Windows 2K/XP networking woes
April 7, 2004 3:35 AM   Subscribe

I have two computers, one running Win XP and one Win 2k. The XP one has a USB wireless adaptor which connects to the wireless network in my house, and the 2k one is connected via ethernet cable to the XP one. At the moment, the 2k one can open folders on the XP one, but not vice versa, which I find to be extremely odd. I'd like to be able to fix that, and also allow the 2k one to use the internet, which at the moment it can't do. I assume there is something I need to do on the XP machine to get it working, but haven't really got a clue!
posted by Orange Goblin to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)
 
Is the Ethernet cable wired Crossover?
posted by armoured-ant at 3:41 AM on April 7, 2004


Did you upgrade win 98 to XP? If so, you need to convert the file system to NTFS from FAT32. Right click the drive and select properties. Check the File System value... if it is FAT32, then go to Start->Run, type cmd.
At the command prompt type

convert c: /FS:NTFS and answer yes to the questions. Since it is your OS drive the conversion will occur on next boot.
posted by pissfactory at 3:55 AM on April 7, 2004


Unless you've "bridged" the USB wi-fi and the Ethernet connections on the XP box, each of those connections has its own IP address. The 2K box has a single IP address assigned to its solitary Ethernet adapter.

It's not clear from your post whether you are using a hub, to which the Ethernet adapters of each machine are connected; or if you directly connected one machine to the other via an Ethernet cable. If it's the latter case, and you have been able to use the connection in at least one direction, then you must be using a so-called "uplink" or "crossover" cable.

I assume that your USB wi-fi connection is your Internet connection—you have a Cable/DSL wi-fi access point?

First, on your XP box, you need to select "Network Connections" from Control Panel (or via various other routes). Control-left-click on both your Ethernet connection and your wi-fi connection. Then right-click and select "bridge connections".

You probably have your XP Ethernet connection set to "automatically obtain an IP address" via DHCP supplied by your router. Your Ethernet connection is likely similarly set (this is the default), but since it cannot find a DHCP server to assign it an address, XP automatically, in it's maddeningly helpful fashion, assigns a "default private IP address" to that adapter. This is also the case with your Ethernet connection on your 2K box. Since both are being assigned addresses in the same range, one or both are able to see each other via broadcast. That's neither here nor there, just a point of interest.

When you "bridge" two connections on an XP box, you create a third "virtual" connection that is a "bridge". This connection is configured exactly as you would configure any other actual connection. You will want to have it "automatically obtain an IP address", which it will get from your wi-fi router. Both the other two connection—the real wi-fi and Ethernet connection—will be marked as "bridged" and their IP configurations will be effectively inoperative.

If the XP box boots up first, it will use this virtual connection—the bridge—as its effective sole network adapter. It will get an IP address assigned to it from the wi-fi router. Then, when the 2K box boots, it will broadcast for an IP address via DHCP—this will go to the XP box, which will pass it along to the other adapter over the "bridge". The wi-fi router will get the broadcast DHCP request, and assign your 2K an IP address. Both machines should be able to see each other and the Internet.

This is assuming your wi-fi access point is also a cable/DSL NAT router. If not, is it the case that your access point is connected to a cable/DSL NAT router? If so, then it will work fine.

If you're not using a NAT router, then unless your broadband provider is giving you more than one dynamically or statically defined IP address, you'll not be able to connect more than one machine to the Internet. (A NAT router acts as that single connection to the Internet and then handles passing off the traffic to the appropriate computers on your LAN.)

All this doesn't necessarily solve any problems you may or may not be having with Windows file sharing. 2K requires using the full NT networking security model; while XP Home by default enables "simple file sharing" which from the users' standpoint is the same as the file sharing on ME and 98. Regardless, these two machines when attempting to access shared files between each other, will exchange security information including userids and security permissions. (Unlike 98 which just connects effectively as "guest".) If you're using NTFS, you will also have the security layer of the file system, which is independent of the security built around file sharing. Dealing with these sorts of issues is beyond the scope of my answer, but you should be able to Google for more information.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:08 AM on April 7, 2004


I had a similar problem. I was running ZoneAlarm on my laptop. Had to tell it to talk to the network.

Might not be your problem, but it had my stumped for a little bit.
posted by ajpresto at 5:50 PM on April 8, 2004


« Older Grey vs Gray   |   Sharing DSL Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.