Filesharing via LAN with vista/XP machines

I can't seem to get the rigs to fileshare among my network. My network is really 3 fold. I have a cable modem (rca) a router (d-link, hardwire) and a wireless router (netgear rangemax). My wire feeds are from the modem to the d-link hard wire, to the netgear wireless.

I have the d-link hard wired between 2 XP desktops (XP Pro and Media Center SP2), and they transfer files with no issue. I can get online and view the D-link network when my laptop (Vista machine) is hard wired with the d-link, but I cannot see the individual computers and their shared files. On the wireless I can only see the netgear, which is how I wanted it configured, because I want the laptop and wireless network totally invisible. But when I get on the d-link hardwired I should have access to the shared folders of the XP rigs, and I can't seem to do anything about connecting with them, even when I go into my network and open all sharing on my laptop. Not only are the 2 XP rigs not visible to my vista machine, but my vista machine is invisible to my XP rigs. Any thoughts?

 

OK. So you're running 2 private subnets on purpose.

1) Do you turn off the wireless when you connect the laptop to the wired LAN?
2) Do an ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew after you turn off wireless and connect to the wired.
3) Is your laptop in the same workgroup as your desktops?

 

1)yes. At first I did not, but when I went to the network and sharing center I saw my wireless router as "connected", so I fixed that.
2)yes
3)the desktops are in a LAN network, not a fixed workgroup.

Actually I may have just found the issue, just browsing around the forum. I wonder if my old hard wired router is simply not Vista compatible. It is about a year old. But if you have any thoughts, please feel free to share.

 

Referring to your response to #3, computers on a network have to be either in a workgroup or a domain.

http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips1494.html

You also might want to disable TCP/IP v6 on your notebook for both the wireless and wired connections.

 

OK, I changed my workgroup name on the Vista rig, and now the desktops see it, but the laptop doesn't see any other computer.

 

That's some improvement. Have you tried rebooting the laptop once it's on the wired network?

 

With 2 seperate subnets (routers) running NAT you will have a problem going down/through to the netgear router. You need to setup a firewall rule to allow your computers subnets to penetrate the netgear firewall. Going out from the netgear to the dlink should be no problem.

 

WackyT,

I did, but still no go. I still haven't checked to see if the router is not Vista capable, but I suspect it is simply because it works with regards to accessing the internet.

blue68f100,

This is not running through both routers. I am disconnecting from the wireless router (and shutting off the wireless switch), and hardwiring into the d-link. When I connect via hardwire from the laptop to the d-link I can get online, and I am connected through the d-link as per my network center. I figured I would have too much conflict if I ran through the netgear to the d-link out to the other rigs. I prefer simplicity. I also elected to hardwire also to improve sharing speeds.

 

How about if you try accessing the computers directly (\\ computername)?

 

Re check you firewall settings and make sure your subnet is in a trusted zone.

Can ping your PC's using IP addresses?

 

No go. It recognizes the router, and the network, and it even displays the workgroup name... but it will not go beyond the router. I can directly access the router, and established my laptop as part of the LAN, but it just will not communicate directly with the other computers. It is frustrating the hell out of me because the 2 XP rigs communicated so easily.

 

It is.

I tried to ping it, and it pings the router ip, but it does not ping the main computer in the network. I recieved the message:

ping request could not find host *******. Please check name and try again.

 

This was the only thread I could find dealing with vista networking problems on nbr. Here are some other resources I have found http://www.vistaforums.com/Forum/Forum45-1.aspx
The first few sticky's have some good tips, but I'm still not up and running. Ok, here's whats happening to me:

I have my XP desktop connected to a zoom adsl modem/wireless router. I just received my dell laptop with vista and I can connect to the network with wireless capability no problem.

Both computers are in the same workgroup, and I can "see" both computers. The xp can access the vista computer and download files. Although the vista laptop see's the xp, it cannot access it. I'll have to wait until I get home to tell you the exact error it reports, but it first says that it cannot access \\XP and then when I diagnose the error, it says something about a SMB problem. When I get back home, I'll write down these errors.

I have turned both firewalls off. I've set up a static IP on the XP machine, do I need one on vista too? The vista is set to private network with all sharing turned on. My modem (zoom) tech support keeps me on hold for 10 minutes and then hangs up. One problem I haven't been able to fix is completely removing McAffee firewall, even using multiple McAffee removal utilities and ccleaner. I guess I'll have to do a clean install of vista to get rid of that.

I'm somewhat network savy, but please explain your ideas for fixing this as well as you can. I'm still moving up that learning curve.

 

http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/02/vista_file_shar.html

 

I've installed the patch on the XP machine so that it shows up on the map. I can always see it, but I can't access it.

 

WhackyT:

My problem is similar to Matt's, in that it shows the map as complete, but my vista machine does not show the main computer on the map. It shows my laptop, the router, and the internet connection. So in this regard Matt is a step ahead of me. I'll try the patch for the desktop and see if that works tonight. I really question this as I do see my laptop on the desktop network, so one would assume all is good there (the desktop is just a few months old, so it is possible the patch is already on my XP SP2 build date 7/06), but at this point I am open to anything. This is getting frustrating.

Also, since you seem pretty good at networking, could you look in on a post by my friend Elemenop? She is a good girl who is having a hell of a time with her LAN network. Thanks in advance.

Matt, I tried messing some more last night, and found some info on filesharing. You need to go to start/search, and type in // and the name of the computer you wish to communicate with, for example:

//desktop

and see if your gap is covered there.

 

On your Vista machine, go to Network and Sharing Center.
Make sure Network discovery is On.
Click on Customize.
Set your Location type to Private.

 

I reinstalled vista last night. So, my firewall situation on the vista laptop has been fixed (no more mcafee). I still connect the laptop to the network. The network map shows my laptop connected wirelessly to the zoom modem which goes to the interent. the zoom modem connects to a "switch" and then my desktop is connected to that. My desktop's name shows up in the map. But, when I try to view computers in my workgroup, the desktop doesn't show up.

So, I kind of took a step backwards. The desktop can still access the laptop and download files. But now the laptop cannot even "see" the desktop, other than in the network map. weird. I still have a private network with sharing turned on. Both computers are in the same workgroup.

Any ideas?

 

OK Matt, I got mine working.

I tried to connect all of my network to my wireless router, the entire system, and had the same problem. When I re hooked it to the wired modem and rebooted all my computers everything showed up on my vista rig. However, my 2 desktop rigs showed up on the bottom tray of my network map. Simply installing the LLTD linked here on both my XP desktops, then a complete reboot of all computers opened everything up.

I have a feeling it was the complete isolation of the router that did it. first DL the patch I linked to your XP rig(s), but do not run the patch yet. Shut down your computers. Remove all your network cables from the router, and unplug it. If you have a separate broadband modem, reset or unplug it for about 2 minutes. Then start by plugging in the modem, then install the router network cables and restart the router, start your XP computer(s) then run the LLTD patch on your XP computer(s). Shut down the XP computer(s), then turn on the XP and Vista Rigs.

All I did was leave out the 1 step where I tried loading it into my wireless without any luck. But I don't believe that had any effect. I hope this gets you up and running!!!

 

Glad to hear you got your network functioning, Sandt38.

 

Yes, thanks for your help. I'd rep you if I could, but I must spread it around...

 

No big deal. A mod gave me a humongous bump in my rep yesterday. :smile: