Home networking 101?

[bj229r]

This is vexing me-- old box had XP Home, that computer (dial-up) was the internet port for the wireless router, through which the other computers in the house connected to surf, (such that one can do via dialup)  as WELL as being the printer server. New HAL 9000 box has XP Pro, and I got the shared internet thing going on ok, but what is killing me is though new box can be SEEN via explorer under workgroup, it CAN'T be accessed--it prompts for password, then says no. This is heap big impediment for print server....(New box CAN reach into other computers on workgroup and copy files, just can't do it from the network/workgroup pc's....have little experience with XP pro, hadn't thought there WAS too much difference. I've tried the networking wizard, blown it out, re-done it....no success...any ideas? (there is an additional network port on box that plugs into one of the regular ports on router the does shared stuff--all above has worked fine for a few years, until new box/OS)

[Tigger29]

I can't help much there, but I used to have an old SMC router which you could plug an external modem into and it would act as a dialup router.  You could also set it up to auto redial if the connection was lost.  I'd imagine you could find a used one quite cheap, and plug the wireless router into it.

I'm also sure that someone somewhere has to make a dialup wireless router, but not sure how expensive they are...

Here's a link for one at TigerDirect... they look like they are out of stock.. but it shows all the specs and all that:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NBR6/sr=1-1/qid=1107722034/ref=sr_1_1/104-0444819-5597525?_encoding=UTF8&m=A9B09ZK9BZJQ6&n=10931451&s=merchant&v=glance

[TilDeath]

Open your "Printers" then right mouse click the printer you want to share... choose "Sharing" select the grade of sharing you want to do.  To share a folder on XP find the folder you want to share right mouse click it and enable the share type you want (ie enable others to change my files) this will enable other netowrk access users to create folders, modify them, delete them, applys the same to the files in the folders.  In user manager make sure you have an account for all the users network wide and this will also stop the user name and password question.  Also you can "Map a Network Drive"  with out seeing the exact problem, these are the solutions I suggest

[1701E]

Not positive this is the same problem I am thinking of, but; Are you saying that you can go to "My Network places" and see PC2 from PC1, yet not access it?

If so one thing to make sure of is that you have all the same version settings.  This is under "Network Connections">Right click on the Internet connection you use (Ex. "Wireless Network connection")>Properties>Install>Protocols.  Install all the Protocols on every PC to ensure they are all the same.

Again, your explanation confuses me a little, so this may not what it is.  Also I have not dealt with Dial-up, so I am unsure if it is exactly the same.
It sounds like what has happened to out network here many many times, and I have fixed it with those steps, each time.
Have had to re-install XP Pro on a system, and it could see my PC, yet not access, however I can access it.  Now it works.

[bj229r]

Sorry. I tend to ramble-- the shared internet connection works fine, problem is with printer/file sharing. Acts utterly inconsistent--from my XP-pro work laptop, got a prompt once or twice for username/password after I modified server logins to actually HAVE passwords (instead of blanks)...didn't get said prompt later, cant map a drive either.....later on, managed to get a XP Home laptop to get in there, load printer...but later, couldn't connect. I'm over all this, wanna have first flight in Jug since Thanksgiving. (NOW my E8500 goes from low 20 Centigrade to 60 when I fire up AH...that with the Intel  supplied fan---now I'm gonna try the 3 Mile island cooler fan )

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Sorry. I tend to ramble-- the shared internet connection works fine, problem is with printer/file sharing. Acts utterly inconsistent--from my XP-pro work laptop, got a prompt once or twice for username/password after I modified server logins to actually HAVE passwords (instead of blanks)...didn't get said prompt later, cant map a drive either.....later on, managed to get a XP Home laptop to get in there, load printer...but later, couldn't connect. I'm over all this, wanna have first flight in Jug since Thanksgiving. (NOW my E8500 goes from low 20 Centigrade to 60 when I fire up AH...that with the Intel  supplied fan---now I'm gonna try the 3 Mile island cooler fan )

Make sure the other computer has the same user account and password set up like your other computer which you try to access from. Then set the sharing permissions and filesystem permissions for the user - should work after that. Most likely you're hitting some user privilege restriction there and most likely cause is you don't have a domain / centraled user account control.

[bj229r]

Yah, I thought of making a domain...argh. Question: When making user account, is the name of their pc supposed to come into play anywhere?

[TilDeath]

Yah, I thought of making a domain...argh. Question: When making user account, is the name of their pc supposed to come into play anywhere?

Their are user accounts and systems accounts on true domains.  Using XP your are actually just creating "Share Accounts".  User names and computer names cannot be the same.

If Computer-1 wants to share files with Computer-2 you can if they are Folder containing the Files is Shared, and the User has an account on both systems that match identically.  XP will not act as a true Domain controller where user access is grated by group membership or computer association within a group and authentication is grated upon domain login.

In XP do this Right Click the My Computer then select PROPERTIES  under computer NAME make sure all systems are part of the same WORKGROUP (WORKGROUP is default) I always change it to something different for security.  Once all the computers are part of the same workgroup, make sure the User accounts the same on all systems including the same password.  When you start your system you should also have the accounts require a password for network ease and accessability.  You can also do whats called "map a network drive" ( example  \\computer-1\shared_folder  )  you must have the \\ in front of the computer name followed by the folder name.  You can do these as shortcuts from your desktop of in Windows Explorer and they will show as a system drive or folder.

[bj229r]

Thanks for replies all <S> Thanks for phone call TilDeath --it was mostly the need for duplicated user accounts, (and they MUST have passwords...can't be blank) as you said. Apparently XP Pro and XP Home have more differences than I knew. Went to Local Security Policy as you said (Local Policies\Security Options), found an option regarding 'limiting local account use of blank passwords to console only'...turned it off, and now the Shrew can print as before

[bj229r]

Well I lied....have ONE more question: Put said system on a 50 gig partition of a 250 gig drive... though I CLEARLY remember dealing with this before, damned if I can remember how--I now want to allocate the remaining 200ish gig into 1 or 2 more partitions (was thinking of a dedicated one for AH) HOW do you get to where you can do that? I thought windows set-up cd, but it isn't evident to me--??

[Tigger29]

Hrmm.. I recall seeing a "Disk Management" shortcut in the Start Menu somewhere, but I can't find it!

Do this....

Click on START, then RUN.
Type MMC
Click FILE (Top Left) then select "Add/Remove Snap-In"
Click ADD
Select DISK MANAGEMENT, click ADD
Select THIS COMPUTER, click FINISH
Click CLOSE
Click OK

Now you can click on DISK MANAGEMENT and delete and create partitions, adjust partition sizes, and format the partitions.

There are also a lot of goodies in the snap-in lists you can play with, such as services, users, policies, ipsec... etc.. etc.. just don't mess with anything you aren't familiar with.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Thanks for replies all <S> Thanks for phone call TilDeath --it was mostly the need for duplicated user accounts, (and they MUST have passwords...can't be blank) as you said. Apparently XP Pro and XP Home have more differences than I knew. Went to Local Security Policy as you said (Local Policies\Security Options), found an option regarding 'limiting local account use of blank passwords to console only'...turned it off, and now the Shrew can print as before

Well to be honest your computer account should have a password in any case. Without it you're 100% open to attacks.

You can set a hard password without having to type it everytime you start the computer by setting automatic login options. That way your admin account is protected from anyone outside.

[bj229r]

Hrmm.. I recall seeing a "Disk Management" shortcut in the Start Menu somewhere, but I can't find it!

Do this....

Click on START, then RUN.
Type MMC
Click FILE (Top Left) then select "Add/Remove Snap-In"
Click ADD
Select DISK MANAGEMENT, click ADD
Select THIS COMPUTER, click FINISH
Click CLOSE
Click OK

Now you can click on DISK MANAGEMENT and delete and create partitions, adjust partition sizes, and format the partitions.

There are also a lot of goodies in the snap-in lists you can play with, such as services, users, policies, ipsec... etc.. etc.. just don't mess with anything you aren't familiar with.

YES! thanks...old timers disease

[bj229r]

Well to be honest your computer account should have a password in any case. Without it you're 100% open to attacks.

You can set a hard password without having to type it everytime you start the computer by setting automatic login options. That way your admin account is protected from anyone outside.

I had THOUGHT that was possible, wasn't sure how to do it---I'll scope that out when I get home. (They sure won't get in via my chancing upon my house, I'm in middle of nowhere, but all things are possible via my lightning fast dialup connection)