Hi

i installed a network with 2 computers both runnning sp2 xp pro, the cables connected i run though the wizard but on both computers i get "limited or no connectivity error" please help ive tried everything possible on this website

http://www.pchell.com/support/limitedconnectivity.shtml

including downloadind that winsock thing!!

helppppp :slurp:

are you using a crossover cable, and do you have a firewall running on either machine?

hi spike thanks for the reply,

what i did was bring up ipconfig on the host machine (i have no router) just connected using a crossova, rite i brang ipconfig up and wrote the details down and put em in the TCP/IP thingie on the guest machine... its connected now


BUT i cant view anything on the network???

help.....

OK, this could be a silly question, but it eliminates the obvious, which we can all sometimes forget...

How are you trying to see something on the network/ what are you trying to see?

Can you see both computers in the workgroup from the server machine, and can you see both computers in the workgroup from the client machine?

well im new to this network thing, but i have an understanding of ips pinging and all that so i have yet again been playing about and checked the ip settings for both.... this is wat i got in ipconfig,

connection specific DNS suffix :
IP address : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway : 1.0.0.0

ITS EXACTLY the same on the other machine. :dead:

ne ideas, and im just lookin in my computer for a drive and checking to see if i can access the internet :S is this wrong?

things are sending in the status box but nothings recieving :S

thought that mite help?

Try setting those IP's Manually It's worth a shot. Just make a note of what they are now and if it doesn't work you can go back to where you were.

I assume though that you've tried the network setup wizard?

For the TCP/IP properties, make...

The internet server machine
IP address : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway : leave blank

and the client machine
IP address : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway : 192.168.0.1

This assumes that you've already enabled file and printer sharing.

once both machines are set to this, reboot them both.

once rebooted, go to My Network Places, and from the options on the left, view computers in the workgroup.

Incidentally, I had heared that in order to network 2 XP machines, you need to have a password protected admin account on both of them. I don't know whether this is true or not, because I have that anyway. I've never tried it without.

nope no luck, both have passworded admin accounts :S

is there suppost the be DNS settings that are set cause on both my machines its set as manual (cant set it as auto) and thers nothin in the spaces?

this is REALLLLLLLY annoying!!! some1pleasehelpme

tried pinging the host machine from the guest using 192.168.0.1 and it timed out on all attempts

If you can't even ping the one from the other, then its your cable mate. Another test you ought to do is set the "host" machine to a DHCP server. To do this, create a DialUp Internet Connection and enable Internet Connection Sharing so that it "shares" the "Dialup Internet Connection with other Network Users".

Now, simply set your other "client" machine to Obtain an IP address rather than Specify.

Reboot both, then see if the client machine "gets" an IP address from the Server: ie, start > run > cmd > ipconfig

If its something like "169.123.123.123" its an Automatic Private IP and it Hasn't worked. So simply try "ipconfig /renew_all". This will attempt communication with the DHCP server and try to obtain an IP address from it.

If that STILL doesnt work, then trust me, its your cable. I work in the industry and often trying the simplest things works; so just try a new Crossover lead.

Hope it helps!
Gorg.

ok. for everyone elses benefit, because I'm out of ideas....

we just chatted on msn, and discovered that file and printer sharing was unchecked, as was client for microsoft networks.

Both were re-activated, ALL firewalls (norton and windows) were disabled. Both machines rebooted, and the network still didn't work, though the respective computers at last saw theirselves when looking at the workgroup, but not each other.

The network setup wizard was run through, both machines re-booted again, and still the machines don't see each other, but now however, the network icon says it's connected.

ah yes, he also said that the lead wasn't crossover originally, and that he followed a guid on the web somewhere and crossed over the wires himself (green and orange I think he said.). I did suggest a new cable as a test.

It wont even appear to connect if the lead is straight. But yeh u have to crossover those. Cant remember off the top of my head

I'd have to disagree there. when I first set up my network and was having trouble, it was because I was using a straight cable. It did appear to connect though, AND I successfully shared my internet connection. I just couldn't get the network going nomatter waht I did though.

I'm willing to accept that that may have been some kind of bizarre fluke though.

Well.

First things first. If the cable is connected between machines do the ethernet link lights turn on?
How about setting the link speed and duplex for the network interfaces manually?
The IP addresses on the two machines have to be different. Seems that in the beginning they were the same.
Are the IP addresses being assigned to the correct interfaces?
If there is no ping then there is absolutely no point in trying set up file and printer sharing.

A good thing to post here would be the "ipconfig /all" output from both machines.

HOST

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : allen-64bit
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Eth
ernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-EA-3A-4F-C8
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

GUEST

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : intel-32bit
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Eth
ernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-DC-9C-64-5A
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :192.168.0.1

The only thing that stands out to me there is "WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No"

That's not to say that's the problem. I simply don't know. I just know it says "yes" on my machine.

Connectivity problem solved in a friendly chat over IRC.

Turned out that the metod to produce crossover cables was not quite right. Twisted pair ethernet is based on wire pairs so one has to swap both green/orange and green-white/orange-white wires to make it work.

Also, link speed and duplex settings have to match on both computers.

excellent stuff.

for the purpose of satisfying my curiosity, what is WINS all about?

WINS is the name resolution service for legacy (pre-Win2k) Windows networking. It does the same thing as DNS for internet - maps computer names to IP addresses and vice versa.