Wireless Networking Woes

[JM Anthony]

This is wierd. We have a couple of laptops at home, both set up for wireless. Both will allow me to connect to our WAP, both show I'm connected to "MSHOME", but only one allows me to access shared resources (printers and files) even though I have resource sharing enabled on both. The laptop that won't work is a Dell Inspiron running XP with SP2, but the problem predates the sp installation.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jason Nipp]

I have a similar issue, I just added a new PCTV to my network, I can connect to the internet but not to my other PC and printer, I also added my company issue Dell Latitude and same thing, I can access the net but not my shared drives/printers. I have enabled shared folders and printers.

Config as follows:
Main PC...Running WinME...Linksys WMP54G
PCTV...Running Win XP MediaCenter 2005...Linksys WMP54G
Company Notebook...Win2000...Netgear WG111 (54G USB Stick)
Router/Switch...Linksys WRT54G

Any thoughts besides ME sucks? I bought an XP Pro upd just haven't installed yet.

Jason

[Jacob S]

I am having an issue getting my Dell Inspiron Laptop and Toshiba Satellite Laptop both with wireless cards to be able to communicate with each other with wireless networking. They do not recognize each other.

[Geronimo]

What protocols are enabled?

[Jason Nipp]

Tcp/ip

[Geronimo]

What about the client for Microsoft networks and Fileand Printer Shaering For Microsoft Networks?

Under TCP/IP have you given each PC a specific IP or asked each PC to obtain an IP address automatically.

[Jacob S]

I've tried it both ways with mine and still no go.

[Geronimo]

What aboutt he other protocols?

[Jason Nipp]

What about the client for Microsoft networks and Fileand Printer Shaering For Microsoft Networks?

Under TCP/IP have you given each PC a specific IP or asked each PC to obtain an IP address automatically.
Both MS Net and File and Printer sharing are present...I am using DHCP

[Jason Nipp]

Both MS Net and File and Printer sharing are present...I am using DHCP
SimpleSimon fixed me up...It was my software firewalls....I have a hardware firewall built into my router so I just shut the software redundancy off.

Thanks for all the help.

Jason

[Bogy]

Glad you got the answer. I'm glad I scrolled all the way down before I answered, but for others who are having the same problem I spent about 3 hours last night trying to figure out why my daughter and her room mate's computers refused to recognize each other. It was the firewall software. They were both using Syquest with all the Network Neighborhood settings enabled, but when the program was enabled, whichever computer had it active was invisible to the other computer. Now they are running the XP firewall behind a router and everything is working.

[JM Anthony]

Totally cool! Problem solved. John

[SimpleSimon]

Bogy: Note that Jason was running three different versions of Windows behind the router - XP firewall wouldn't work for him.

Of course, the XP (or any other software) firewall isn't necessary behind a NATing router.

[stonecold]

SimpleSimon

a good software firewall is helpfull behind a hardware nat router.

Example my nephew decided he was going ot download some game demo. it put spyware on the machine i saw the firewall goo off and it autoblocked the software frokm getting on the net. to populate on my machine by downloading more spyware.
Software firewalls are good for the times when the threat is not from the out side but the inside.

[Geronimo]

Unnecessary is an (unnecessarily) strong term.

First of all all AOL users and particularly broadband users who access AOL from another ISP really should use a software firewall. AOL for broadband connects to your computer by creating a "tunnel" through the Internet. With AOL tunneling uses your real IP address to connect you to AOL's network where you have a second IP address. Traffic using that second IP address is inside the tunnel.

With AOL, the far end of the tunnel is other AOL customers and the Internet. A software firewall provides another layer of protection.

Anyone who connects to other networks using VPN also should have a software firewall although I understand that some routers can be configured to provide a certain amount of protection.

Software firewalls also give you a certain amount of information about trojan horses and other malware that tries to use your computer to dial out. A NAT router will not so this.

A software firewall is a good supplement to a router. I suggest configuring that firewall to to work properly with a network instead of just disabling it.

[Bogy]

I don't know exactly why Sygate was not working on the two computers. My computer at home, which I am on now, has Sygate installed, and I don't have any problem with my network. I am running WinME rather than XP.

[SimpleSimon]

Stonecold & Chief - you are both right of course (I left the hook out there ;) ). I should've said the following instead:Of course, for intelligent users, the XP (or any other software) firewall isn't necessary behind a NATing router. :D :D

Of course, if the average user were intelligent, I might be out of a job. More than half of the machines coming into the shop are there because of easily preventable viruses and spyware.

[Bogy]

Stonecold & Chief - you are both right of course (I left the hook out there ;) ). I should've said the following instead: :D :D

Of course, if the average user were intelligent, I might be out of a job. More than half of the machines coming into the shop are there because of easily preventable viruses and spyware.
In my case we are dealing with two college students, both of whom are illiterate when it comes to good computer hygiene. The best the other father and I can do is clean up their mess when necessary and try to protect them as much as possible. I wish I was only talking about computers. :D :lol:

[Geronimo]

Maybe I was too adamant Simon. Thanks for pointing that out so gently. You have given me good computer advice more than once and I am grateful for it.

[Steve Mehs]

I'm behind a router, the only reason I continue to use Zone Alarm Pro is for the program control features. There are some programs that I don't want accessing the internet. As for actual protection, Zone Alarm has done nothing for me since I got my wireless network. Still at 3 intrusions and 4,334 access attempts blocked on this computer and 0 on the other.

[SimpleSimon]

Actually, Chief, you and others (Steve :) ) give perfectly valid reasons to still have software firewalls. That is, when you do not have complete control over your systems, you SHOULD do use them.

But note that most everyone has been mentioning OUTGOING traffic as the reason, and the remainder has to do with tunnels.

The router does provide complete protection from INCOMING attacks - except to systems that are sitting on a deliberate hole in the firewall. ;)

BTW, Chief - you're welcome. :)

[Jason Nipp]

Great discussion guys... ;)


Jason

[Jason Nipp]

Just as an update, I was still unable to get Norton Internet Security or Zonealarm to work with sharing, However the XP firewall in SP2 works fine.

Jason

[JM Anthony]

Just as an update, I was still unable to get Norton Internet Security or Zonealarm to work with sharing, However the XP firewall in SP2 works fine.

Jason
Jason - Zone Alarm was the culprit on my end. By backing the settings down a notch I was able to get sharing restored. John

[Jason Nipp]

Which settings, I wasn't using the Pro version...

[Nick]

Great discussion. I learn from you people every day! :goodjob:

Now, how can we turn this thread into another political fistfight? :lol: