I'm having some difficulty getting two machines to see and talk to each other...

I have my home PC (Vista Ultimate) and my work's laptop (XP pro) and a network hub/switch at home. I want to network them up so i can share files between the two machines, but i'm really struggling. Vista seems to only want to deal with wireless networks, i need to be careful with the laptop as its already configured to connect to the office network, so i need minimal adjustments to that or a way to profile the connections.

Anyone have any information, links or advice on how to hook them up on a wired network?

First, copy the configuration settings for the office setup so that you can re-apply them before heading back into the office.

Note: You could get by without the hub/switch. To network two machines, all you really need is a crossover cable.

Follow these instructions: How to Connect Two Computers

If the two machines cannot network after following the instructions, try the following...

1. Make both machines members of the same workgroup.

2. If the machines are using any firewall software, and your comfortable configuring them, put them both in the the trusted network (192.168.1.xxx). Otherwise, just turn the firewall software off.

For the Vista machine that wants only "to deal with wireless networks," disable the wireless network card. I have never heard of such a problem, but hopefully this will force it to use the cable data port.

Have you done this before and are now just having problems with a Vista computer? Or have you never done this before?

The way I've done it with XP to XP (so maybe no help), where one was setup for the work network, was to set the other computer so that it matched the work computer. Same workgroup name. And then I think I used the exact same username and password on the home computer as the work one. Not sure if that is a requirement, but I always thought that the access to the drive would then be from the right user with the right password.

Also some firewalls won't let you through. Have to fiddle with allowed ip addresses to make it work, or temporarily disable the firewall, move the files, and bring it back up.

Vista? Well maybe Microsoft has instructions. I think they had XP to XP instructions that weren't so great but were useful enough.

For the Vista machine that wants only "to deal with wireless networks," disable the wireless network card. I have never heard of such a problem, but hopefully this will force it to use the cable data port.

Thanks, I'll try that when i get home tonight.

There is no wireless card in the PC, which i thought was strange... i'm connected to the Internet through the on-board LAN card into the switch then into the ADSL modem (so i can have two pc's hooked into the net from one connection) - so a single crossover cable isnt really an option unless i want to loose internet conenction whilst i do this.

I'll try the instructions tonight and give you an update later, thanks again!

Have you done this before and are now just having problems with a Vista computer? Or have you never done this before?

Yeah done this many times XP to XP (and earlier Windows) - just having the problem with Vista

Have you done this before and are now just having problems with a Vista computer? Or have you never done this before?

Yeah done this many times XP to XP (and earlier Windows) - just having the problem with Vista

I want so much to upgrade because the home computer's XP is not so stable, but this kind of stuff worries me. I'm sure it's not so painful as running 98 and XP on different machines, but MS has bit me too many times.

Make sure network discovery is enabled on the Vista machine. And I suggest you install the link-layer topology discovery (LLTD) responder component on the XP machine. This can solve a lot of problems with sharing, printer sharing between XP and Vista machines, etc.

Download link for the LLTD component (install on XP machine only):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...11-37F485FA34EA

It seems to be the network settings.

Use in office and at home the setting (IP Range and SubNet Mask).

In Vista you need to set the properties for Sharing and Discovery, you do by right click on the Network-Icon (lower right) and than Network and Sharing Center.

Normally Vista isn't any problems and you can even access to different workgroups without problem.