Re: One Computer Connected, Other Not

In article <F8FA2A4B-DAAB-4E64-91FB-EBAA097989C6@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
jmwills <jmwills@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello, I've been searching endlessly for a solution to my problem. All
I want to do is connect my two laptops with a crossover cable and share
my files between the two of them. I connect to the internet through
dialup, so no internet connection is needed in this network situation.

I had a laptop that I sold and bought a better one that connected with
m old laptop just fine (so the crossover cable works, we know), but the
new one just refuses to connect. The old laptop connects fine to the
new one, no problem, 100mbps or whatever, and then the second has a
limited or no connectivity error, of course. And yes, it is running SP2
(professional), while this one is not (home). But I know that it's not
just a fake error that I can turn off; it actually is not connected.
The SP2 laptop says it is connected at 100mbps, but where the little
monitor icons should be blue, they are gray, and with the Activity
packets thing, packets are being sent very slowly, and not receiving at
all (whereas the old laptop sends and receives large amounts). And
yeah, I've made sure the firewalls are turned off.

Anyway, I've already worked up an ipconfig text for both computers.
This is the first one (that works fine), and my connection is with the
3com Integrated controller, so I think the PPP is irrelevant.

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : zackhix2
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast
Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-DB-13-7B-04
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.190.170
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

PPP adapter {406EC201-C40E-428E-85EE-D05CD0FF0738}:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.132.40.201
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 172.132.40.201
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 205.188.146.145
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Ok, and here's the second computer. Excuse the silly computer names
please.

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ZACKEXCLAMATION
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI
Fast Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-B0-0C-E4-B8
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.46.180
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Man, any kind of help would be so great. It's really, really
frustrating. I've been trying quite a while to fix this, and I'm
willing to start with any suggestion. Thanks a lot.

YOu will need to assign Static Addresses in order to use that crossover
cable. You will notice that one is set for DHCP and there is no where for
that machine to obtain an address, such as a router.

There's no need for static IP addresses. When a network connection is
configured to obtain an IP address automatically and there's no DHCP
server on the network, Windows XP assigns it an "Automatic Private IP
Address" in the 169.254.x.x range, as described here:

How to use automatic TCP/IP addressing without a DHCP server
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/220874/en-us

The ipconfig output shows that both computers have done that, and they
should be able to network with each other.

The problem that I see is that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on both
computers, which will prevent network browsing. To enable NetBIOS
over TCP/IP:

1. Open the Network Connections folder.
2. Right click the local area network connection.
3. Click Properties.
4. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
5. Click Properties.
6. Click Advanced.
7. Click WINS.
8. Click the Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP button.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
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