Networking between 2 pc's

[Sanjay Verma]

Hi Friends,

I'm trying to connect two pc's (peer-to-peer connection) so that I can browse each other and transfer files but seems the target is still too far.

The PC's details are:
- PC1: Win 2000, Part of a Domain, IP assigned automatically.
- PC2: Win 2000, Not Part of a Domain, IP assisgned manually.

Now, when I try to browse both the pc's, I'm not being able to.

Appreciate if you can let me know if I'm missing something somewhere in the setup.

Cheers, Sanjay

Now

[Artyom Voronchihin]

1. Does PC1 have single network adapter or separate adapters for domain connection and peer-to-peer ?
2. Did you assign IP address to PC2 in the same subnet as PC1 ? For example say PC1 gets addresses from DHCP scope 192.168.0.10-192.168.0.100, netmask 255.255.255.0. So PC2 should have the same netmask and IP address must belong to network 192.168.0.0. For example let it be 192.168.0.101.
3. If you have separate network adapter for peer-to-peer connection do you use crossover cable ?

Regards,
Arty

[Jon Finley]

I'm assuming that you have either a hub in place, a cross-over cable, or 10baseT with terminators. Therefore....

Browsing in Miocrosoft products requires NetBIOS. Without WINS or a Master Browser in place, you need to place entries in an LMHOSTS file.

For 2000 the LMHOSTS file is at:
C:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc
Rename the file from LMHOSTS.SAM to LMHOSTS, then place an entry in each, for the other machine.


Jon

[Sanjay Verma]

My comments are:
1. Both PC's have one 1 n/k adapter each.
2. DHCP not configured on PC2.
3. Since it's the same n/k adapter, I'm using cross-over cable.
4. No HUB is used.

[Sanjay Verma]

Jon, To install NetBios Services on Win2k, what steps should I follow? The reason being, I'm getting only 2 services while using the N/k component - "QoS Packet Scheduler" & "SAP Agent".

[Roger Faucher]

Sanjay:

Probably the easiest way to do this (assuming the NIC drivers are embedded in Windows or at hand)is to login as Administrator, go to Device Manager and Remove the NIC (on both systems). Then reboot. Both systems should detect the NIC and try to install drivers (again, they should be found in the OS or you will insert the CD/floppy at the appropriate time). Assuming that process is successful, the necessary protocol (TCP/IP) will have been installed in default mode on both machines. At that point, go configure TCP/IP protocol for any two successive, valid IP addresses and the same subnet mask for each. E.G.: 192.168.2.2 and 192.168.2.3, each with a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0.

Now run a CROSSOVER cable between the two NICs and you should be able to go to a Command(DOS) Prompt on either computer and PING the other computer's IP address. If you want to share files and printers, right click the drive, folder, or printer and select Sharing, Setup a share name (Share As) and I think that's it. If you plan to login to either machine as other than Administrator, we may have to do some more steps.

I hope I've not forgotten anything but if I have someone will let us know or you'll discover it.

Good luck!

Roger

[Sanjay Verma]

Roger,
Thanks for your steps. I'm happy to configure the IP's on the desktop pc (PC2). But my laptop (PC1) has DHCP configured so that when I connect to my internal network, IP add. is assigned automatically.

Now, is there a way I can connect to my desktop (PC2) at home without changing the IP address of my laptop (PC1)?

[Roger Faucher]

Sanjay:

You could determine the IP address of your laptop (using IPCONFIG) and set the IP address of your other PC to the same address range (if your laptop is 10.0.0.23, set the other computer to 10.0.0.23 and make the Subnet Masks match one another).

So follow the procedure I posted but only for PC2, then do what I just wrote in the first paragraph.

Roger

[Roger Faucher]

Sorry, that solution will not work.

Your laptop will still look for a DHCP server and when it doesn't find one it will probably assume a 169.254.n.n address. See this MS KB article for more info: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;220874

I would connect both computers, fire up the laptop and when it's up all the way, check it's IP address (IPCONFIG) and then set PC1 to an IP address one higher and the same Subnet Mask. I think that should work.

Whew!

Sorry about my errors!

Roger

[John Collier]

Roger,

I have to ask why you would want to go through the steps of deleting the NIC cards and having the OS rediscover them in an effort to install the NetBIOS protocol? From experience, I can say that there is a much easier way to get this accomplished.


Sanjay,

If it were me doing it, this is what I would do:

I???m not sitting in front of a Win2k machine right this moment so I will have to try this from memory (when I get to the house I can confirm this unless I see a post saying it worked).

If you will right click on ???My Network Places??? and select ???Properties??? you will get a dialog box with two different objects in it. One of them will be an option to add a connection, the other should give you the option to look at your LAN settings. What you want is the one that lets you look at your LAN settings (the one on the right if memory serves me correctly). If you will right click on that one and choose ???Properties??? it should give you the protocols that are installed on the machine.

From there you would look for NetBIOS in the list of protocols. If it???s installed, then you are in business already and shouldn???t have to worry about that machine. If not, then click ???Add??? (or is it ???Install????) and you will come up with a dialog box that gives you three choices. What you are wanting is a protocol (last option I think). This will bring up yet another dialog box.

Here???s the screwy part. Even though NetBIOS isn???t a M$ protocol, you will still have to select Mickysoft on the left to bring up NetBIOS on the right. From there you select NETBIOS on the right and tell it ???OK???.

It will most likely require the install disk and you will have to be logged in as ???Administrator??? to do this. From there you still have to go through the steps of sharing the files/drives that you want to use on both machines. Since this is a Win2k machine, you may have to work on some permission issues as well, but we won???t worry about that until it becomes an issue.

One last thing I might suggest is that you click the little radio box on the first properties page (the one from ???My Network Places???) that puts the icon in the system tray to tell you when your machine notices that it has a connection. That way you will know when the hard connection is there. If that little icon never comes up and tells you that it sees a connection, then you may be looking at either a bad NIC or a bad cable and none of this will matter anyway.


By the way, I like your personal quote ;-)
In that same spirit, might I suggest that you take a look at this post from our friendly, neighborhood Forums Manager:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x356efd3f91d3d5118ff40090279cd0f9,00.html



Let us know if you have any further problems getting this accomplished. You might even let us know what method finally worked for you if you don???t mind???

[Jon Finley · Accepted solution]

Let me clarify one point...

NetBIOS vs NetBEUI

NetBEUI is an installable network transport protocol.

NETBIOS: Microsoft's software interface for accessing network resources based on NetBEUI

NetBIOS is encapsulated within TCP/IP.

If he is using TCP/IP, and has selected to "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" within the WINS area of the NIC setup page, then NetBIOS is active. If "Enable LMHOSTS lookup" is also selected (and an LMHOSTS file is set up), then he won't have to worry about browsing without a master browser, or WINS.

But... another possible solution is to install NetBEUI on both machines (since it resolves everything through broadcasts) and be done with it. The only issue would be when he is back at the office and the additional "noise" his system will then create.

Jon

[John Collier]

Jon,

This is one fine example of why I should never try to do anything by memory! It never dawned on me that we were looking at two different sides of the coin until right now. Now it???s too late and I???ve already embarrassed myself ;-(

The only good thing is that you have said that what I have suggested is a viable option even if it might create a little more chatter on the business network than it did previously (in an extremely large network it can be extremely noticeable, but not so much in a smaller network). I wish I had the graphics available here so I could pull down a graphic of the top protocols on our company network so I could demonstrate the evils it can cause in the larger environments, but the company wouldn???t want me to show that off anyway so I guess it???s good that the temptation isn???t here???


Sanjay,

Jon is correct. You should be able to take each place that I put the word ???NetBIOS??? and replace it with ???NetBEUI??? in my last response. Somehow my tiny little overworked mind got the two of them completely mixed up yesterday.

However, as Jon also admits, that is one more way to accomplish your goal. It is what I use on my home network of 3 PC???s with no problems at all.

Back to the ???NetBIOS??? issue, if you want to see what your settings are regarding that, you would also go through the properties of your ???My Network Places???, ???Local Area Connection Properties??? and then select your ???Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)??? protocol and click on properties.

The dialog box that comes up should be familiar to you since this is where you set your IP address as either static or ???Obtain an IP address automatically??? (using DHCP). From there you would click the ???Advanced??? button toward the bottom of that box.

In true M$ Windoze style, this brings up yet another dialog box with 4 tabs across the top. The place to check your ???NetBIOS??? in this area is located under the WINS tab. Under that tab, you have three radio buttons near the bottom that deal with how NetBIOS over TCP/IP is handled on your computer.

One word of caution regarding NetBIOS over TCP/IP: If you choose to use this setting to allow you to share information in your house, remember that TCP/IP is the same protocol that you use for the internet as well. If you leave this set up to allow file sharing between the two computers and then go to the Internet, you will have left all of your file shares open to the rest of the Internet community as well.

You may make your own choices, but for our safety and peace of mind I make sure to use NetBEUI on the LAN and disable the NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

I???m sure there are other schools of thought on this, but this is what I choose.


Sorry about the mix up on the first post. Please forgive me for crossing the two.

Let us know how it goes!



P.S. Thanks for the reality check Jon. Sometimes we all get mixed up...

[Keith_62]

Lack of the NETBEUI protocal is probably your problem Go to Microsoft support site WIN 2000 knowledge base for fix (link attached)same for XP users, Netbeui doesn't load up but is on the CD.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;258717

Cheers

Keith

[Sanjay Verma]

Friends, I'm still going through each and every-steps suggested by all. Will update this once it's done - either case.

