer open it and you should see the queue.

Try this and come back to tell us how you got on and we can take it from there.

The router is a Belkin ADSL Modem with wireless router...

ps. also wonder, how do you put a password on to your wireless connection? As it is currently unprotected.
Many Thanks in anticipation...

You need to secure the router as soon as possible. In the setup of the router there should be an option for Wireless Settings. In there you should enable WPA security with a shared password. Make the password nice and long and make sure it hasd uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols in it. Also make sure you note it down. Once you apply the security, you need to go back to you wireless PC and configure the security settings on there - this will be different depending if you are using Windows to manage the wireless connection or the software that comes with your wireless card / laptop. If you've already configured it for connecting you'll know where to put the details.

[~~Tides~~]

"//gregs-room

The network path was not found."


Thats what happens when I type that into run...

Managed to get the wireless password protected, so thanks for your help with that.

[blueivy]

"//gregs-room

The network path was not found."


Thats what happens when I type that into run...

Managed to get the wireless password protected, so thanks for your help with that.

Glad you got the wireless network protected!

Can you find out the IP address of the PC gregs-room (go to the PC and go to Start->Network Connections and double-click on the network connection and click the support tab - note the IP address)?

Go back to the machine you are using to try and access gregs-room and start Command Prompt. type 'ping <IP ADDRESS>' where IP ADDRESS is the ip address of gregs-room PC. If you get something like:

Reply from 192.168.18.10: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

For simplicity, run the Network Setup Wizard (I know I kind of skipped over it below, but we need to make sure the machines are both in the same workgroup etc. and it's the easiest way of doing it)

On one of the machines, go to Start->Control Panel->Network Setup Wizard and go through the options. Make a note of the workgroup name that you entered into the wizard and run the wizard on the other machine with the same workgroup name etc.

Now try Start->Run and enter '\\gregs-room' again.

If it still doesn't work try this on both machines:


Go to Start->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services and scroll down until you find Computer Browser. Make sure it is Started and is Automatic.
Go to Start->Control Panel->Network Connections, right-click your network connection, select Properties and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click the Properties button. Click the Advanced button, go to the WINS tab and check Enable NETBIOS over TCP/IP. Select OK three times.
Reboot both machines.

Now try Start->Run and enter '\\gregs-room' again.

If it STILL doesn't work, make sure you either have the Windows Firewall disabled (if you can do so safely) or check it's not blocking things. Go to Start->Control Panel->Windows Firewall, make sure there is not a tick in Don't allow exceptions, click the Exceptions tab and put a tick into File and Printer Sharing, click OK.

Now try Start->Run and enter '\\gregs-room' again.

If it STILL doesn't work go to Start->My Network Places and double-click Entire Network, Microsoft Windows Network and then see if it's there.

If it works at any stage, you can add it into My Network Places so that you can access it from an icon rather than typing '\\gregs-room' each time. To do that go to Start->My Network Places and double-click Add Network Place and follow the prompts. The machine will then appear in the list as an icon which you can copy to the desktop etc. as you would do with a normal icon.

If it STILL doesn't work let me know. My fingers are on fire from all that typing so I need a rest :-)

[~~Tides~~]

AHHHHHHH!!!!! No! No! No! No!!

Nothing is working, but I appreciate all the typing you're doing.

everytime i put \\gregs-room in, i get the same message.

On the network setup wizard, i selected, "This computer connects to the internet directly or through a network hub. Other computers on my network also connect to the Internet directly or through a hub." I wasn't sure if, "This computer connects to the internet through a residential gateway or through another computer on my network". (I have laptop and desktop connected to a belkin modem/router, wasn't sure if thats a residential gateway or not).

Worrying problem, is that desktop is doing funny things now, eg. sitting with just the desktop picture and nothing else for ages at startup...

[blueivy]

AHHHHHHH!!!!! No! No! No! No!!

Nothing is working, but I appreciate all the typing you're doing.

everytime i put \\gregs-room in, i get the same message.

On the network setup wizard, i selected, "This computer connects to the internet directly or through a network hub. Other computers on my network also connect to the Internet directly or through a hub." I wasn't sure if, "This computer connects to the internet through a residential gateway or through another computer on my network". (I have laptop and desktop connected to a belkin modem/router, wasn't sure if thats a residential gateway or not).

Worrying problem, is that desktop is doing funny things now, eg. sitting with just the desktop picture and nothing else for ages at startup...

The one you selected in the setup wizard is correct.

The only other thing to try is to edit your lmhosts file.

If you have the IP address of gregs-room then go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ and make a copy of the file lmhosts.sam and call it lmhosts. Now open the lmhosts file in notepad. Add the following entries to the bottom of the file:

IPADDRESS gregs-room

Where IPADDRESS is the ip address of gregs-room computer. From a command prompt, try ping gregs-room and let me know what you get.

[~~Tides~~]

God, all this seems so complicated. I was under the impression that it was just an easy thing to do that didnt require a degree in computing.

Thanks for helping anyway!

[blueivy]

God, all this seems so complicated. I was under the impression that it was just an easy thing to do that didnt require a degree in computing.

Thanks for helping anyway!

It can be an easy thing to do ... if it all works! :-) When it doesn't work that's when the pain starts.

Microsoft has added all sorts of wizard and if your environment fits in with all the assumption they have had to make about a home network, it will usually all work.