Networking - Anyone help?

[rossored]

Hi all

Posted this same question on PC Pitstop this morning, but no response as yet and its doing my head in so I figured I'd ask everyone here instead/as well as.

I have just acquired a new laptop through my work, which is equipped to handle a VPN on the office network through my ADSL connection - all works fine, no probs whatsoever.

However, I had planned to use my old personal laptop for my girlfriend, so she could share my internet connection. Figured I could just hook the two together with a network cable, get them to share the connection and I'd be away...

The old machine is running WinXP Home SP1. My new machine is running WinXP Pro SP2, and is on a work domain. The other machine is in a workgroup.

What I want to know is this : can I simply connect the two machines together with a length of cable through the Ethernet adapters in the back of each laptop to share the connection? We're both in the same room so I dont really need to go wireless. I have the LAN "a network cable is unplugged" message on the toolbar even though the two machines are connected, neither seems to recognise the presence of the other and the "wizards" dont seem to do much either.

Is a conflict being caused my the new machine being part of a domain rather than a workgroup? Is there a way I can still share files/folders on the old machine? If so, might someone be able to tell me what to do to get it all working?

Thanks indeed,

RR


EDIT : Btw, I know the cable is working fine, and both Ethernet sockets appear to be working OK too

 

[adrianallen99]

How To Set Up a TCP/IP Peer-to-Peer Network Connection

http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/Q150/5/75.asp

 

[rossored]

Thanks Adrian.

However, I'm not sure that answers my question. I'm led to believe that all I need to do is plug the damn cable in the back of each PC,, run the wizard and - hey presto! But thats not whats happening.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[adrianallen99]

Are you using a normal cable or a crossover cable to connect the two PC's??

 

[Bluewave]

Is a conflict being caused my the new machine being part of a domain rather than a workgroup? Is there a way I can still share files/folders on the old machine? If so, might someone be able to tell me what to do to get it all working?

Thanks indeed,

RR


EDIT : Btw, I know the cable is working fine, and both Ethernet sockets appear to be working OK too

Hi Rossored,

I've done this before, even sharing an internet connection through an Apple Powerbook!

Yeah, a couple of things to check: (1) You need to be using a "Crossover" Ethernet cable, not the standard cable that u connect a PC to a network plug in the wall. These Crossover cables allow for data to flow more easily in both directions (something like that anyway, don't know the technical details!).

(2) Once u have this cable (if not already), run the networking wizard and make sure BOTH machines are in the same workgroup. I think u'll always have problems if one is in a domain and the other is in a workgroup! If the wizard doesn't help in setting the second PC's workgroup settings u may have to do this manually.

(3) For the internet sharing, again sometimes the wizard doesn't set all the correct options. If it hasn't, go to the internet connection properties on the PC connected to the phoneline, and find the Internet Connection Firewall option (in Advanced) ... underneath should be options for allowing another machine to connect to the internet through this one etc.

(4) If everything has been done, u should be able to ping from one machine to the other through Start > Run > Command > type "Ping <network address of other PC>", e.g. 127.0.0.2, OR the name of the other PC on the network.

Networking can be a nightmare (from personal experience!). Good luck.

 

[rossored]

Its a crossover cable (i believe) as shown, going into this port (as shown) on the back of each lappie.

 

[RedE]

If your employer's IT dept. have done their job properly, your new laptop will be a member of your company's domain and you, not being an administrator, will not be able to change that.

The vital piece of info you omitted is how do you connect to the ADSL router.
If it is through a USB port then it is a pain to get around.

The ideal setup is that both laptops connect to the router individually through LAN cables and both use the router simultaneously. If your router doesn't have 2 or more LAN ports then this is not possible.

If (as I guess) you are proposing to connect the new laptop to the router through a USB connection and then connect the old laptop to the new laptop through a LAN connection you WILL run into the following problems:
-- the LAN cable you will need will need to be a crossover cable, not a plain LAN cable (this explains why the connection is reported "cable unplugged"
-- the network config on your new laptop will (or should) be locked down so users cannot "tamper" with it
--even if the network connection settings on the new laptop are not locked, each time you go to work your old laptop will need to be reconfigured to connect directly to the router (as was the case before new laptop) - not the type of stuff the ladies are very good at.

SUGGESTIONS:
(1) Look at the back of the router and see if it has got multiple connection options, in which case, connect the new laptop to it via USB and the old laptop via LAN, or vice versa
(2) If it has got at least 1 LAN connection, then buy a hub, or (much) preferably, a switch (<30quid) and connection both laptops to the switch and then the switch to the router, using a total of 3 plain (not crossover) LAN cables.

PS You CANNOT get WinXP Home to become a member of a domain. So the new and old laptops will never talk to each other effectively.

Hope this helps

 

[adrianallen99]

To check if it is crossover, check that
Pin 1 goes to Pin 3
Pin 2 goes to Pin 6
Pin 3 goes to Pin 1
Pin 6 goes to Pin 2

 

[rossored]

RedE, thanks.

I work from home, so there's no problems going into work. Its all done from the same place.

Atm, I dont have a router. I was told ages ago that as long as both machines are on XP, its a simple matter of connecting the cable and away you go with the setup wizard, but perhaps this is wrong.

Maybe its not a crossover cable, as I have still got the "cable is unplugged" message, and the setup wizard on the non-work machine says that is is not connected, and doesnt recognise it. I just wondered if this was a M$ glitch or if it actually represented a problem.

You said "You CANNOT get WinXP Home to become a member of a domain. So the new and old laptops will never talk to each other effectively" - they dont really need to be able to do anything other than share the connection - there aren't really any files that will be shared between the two, so is this likely to be a problem?


EDIT : one other thought, dont know if this is possible : can I hook the other machine up through a completely seperate modem, using the same telephone line but a different point in the house, and share the connection that way?

 

[Trader333]

RR,

The most likely reason is that the Ethernet cable is not a crossover type as previously mentioned. You do have to specifically get one to allow this to be done.


Paul

 

[rossored]

Yeah thanks guys.

Ebay has since supplied a crossover cable for me, due into my grubby paws the day after tomorrow.

Thanks for help so far, if I get stuck again I know where to come.

 

[Hughmac]

On the old laptop right click on "My Computer" and select "properties" u will see a system panel come up which includes a tab "computer name".

Then If u can log into ur XP pro machine as admin after u have connected ur xover cable just type the name of the XP home machine in the "Run" text entry box proceeded by two backslashes. For instance, \\oldlaptop. Then press Enter.


Ur success may depend on how tight ur IT people have locked down user access on XP pro.
Even if u connect them ok, u may still not be able to set up shared internet access.

Best advice (and usualy quickest) is to speak with ur co,s IT Support staff [Dont worry, they have heard it all before !]

Im sure they would rather u do that than mess around with machine settings

 

[ben_catt]

EDIT : one other thought, dont know if this is possible : can I hook the other machine up through a completely seperate modem, using the same telephone line but a different point in the house, and share the connection that way?

Unfortunately you can't share the connection like this unless you will be using the internet one at a time.

I seriously recommend spending a little more money and setting up a wireless connection. For this you need a wireless router (Probably £100 or less) and two PCMCIA wireless adapters, one for each laptop (roughly £50 each or less).

A wireless connection means that both laptops will be connected to the internet throughout the house and garden and it is also future-proof.

For example, if you want to get a new desktop in the future you do not need to worry about cabling, all you do is buy a wireless PCI card and you're away.

 

[adrianallen99]

A wireless connection means that both laptops will be connected to the internet throughout the house and garden and it is also future-proof.

I thought future proof was a term invented by computer manufacturers and sales people to convince you the piece of kit you just brought wouldn't be obsolete next week (or maybe next year). Packard Bell use to love using this term when selling their PC's

 

[RedE]

RE Wireless LANs

Beware the following:
(1) WiLANs are inherently insecure
(2) they intorduce another point of error into your systems, and if you're trading through one, you need 100% reliability
(3) Worst of all: WiLANs are slooower than wired LANs
(4) Microwave ovens interfere with the signal.

Get a switch
Get an ADSL modem with a LAN connector
Plug, Play.

 

[ben_catt]

I thought future proof was a term invented by computer manufacturers and sales people to convince you the piece of kit you just brought wouldn't be obsolete next week (or maybe next year). Packard Bell use to love using this term when selling their PC's

Heh, probably true

You're right, "future-proof" was perhaps the wrong term to use but wireless is the way forward and it will be around for a long while yet.

 

[rossored]

Okey doke.

To cut a long story short, the crossover cable I've now got allows the two machines to half-see each other - as if one of them has had a dozen or so pints of Kronendeathbourg. First I thought it might be a firewall problem because one machine can send MSN messages to the other, so they can obvioulsy communicate. However, despite having set up ICS on the host machine, the second machine cant access the net or email.

So I'm thinking that this is now down to the fact that one machine is in a workgroup (the old machine) and the other one is on a domain (the new machine). If I run the "add network place" wizard, the old machine can see my new machine, but cant connect to it - which would tie in with what someone else said earlier in the thread.

Suggestions welcome. At the moment I've tried to create another user who DOESNT have access to the domain to see if that would work, but it appears that I cant create another user.

Before anyone says it, yes I know buying a router would solve me all these problems but the g/f will shortly be banging me over the head so I just need a quick, temporary fix if anyone knows of one, before I lose patience and go and buy a damn router from Ebay next week.