Hi, I currently have 4 computers that I want to network together. This was working for the last 2 months but hasn't been working these last few days. I use wireless Linksys for 3 of the computers, and one of them hooked via ethernet. Computer A has the main router and provides internet for every computer in the house. Computers B and C both have wireless adaptors and between a,b, and c everything works fine. However, computer D is hooked up via ethetnet to computer B. On computer B I bridge the "home network" and the "wirelss network connection" and this used to let me be able to have all 4 computers networked. Now this won't work.....I don't know what changed. I did, however, try a wireless adaptor on Computer D and everything worked fine......so it has to be something with the bridging of connections or something. Please help. Thanks

If you change computer D's ethernetconnection from B to the router on A, your problem should be solved.

Yeah, but I don't have that option. Computers B and D are in the same room.......and my point of doing it this way is so I don't have to have a wireless adaptor on computer D. This has worked before.....and it stopped recently........

Do you have 2 NICs on computer B?

No, I have one NIC on computer B. The NIC hooks to computer D and the wireless adaptor goes in my USB port...but only one NIC.

That's a funny way of setting it up. Make sure all PCs are in the same workgroup. Hooking up that way probably requires you to have fixed IP-addresses. Check that they do not conflict. If there is a firewall on those PCs, check that it allows access from the other PCs on your network. For comp D to work, comp B must be switched on.
I also guess (but don't know) that you must have ICS on computer B, to allow access for D.
You make life unnecessary complicated that way. Either buy another wireless card for comp D or lead the ethernet cable from D to router on A, as I originally advised. That way, D operates independently from B

The problem is that computer D and B are in the same room (the basement) and are right next to each other....so it seemed kind of smart to just use an ethernet cable and connect them. It would save me the money of buying a wireless adaptor and I was also told that the ethernet would be faster than the wireless adaptor....So I figure, cheaper AND faster...makes sense. Computer A with the router is on a totally different floor of the house so it wouldn't be possible for me to lead the ethernet from D to router on A. Let me know what you think and if it's still stupid to keep trying to get this to work......Thanks

If you are the only one to use B and D in the basement, or if there is only ever one person in the basement using either computer, setup the network for D identical to B, and swap the wireless adapter to the USB port of the PC you need network access for.
My (limited) knowledge of networks does not include a solution for what you want. My advise is still to buy another adapter for D.

Well, I use computer d as a fileserver for computer b, so they both need to be running at the same time. I'm considering just buying another adaptor for d, but it doesn't seem like i should have to, and I really don't feel like making it slower by doing so. Any other ideas?

You don't have to buy a new adapter although that would be the best idea.
The steup worked before so you just have to fix what you broke.

You should try setting up the networking in B and D from zero. Deleting the network adapters from Device Manager is a very efficient way. After a reboot when the network adapters have been reidentified you can start over again.

Yeah, I tried it and it didn't help....On Computer D I'm getting the 169.254.XXX.XXX IP Address on my local area connection. I've been told that "To check if it is providing a DHCP address, open the CMD window on another machine and run 'ipconfig'. You should have an IP address in the range of 192.168.0.2 - 192.168.0.254, the default range for Windows ICS. If you find 169.254.XXX.XXX, then this indicates the pc cannot locate a network DHCP and is using APIPA." So...my question is....do you think that could be the problem?? And if so, how do I set it back to the 192.168 address???? Thanks

You have to set up B before doing anything with D. D should, have an IP address from the same network as the NIC in B facing D (if i'm making any sense here).

You set ip addresses and other network configuration by going into the network adapters configuration, right clicking on the correct adapter, properties, TCP/IP, properties.

So. If computer B reports that the interface that is connected to D has an ip of 10.0.0.1, subnet 255.255.255.0 then you should give D an IP 10.0.0.x where x can't be 0 or 1. Also, all gateways and DNS ervers set on D should point to B-s IP address.

It lets me view the IP address, but how do I actually change it?

???

You select to "Use the following IP address" and type it in.

You have to have administrative rights of course.

Yeah, still didn't do a thing....I don't know what the problem could be. I've tried starting from scatch and nothing seems to work. It worked when it was set up for the first time. Any other ideas?

Still waiting to see the "ipconfig /all" outputs.

When you set it up, can B access D and vice versa?

Are you still using a crossover cable between Computer B and D?