Wireless Networking Question

Here's the deal:

I have the LinkSys Wireless-G Broadband Router and I have 2 computers plugged directly into it, and they network and share files perfectly. They both use the same ethernet card (LinkSys LNE100TX(v5) Fast Ethernet Adapter) and have the following items in use:

• Client for Microsoft Networks
• File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
• QoS Packet Scheduler
• Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

They are also on the same workgroup.

But I'm having issues using the LinkSys Wireless-G Notebook Adapter on my Dell Inspiron 8200. I can't connect to the network in anyway (although I can see the shared drives, I can't access them) and the other two desktop systems don't even see the laptop. The laptop has the same items as above installed for the wireless connection, but it still doesn't want to work. For all three computers I've used the Network ID Wizard just in case, and still no difference: the desktops can network fine, but the laptop cannot using the wireless card. The laptop is also set to be on the same workgroup

The laptop does have integrated ethernet (wired) (3Com integrated ethernet), but I really won't use that unless I'm back at college and connecting to the internet there. This also has the same protocols and services as the desktops do, but I haven't set up a wired network with the laptop yet.

All computers have Win XP Pro w/Service Pack 1 and the latest drivers for all networking products.

Now it may not be an issue now, but I will be getting Cable/DSL internet in the next couple of months so it will be. So how can I get the wireless connection to work on the laptop when it has the integrated ethernet port as well? Is it possible?

Is windows controlling the wireless device or does it have its own software?
Diisable WEP and encryption on both router and wireless card and choose to not hide SSID also ensure you have it set to Infrastructure mode[Access point].
Will it connect now?
Is the wireless software showing your routers SSID after seeking?

What windows on the desktops? What windows on the laptops?

If it's 2k/NT/XP have you created login accounts for each machine to login to each other?

I have the same router/WAP and a G card built in my laptop. The laptop never wanted to connect when WEP was disable. I just enabled WEP, created a key, and typed that key into the prompt on the wireless connection. Check the setup on the router, and advanced properties on the wireless NIC for the channel. Set them the same.

Another issue:
I imagine there is also a wired NIC in that laptop. Check your devices to see if there is a device called 'Network Bridge' My wireless never worked right when that device was present. In fact, I didn't get it working untill I reloaded the laptop using the regular OS CD instead of the drive image disk.

To answer some of your questions:

Both the desktops run WinXP Pro as does the laptop, and all of them have logins (various users as myself, sister, guest, etc.).

There is no "Network Bridge" setup on the laptop.

Windows is not set to configure my wireless network settings; I'm using the Linksys software. According to the software, the settings are as such:

TCP/IP SETTINGS:
IP Address - 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask - 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway - 192.168.1.1
DHCP Enabled

WIRELESS NETWORK STATUS:
State - Connected
SSID - linksys-g
Network Type - Infrastructure
Transfer Rate - 36 Mbps (sometimes 56 Mbps)
WEP - Off

Now here's the question that might the kicker. I don't have cable/DSL internet, so I didn't run the router utility on my laptop, nor did I use the web-based setup, should I have to do that? It didn't specifiy in the manual that it was necessary. The router utility CD that came with the router looks for an internet connection, specifically cable/DSL, which didn't apply to me. So do I still have to run it?

I know that if I have to run the utility to have it work, I'll look like a complete and utter moron on Windrivers...burn me now for being an idiot if that's true :flame: .

Thanks for the help! :D

No, you don't have to run the setup utility, whether you have a net connection or not. It sounds like your IP is being assigned by DHCP. I've sometimes had problems with DHCP over wireless. You might want to go manually assign an IP to the wireless NIC. Pick something below 100 for the last octet, so it doesn't fight with the DHCP server of the router.
E.G. - Set your laptop to 192.168.1.50 or something, as the DHCP address will start at 192.168.1.100, also remember your subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

Since you don't have an internet connection, you don't really need to worry about gateway or DNS servers.

does your router not have use an access screen to configure it as per the Vigor model below?

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/fb9b0e25.jpg



http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...e/fb919287.jpg

In which case you need to use it to set the router up for the wireless devices to connect.

