Connecting To Other Computer(s) On Network

[JackFrost]

this is gonna sound real dumb but here goes ...

I have 3 computers at home - 2 x xp and 1 x mac - all connect to to the internet via a router

I cannot get the 2 xp machines to connect so I am after a quick fix.

I want to transfer files from one to the other - for some strange reason my laptop will not see my usb thumb drive anymore (mouse and printer is OK).

Is there a free instant messenger/ file transfer type program that I could use to transfer the files where all i would use to connect is to type in their ip addreses?

Thanks for your suggestions

jack

[cdnvic]

What have you done to connect the two? If you use the network setup wizard it should all go pretty smoothly. Make sure you have the folders you want to share setup as shared folders.

[Tywais]

What have you done to connect the two? If you use the network setup wizard it should all go pretty smoothly. Make sure you have the folders you want to share setup as shared folders.

Also make sure they are both members of the same workgroup. Can you ping one XP machine from the other?

[JackFrost]

What have you done to connect the two? If you use the network setup wizard it should all go pretty smoothly. Make sure you have the folders you want to share setup as shared folders.

Also make sure they are both members of the same workgroup. Can you ping one XP machine from the other?

Shared folders: All I have are the standard shared folders that all xp installs have.

Both comuters are on the same workgroup

When I attempt to open the workgroup I get a message saying that the workgroup is not accessable ( I am logged on as the administrator).

In the meantime I have installed a program called softros lan manager BUT would prefer to connect via the lan

[Rice_King]

If you cannot ping one XP machine with the other, check your ZoneAlarm, Windows Firewall, or any of the other many software firewalls you may be using. Be sure to put your home network in the "safe" zone or disconnect from the internet (just to be safe whilst doing this test) and then disable your software firewall altogether to see if that enables you to ping. If you cannot ping, you're not going to connect. If you can ping while the firewall is disabled, then it is very likely that your firewall software is preventing the connections.

[billd766]

I have linked my laptop and desktop together using the network setup wizard. They are connected together through a hub and the laptop can see itself and the desktop through my network places and view workgroup computers. However the desktop cannot see the laptop or even see itself.

Where did I go wrong?

How do I ping each computer?

[cdnvic]

I have linked my laptop and desktop together using the network setup wizard. They are connected together through a hub and the laptop can see itself and the desktop through my network places and view workgroup computers. However the desktop cannot see the laptop or even see itself.

Where did I go wrong?

By "hub" do you mean router?

This sounds like a firewall problem but check to make sure file sharing and NetBIOS are enabled on both machines. If you are behind a router, turn off your windows firewall or zonealarm and see if you get connectivity then.

[JackFrost]

I have linked my laptop and desktop together using the network setup wizard. They are connected together through a hub and the laptop can see itself and the desktop through my network places and view workgroup computers. However the desktop cannot see the laptop or even see itself.

Where did I go wrong?

By "hub" do you mean router?

This sounds like a firewall problem but check to make sure file sharing and NetBIOS are enabled on both machines. If you are behind a router, turn off your windows firewall or zonealarm and see if you get connectivity then.

Hmmmm NETBIOS - can not see it - I looked under "local area connection" and I presume it should be listed in "this connection uses teh following items" - it isn't

And I cannot find it to add under "client" "Service" or "protocol"

what next?

btw cannot ping

jack

[Tywais]

Hmmmm NETBIOS - can not see it - I looked under "local area connection" and I presume it should be listed in "this connection uses teh following items" - it isn't

And I cannot find it to add under "client" "Service" or "protocol"

what next?

btw cannot ping

jack

NETBios over TCP/IP is not necessary unless trying to access win9X machines from XP. For sharing, the items in the attached image should be checked - "Client for Microsoft Networks" & File and Printer Sharing ......"

However you have a more fundamental problem in that you cannot ping between machines. Until you can, the sharing is academic at the moment. Make sure you have set the IPs of each machine differently but in the same domain eg. 192.168.0.xx. Subnet mask and gateway the same.

[Crushdepth]

I have a similar problem. If I turn on my laptop and desktop, neither can see each other despite being in the same workgroup. However, if I wait ages (about 10 minutes) they may eventually be able to see each other.

Wait still longer and file sharing *sometimes* starts to work, but not always - get a 'resource not accessible...you may not have permission to access this resource' error.

I've tried turning off the firewall on both machines, doesn't help. I'm connecting over a wireless lan. Any ideas?

[cdnvic]

Sounds like you might have some interferrence issues with the wireless if it's sporadic connectivity. Do you get any packet loss when pinging?

[zoltannyc]

1. Avoid NETBIOS because it is one of the weakest protocols and can be easily used for hacking into someone’s computer.

2. Windows Network Setup Wizard again weakens your computer by opening up more ports and prtocols.

3. Using shared folders and connecting to other computers on the network requires proper credentials (username and password) on the other computer too.

The easiest solution that I use all the time is the good old FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

a. Get a free and easy to use FTP server like Quick and Easy FTP server (free, 350kb) at http://www.snapfiles.com/get/quickeasyftpserver.html and install it on one of the computers with anonymous or named account, as well as check the IP number of this computer.

b. Get a free FTP client my favorite is FileZilla (3.5MB free, opensource ), install it run it and connect to the other computer’s IP number.

c. If you can’t connect make sure that you does not block traffic with any firewall. Make sure that you disable not only third party firewalls such as Kerio, Zonealarm etc., but you disable the built Windows XP firewall in Control Panel -> Security Settings -> Firewall.

d. You can use the same approach between a Mac and an XP machine as well. You can use Cyberduck (free, opensource) as your client http://cyberduck.ch/

[cdnvic]

FTP does not make a proper network.

A NAT router will provide robust intrusion protection enabling netbios and other protocols to be run. The myth that there's an army of hackers out there trying to break through firewalls into home computers is just that, a myth. If a machine on a home network is going to be compromised it will be by malware turning on protocols and dialing out. This will arrive in the users email inbox or a dodgy program 99% of the time.

The whole point of a good router firewall is that you can drop many of the defenses on your machines to allow them to communicate properly while still being protected from outside intrusion.