Hi John, don't worry I've read the friendly, neighborhood Forums Manager's comment.

Cheers

[John Bolene]

Several problems here.

The machine setup for DHCP has to find a DHCP server to get info from.

You will need a Linksys D-link or similar router to provide this service unless you want to reconfigure the machine for a manual static IP.

Also the machine that was in a domain will not have viewable files from the other machine (this is a domain security issue), unless you want to change it to workgroup mode.

The domained machine will be able to see files and use the printer of the workgroup machine, but not the other way.

[Jon Finley]

1. The machine setup for DHCP has to find a DHCP server to get info from.

Ans. If Sanjay installs NetBEUI this can be ignored.


2. You will need a Linksys D-link or similar router to provide this service unless you want to reconfigure the machine for a manual static IP.

Ans. Same as above.

3. Also the machine that was in a domain will not have viewable files from the other machine (this is a domain security issue), unless you want to change it to workgroup mode.

Ans. Sanjay will need to create a local account on the DHCP domain machine, that is the same User ID and password that he uses on the other machine. Drop that User into the local Admin's group. Then he can connect to the Admin C$ share for full access.

4. The domained machine will be able to see files and use the printer of the workgroup machine, but not the other way.

Ans. This "should" be taken care of by previous question.

If Sanjay does NOT install NetBEUI, then all of the problems mentioned are still VERY valid and will need to be addressed.

We've leared a few ways to address this.

Sanjay can setup a batch (script) file to change the TCP/IP setup using: netsh
i.e. Change it to a fixed IP when the (I'm assumming a laptop here) laptop is brought home, then change it back before shutting it down to take it back to the office.

We'll have to see what Sanjay thinks.

Jon

[Norman_21]

Hello Sanjay again,

You are talking about P2P networking and not Server Based Networking. Have you looked at this M$ KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;258717
However, you should have the following protocols installed at both ends:
1.TCP/IP
2.NetBEUI
3.File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft sharing.
4. Client for Microsoft Networks.

Please keep us updated.
Thanks and good luck.

[Sanjay Verma]

Hi Friends,
I'm here to update you all that I've not disappeared. Still going through all the process to setup and make this working.

Thanks again for the overwhelming response.
-Sanjay

[Sanjay Verma]

Hi Friends,
Thanks everyone for your comments and wonderful suggestions. I am now attaching the diagram indicating my requirement. Hope this clarifies my requirement.
-Sanjay

[Norman_21]

Hello Sanjay,

I really admire the Diagram. You remind me the M$ exams when I was doing my certification, I hope it's not an exam!
Since you have a public IP in your laptop and a private IP in your Home PC, this will not work.The Public IP that you have is (A) class and the private IP is (C) class and they have different subnets. Try this,
Add NetBEUI, in the Mobile laptop and set the TCP/IP in your Home PC to obtain IP address automatically.
Try Changing the Workgroup of the Home PC to have the same name of the domain. Domain names can be used as a Workgroup names too.
Also, don't forget that both PC should have the same protocols as I have mentioned in my previous respond.
Does your Diagram means that your laptop has two NICs, one for the internal Network and the other for the Home PC?

Please let me know how it goes.
Thanks.

[Sanjay Verma]

Hi Xman, Yes, it took some to prepare the diag. Thanks. I connect to internal network using dialup connection. So my laptop has only 1 NIC. I'll try to test with the settings as indicated and see how it goes. -Sanjay

[Norman_21]

Sanjay,

Just an observation, a Modem should be added between the Office PC and the dedicated line which in turn, goes to the Mobile Laptop. This will help us to know that you have a dialup connection.Don't forget to mention the Dialup speed.

Just a thought.
Thanks.

[Norman_21]

Sanjay,

Just an observation, a Modem should be added between the Office PC and the dedicated line which in turn, goes to the Mobile Laptop. This will help us to know that you have a dialup connection.Don't forget to mention the Dialup speed. Besides, it is not an internal Network, this is WAN.

Just a thought.
Thanks.

[John Collier]

Sanjay,

Are you changing the scenario on us in the middle? I was under the impression that you just wanted to hook the laptop up to the home PC when you brought it home so there would only be two PCs involved at any given time. What it seems like you are now saying is that you want to be able to hook the laptop to the home PC over a dial in connection while it is still hooked to the office LAN.

If this is true, then it changes the situation somewhat.

Please help me understand this???

[John Bolene]

Ah, more info always clears the picture.

You are connecting to the office with dialup and have a TCP/IP connection.

The hookup to the home PC (at the same time), must mean that you configure the ethernet port on the laptop to 192.168.1.2 and use a crossover cable to connect them. Without a home router, you will have to bring up the connection manually on both the laptop and the home machine as it has no signals otherwise. A better solution would be a hub or router to connect the home machine to the laptop.

Otherwise, more clarification is needed.