Totally befuddled trying to set up a LAN! (longish)

Factual Questions
1

Basics: a desktop and laptop, both running Win98SE. Using external cable modem with a ethernet cable to a wired router w/4 outputs. & from router to desktop box. Another cable from router to PCcard ethernet adapter on the laptop.

OK, it took a while to get the laptop configured to logon to the internet; had to go to the website & download drivers before could get it working, even after using the Add New Hardward wiz.

So, finally got it set so can go online with either computer. Incidently, the main reason I want to do this is in case the desktop crashes sometime, I can still get online with the laptop.

However, as long as have both working, I’d like to setup a simple LAN so can copy files back & forth, access printer from the laptop, etc.

I’ve fiddled with both computers for several days now, reading all the Windows unHelp files and tweaking it 8 ways for Sunday, with no luck a’tall.

I’ve tried to get Network Neighborhood (NN) on each computer to recongize the other, no luck. In Control Panel’s Network, have added the appropriate files (I think), including"File and Printer Sharing for MS Networks."

On the desktop, NN only shows “Entire Network” and nothing I do with that connects to the laptop. After fiddling with laptop, the NN there shows both “Entire Network” and “OEM Computer,” but the latter is just the laptop drive.

The Help files (and the MS manual) don’t make any sense, and when they suggest something, such as click on Sharing, nothing works or gives a hint as to what to do.

One would think (well, not with MS), that there would be a straighforward procedure to do such a simple thing, but oh, noooooo.

Googling comes up with an equally bewilering multitude of hits that would take the rest of my life to go through trying to find the correct method.

Can anybody point me to a place that explains, in Basic English, how to get a mere two computers, already able to go online, set up so each can access the other HDD, copy files back & forth, and use the printer?

Be eternally grateful for a simple solution, if such really exists, which am beginning to doubt. :mad:

2

Windows 98 was (IMHO) the easiest Windows OS to get networking done in, so we should certainly be able to help; Microsoft has a fairly simple series of KB articles here you can use to cover the basics.

Essentially you just [ul]
[li]Set up all PCs for DHCP[/li][li]Add ‘Client for Microsoft Networks’ in ‘Network’ for each PC[/li][li]Check the boxes for sharing files and printers[/li][li]Right click on a folder or drive, use ‘Share as’[/li][/ul]

If it’s not working, the most common problems that I see are either the IP addresses assigned are on different subnets, or one or more PC has some firewall software preventing access.

For the first, running ‘winipcfg’ will give you the IP address of the PC you’re on. You can then try running ‘ping 192.168.x.x’ on the other machine, to see if they can communicate.
For the other, just disable all firewalls, at least for testing.

If that doesn’t work, post what results you get and plenty of people here can help. If you can give us the IP address of both machines, the results of a ping test either way, and what specifically you mean by ‘nothing works’ when clicking on sharing, that seems like a start.

3

Do what Nanoda suggests above. If it doesn’t work, then your problem is here:

Are you sure your router can be also used as a switch? Maybe it does not allow the computers to communicate between themselves.

Get yourself a crossover ethernet cable and connect the laptop directly to the desktop. If the network works that way, then you need to buy a switch and connect the router and the two computers on it.

If the network still doesn’t work with the crossover cable, maybe you have a faulty network card.

4

Also, make sure that each computer has a unique name, and that they are both members of the same workgroup.

The router should be sufficient. I can’t see any reason why you’d need a switch.

5
      • Seems like last time I tried doing this (connecting two computers behind the same wired router) it didn’t work until I had NetBIOS included in both network protocols and had the router’s NAT disabled.
        …
        –And yes, I know that TCP/IP shouldn’t need NetBIOS–for general security reasons I had only enabled TCP/IP in both computers–but before it wouldn’t work, and after it did.
        ~
6

Thanks everybody, got to go out now, but will follow the suggestions.

Er, how do I “Set up all PCs for DHCP?”

Everything else you suggested have done.

Here is a really stupid, basic Q. If and when it is working, just how do I see the files on one computer from the other? Through Win Explorer (I did set up a Share folder on each), or from Network Neighborhood, or from a crystal ball?

More later

7

Heh. Network Neighbourhood - there’ll be an icon for… um… well I can’t quite remember and I screwed up my SMB network replacing my Linux server last week :o but that’s not important now.

The idea with Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is that you have one device (normally a hardware router in the simple case) that tells all the computers on the network what their IP address should be, meaning you don’t have to configure each computer specifically. (And then re-configure it when things change :rolleyes: ).

Things are probably set for DHCP already. If you can get to step 5 here, select ‘Properties’, then on the ‘IP Address’ and ‘DNS Configuration’ tabs, make sure the radio buttons are set to ‘Obtain an IP Address automatically’ and ‘Disable DNS’. While you’re there, check under ‘Bindings’ and make sure that ‘Client for Microsoft Networks’ and ‘File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks’ are there and checked.

Make sure the machines can ping each other, and double-check that all firewall software is turned off.

8

Hooooray, got the sucker! Many thanks to everybody, and especially to Nanoda for the link, which explained everything very well.

If Win98 is the easiest to set up for networking, I’d sure hate to see the worst! :smiley: or, :eek:

Years ago I put boards into a bunch of PCs to connect to the mainframe, and it took less time than it did to get my LAN working now! Once set up, all had to go was go to Explorer, and there the mainframe was, and you could browse through that just like the files on the HDD. Guess that was too easy for MS, so they’ve made it really interesting.

I did follow the advice to shut down ZoneAlarm on both, which may or may not have helped, but when I finally figured out, after naming both computers, that I had to right-click on any folder I wanted to be accessible, it began to work just fine.

I would have thought I could have just clicked on the C: and D: drives and made the whole thing available, but oh, no, that would be too simple.

OTOH, always feel good when beat a damn computer at it’s own game. If I were not too lazy, would give up M$ and go Linux, maybe someday.

Anyhoo, all’s well that ends well. I knew for sure I could get the proper info here rather than goof around searching the Web forever. Thanks again, all! I’m now going to put a cold cloth on my head and have a beer.

Klondike

9

Dammit, forgot one question… :smack:

Now when I boot each computer, get a stupid box asking for the Network password (which I don’t want or need), so click OK or Cancel. Searched through all the places in Network, but can’t see any way to turn that off.

Suggestion?

10

Install TWEAKUI. More details here:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article04-103

11

Well, it was the easiest to share files before everyone started installing software firewalls. :wink: Simply networking, it’s about the same for all OSs. (Except that one time I spent an hour fighting with a Mac… but anyhow).

Oh right. Don’t hit ‘Cancel’ on that BTW; it may look like it boots normally, but you’ll spend hours trying to figure out why file sharing no longer works. (I’ve done it, I know). Check out the Windows 98 section of this article. Basically, in the network screen, flip the ‘Primary Network Logon’ to ‘Windows Logon’, and it shouldn’t come up again.

On preview, engineer_comp_geek has half-inched my URL. Damn you! :stuck_out_tongue: TweakUI is an alternative - it will automagically log on for you, plus provides control over some other interesting features of Windows 98. There’s no real reason to log on with a user though, so using ‘Windows Logon’ is my first recommendation.