You mentioned in the begining that you can "see" drives? what happens when you access them? Maybe it's a simple thing as giving "rights" to access them? Windows XP Pro is very secure and you have to set up users.

Funny thing is...I can communicate with the router with the wireless NIC, since I just upgraded the router's firmwire, but I can't seem to access other computers on the network.

I used the router's web-based utility to configure it and upgrade the firmware from my laptop, so why can't it access the other computers on the network?

Should I manually assign an IP address to each computer even though the two wired computers can see and access each other?

For information purposes:
My computer's IP: 192.168.1.100
My sister's computer's IP: 192.168.1.101
My laptop's IP: 192.168.1.102

Thanks!

Could you tell us if you have set up user account for each of the machines on the machines you wish to access?

EG two computers fred and george.

Fred needs a user george with password to allow george to see Fred's shared files.
George also needs a user Fred to allow fred to see george's shared files.

Both should have passwords set - otherwise you get some odd errors sometimes.

Well my desktop has user accounts set up for sharing its drives across the network, as does my sister's desktop. I set my laptop in the same way as well.

All three in the same workgroup (named WORKGROUP for simplicity). But here's my question, and I think this might be the issue: I log on with the user account "Raj" (w/o quotes) on my desktop, my sister with user account "Lisa" on her desktop, and the user account "Raj" on my laptop. Now will having two user accounts that have the same name, on the same network, logging on at the same time, screw things up even though they're on different computers?

Or is it just a stupid IP address issue?

just to recap :
log onto desktop with Raj
log onto other desktop Lisa
log onto laptop Raj

laptop cant browse shred drives on desktops - but can see them

Does Raj have exact same password on all 3 computers ?

I'm thinking the laptop using different password or blank -

BTW - if you can see other drives (or folders) your network is working - try ping 192.168.1.101 form command prompt to test it

HTH

Ok...this is crap, total crap.

My laptop can't even see the two desktops at all. I've logged onto each computer with a unique user on each one, and to no avail. The 2 desktops can access each other, but the laptop can't do crap.

I've tried using the wired NIC built-in the laptop, but that doesn't work either.

In both cases, when I try to "View Workgroup Computers" in "My Network Places," I get the same error stating the workgroup is not available and that I might not have permission to access it. But what's really pissing me off is that I set the laptop up IN THE SAME FRIGGIN' WAY as the desktops! I figured I might be able to access the desktops via a wired connection, but no. I swear I'm ready to burninate my laptop here... :flame:

The laptop can't even ping either desktop computer... :mad:

Should I just give each computer it's own IP address? Will that affect my internet connection once I get DSL?

Please, I'd really appreciate any help. :confused:

If you cannot ping either desktop and you are positive the cable and/or switch port is good, you are looking at firewall issues.

Norton, PC cillin, Macafee and XP all have firewalls. Make sure that they are all down on all 3 machines for testing purposes.

Then try pinging the desktops - are you trying pinging by ip or by netbios name?

Now this is weird ("I'm from Holland, isn't that veird?"...ahem)...

To clarify, in the following, I used both a direct wired connection and my wireless LAN card. Also, in the Network Connections section of WinXP it says that the IP address and such is being assigned by DHCP.

After turning off any form of authentication, both the desktop PCs can see the laptop, but can't access it, but the laptop still can't see the desktops.

What even stranger is that I can ping back and forth between both the desktop PCs and laptop using either one! :confused:

So I tried using the net view \\ComputerName command and I got a System error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found. I checked all my connections, but they're in perfect shape.

I then used net view \\IPAddress command, and it succeeded. According to Windows Help, if it succeeds, then ComputerName is being resolved to the wrong IP address.

So...what the heck is going on?

Does the router have its own IP address and could that be conflicting, and what's all this about resolving to the wrong IP address?

Here are the respective IP addresses:

My computer's IP: 192.168.1.100
My sister's computer's IP: 192.168.1.101
My laptop's IP (when using wireless LAN card): 192.168.1.102
My laptop's IP (when using direct wired connection): 192.168.1.103