Home Networking for Dummies

[DusterRT]

Hello everyone, I'm more or less the newest FNG..but I used this forum extensively when I was shopping for my laptop. I went with the T60p and have been pretty happy with it so far!

I'm trying to network my new laptop to my desktop so I can back up my hard drive on 2 DVD's rather than a zillion CD-R's. I guess the simplicity stops there.

My desktop: ~7 year old Dell Dimension 4100 running WinME (still works just fine, but I wanted something to run SolidWorks on..)
Laptop: XP Pro

Both have successfully used their ethernet cards on the internet, so that's not the issue at least.

I bought a ethernet patch cable and found some DVD discs on sale for very much cheap, and that's where my luck ended.

Here's a rundown of what I've done and what has happened. Anything that makes me sound like I know what I am doing is fragments of procedure and troubleshooting stuff I've found on Google. I'm not completely computer illiterate..just partially.

1. Plugged the cable in..nothing happened on the desktop, the laptop showed an icon stating there was a connection with little/no connectivity detected. Drats..I restarted both and crossed my fingers. Nope.

2. On the desktop, I went into the networking properties, and checked the boxes to allow file and printer sharing. Restarted with crossed fingers..nope. Looked for the equivilant on the laptop and did not see anything.

3. Ran the networking wizard on both computers. Desktop went fine, the laptop only gives me the option to use the wireless card; I checked to use disconnected devices and continued with the wizard. Still no dice.

4. Turned the firewall and virus protection off on the laptop (I've got neither to worry about on my desktop ). You guessed it..well actually you can assume from here on that nothing worked, since if it did work I wouldn't be posting this in the first place!

5. Checked the IP addresses with the "ipconfig" command in DOS prompts. Desktop has an IP Address, a "Subnet Mask," and a "Default Gateway." Don't know what the last two are. Did the same on the Laptop and only found the first two, no Default Gateway.

The only other thing I can think of is when I first got the laptop, I was rather unimpressed with the length of time it took to start and shut down (the ol' desktop will can be booted up and shut completely down in well under a minute!). I found a website that guided me to the "Services" icon where I think I may have turned off a networking process, thinking I would never network with anything (I have never tried to until now..). I turned any and everything that was set to disable to manual that seemed to have to do with networking, but that didn't work either; but I am by no means sure if I covered all my bases there!

Anyway, sorry for the long winded first post..and thanks for any input!

Travis

[krosenstein]

WinME networking capability is notoriously finickly, worse than Win98. It can be done but not easily. Your best bet is to replace it with WinXP. Probably not the answer you wanted.

[DusterRT]

Sounds like it would be far cheaper to just install a $30 burner from newegg...too bad that friggin cable cost $15 (locally..I know, I know they're like $3 online..price of impatience I guess).

I fear if I put XP on this thing it would have a heart attack..

[Kyocera]

You said you bought an ethernet patch cable and plugged it in, if you plugged it directly into the two computers you need a "cross
over" cable which is wired slightly different than a standard cable.
Radio Shack sells them.

[jdhurst]

If you are really new to networking, then you need to do three things (maybe more):
1. Get rid of WinME (sorry, but that is the truth and one other poster said the same thing). Networking 9x to NT is not a job for a newbie.
2. Get a router. These are inexpensive devices that increase security, promote networking and do away with cross-over cables and Internet Connection Sharing. Three days ago was NOT too soon to get a router.
3. Find some local help. With the first two taken care of, a local person (friend, local computer consultant, co-worker) can network two NT machines connected to a router in less than 15 minutes. A person charging will want at least an hour for their effort.
... JD Hurst

[masterus]

Hi

I'm not sure if I understood corectly but..I'll try to help you..

1.You don't need to use "cross-over" ethernet cable..becouse IBM ThinkPads have special function to change "ports" in RJ45 cable when they discover that ThinkPad isn't connected to router

2.I heard a lot about problems with WinME..but I'm pretty sure,there shouldn't be a problems with networking..same protocool (am I right )

3.In TCP/IP properties set:

Laptop:
IP: 198.168.1.200
Mask: 255.255.255.0

Desktop:
IP: 198.168.1.201
Mask:255.255.255.0

Mask should set up automatically..if not then do this by yourself.

Unfortune you'll have to turn off firewall (in freeware) or make a speciall rule(Firewalls don't like when other machine send anything to computer is protected by them).

Create folders in both machines.

Make them "online" , enable other users to make a changes.

Transfer all data you need from ThinkPad to desktop

Remember both machines have to have same workgroup

4.If I were you ,during that operation ,I'd turn off internet connection..I heard,sometimes viruses can attack machines becouse firewall is off.

5. Goodluck

6.I hope it will help

Regards

[bill bolton]

1.You don't need to use "cross-over" ethernet cable..becouse IBM ThinkPads have special function to change "ports" in RJ45 cable when they discover that ThinkPad isn't connected to router.

That is only on relatively recent models. For instance a T43 does have that capability but a T41 doesn't (guess how I know!).

Cheers,

Bill

[Kyocera]

masterus wrote:
1.You don't need to use "cross-over" ethernet cable..becouse IBM ThinkPads have special function to change "ports" in RJ45 cable when they discover that ThinkPad isn't connected to router.

Yes, this is correct I forgot, my t42 has the auto sense, so it must have started with that model.

[krosenstein]

I heard a lot about problems with WinME..but I'm pretty sure,there shouldn't be a problems with networking..same protocool (am I right Question )

You're right, that's the way it's supposed to work, but it just doesn't.

Even if someone can get the two machines to network, their connection will be unstable.

Trust jdhurst and ditch ME.

[masterus]

Hi

To Bill and Kyocera..Gentelmen..I sent lot of data(over 50GB) from my ex A31 to desktop..so I can imagine that latest ThinkPads have same function

Regards

[jdhurst]

The issue with Windows 98 and Windows ME is that they don't authenticate the same way as NT and that makes connecting problematic. I have a Windows 98 virtual machine on my laptop and I had to go through hoops to connect it to my XP Host. Even then the connection collapses occassionally and I have to resort to special tricks to connect. That is why I say it is not a job for a newbie. It *doesn't* "just work".

BTW, in my short forms: 9x = Windows 3.1, 95, 98 and ME whereas NT = NT4 workstation, 2000, and XP.
... JD Hurst

[DusterRT]

Thank you all very much for this input! I really appreciate it.

It's looking like the XP upgrade is going to have to happen..maybe I'll get this stuff backed up within a few paychecks, lol.

[Kyocera]

Whenever I go into a customers office and ask about the network environment and they mention something like "yeah joebob' s computer in the parts room is running ME" I cringe.