(OT) Network Trouble II
 

I have 2 systems with WinME, 1 with XP Home, I run the Network Wizard in Windows and after reboot I loose my ISP http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif I have done this 3X same each time. ME systems are hard wired to D-Link wireless router then to cable modem IF I do not run the wizard I can get both ME systems Online but they do not "See" the other...any Ideas??
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rant.gif

Re: (OT) Network Trouble II
 

XP, especially Home, tends to break networks that have other Versions of Windows on them... Have you tried using the network setup wizard in XP to create network disks, then running those on the ME systems?

Networking 101
 

Screw the wizard, it's not that hard to set up yourself. Note that I'm writing this as if you were just starting out with nothing already setup. I'll also assume that you know how to share a folder, at least under ME. Before you start, you may want to make a note of your router's IP address, and jot down your current working config.

Let's begin.

First, enable your router's DHCP server in its config interface. If you don't know how to do this, refer to your documentation.

Second, on the Windows ME systems, go to Control Panel, and double click on the Network icon. There, insure that TCP/IP is installed. If it is not, add it. Windows will ask you for your CD if you add it.

Once TCP/IP is installed, it's time to configure it. Highlight its entry and click Properties. You'll get a dialog box with a few tabs, the first one asking you whether to obtain an IP automatically, or to specify one. Make sure "Obtain IP automatically" is selected, then move on to the Gateway tab. Here, type in the IP address of your router and click Add. You're done here, move on to the DNS tab. Here, select "Disable DNS." Next!

The only other tab you need to worry about is the bindings tab. Here, make sure "Client for Microsoft Networks" is checked, and if present, "File and Print sharing for Microsoft Networks" should also be checked. If File and Print sharing is not present, you will need to add it after you press OK to exit the TCP/IP config dialog. How to do that should be pretty obvious: on ME, there'll be a button just for it. (Or there should be, as ME is a 9x based operating system. If there is no button, click Add, go to Services, and find File and Print sharing for Microsoft Networks)

That's a lot of stuff for Windows ME to swallow, so it'll ask you for your CD and then ask to be rebooted. Go ahead. Once Windows has booted up again, pick a folder and share it. This is important, otherwise you won't see that computer under Network Neighborhood. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Now for the XP system. Microsoft loves to move things around on us, so the process for installing and configuring TCP/IP on XP is a bit different. Fortunately, Control Panel's still in the same place, sort of. Navigate there, and switch to Classic Control Panel (if you haven't already).

Somewhere amidst that mess there should be an icon named "Network and Dial-up connections" or some such. Look for the word "Network" and you should find it. Open that up, and you should be presented with a dialog similar to what you saw on ME. Some names have changed, the File sharing button is gone, but it's similar enough. If TCP/IP is not installed, install it by clicking Install, then selecting Protocol, it should be easy to find from there.

Once TCP is installed, it needs to be configured. Click the TCP/IP entry, then click properties. In 2000, the TCP/IP properties dialog has only one tab, and this one is similar to a cross between the IP and DNS tabs from ME. Select "Obtain automatically" on both. Then, click advanced. Here, you will need to click "Add" under the Gateway settings. Type in the IP address of your router. Don't worry about the metric. Click ok until you're out of the TCP properties. You don't need to worry about anything else there.

Now you need to enable file sharing, if it's not already installed. The process is the same here: Click install, click service, click Add, select File sharing, then OK. Done. Along the way, the Client for Microsoft Networks should've been added in automatically. No configuration is needed for it.

If XP asks you to reboot, do so.

Here's where things get tricky: XP is based on NT, and NT and 9x/ME do NOT share files easily. This is because NT has much more advanced security features which 9x is simply not equipped to handle. Sharing files and folders between 9x and 2k/XP machines can be a major pain! But, we'll try anyway.

First, share a folder on your XP machine. The default permissions on it should be full control for the Everyone group. This is dangerous, but it's the most seamless way to get XP and 9x to share. You won't have to worry about usernames, accounts, or anything like that. If you want the security that offers, I'll cover it later for you. For now, let's focus on getting things working.

Share a folder on the XP machine. IMPORTANT: XP allows very long sharenames! If the sharename is longer then 12 characters you MUST shorten it, or ME will NOT be able to connect to that share!! Whew. Ok, click the Permissions button. If the default permissions on your new shared folder are not "Everyone" and "full control" you may have to change them. If the Everyone group is not present, click "Add" and scroll down the list until you find it. Double click it, then click OK. Highlight the Everyone group, and look at its permissions. If Full Control is not checked, check it. Click OK. Click OK again. Now the folder icon has the little hand under it, indicating it is shared.

NOTE: You will NOT be able to browse to this share via network neighborhood on the ME machines. To access this share, you MUST go through the Map Network Drive dialog box, which brings up our final point...

All these systems must have names!

For the ME machines it is quite simple (in fact, networking in general is simpler under 9x). All you have to do is go to Network under Control panel, click the Identification tab, and there type in a name. It can be any name you wish. While you're there, type in a workgroup name. While this name does not have to be the same on all computers, it simplifies things, so remember your workgroup name.

In XP, the computer name has moved! Reach it by right clicking on My Computer and then clicking on properties. There you will see a Network Identification tab. Click "Change." Type in a computer name, then select Workgroup. Type in your workgroup name. Click ok, click ok again, done.

Now you are done!

To get to your XP shares from the ME machines, open Windows Explorer, find the Map Network Drive button or menu option. It should be under the Tools menu. You'll be presented with a dialog asking for a drive letter and a path. Select any drive letter you want, and then type in the path, which should look something like this assuming your XP computer is named "Fido" and your share is named "Bone":

\\Fido\Bone

And there you have it. Good god this is long.

One final note: This is a VERY insecure way to set up a network. I recommend you install ZoneAlarm or some other personal firewall (not Norton, for god's sake, please not Norton!) on all PCs involved. If you want to further secure your network (ie, getting rid of the pesky and insecure everyone group and setting user accounts for your ME machines) that is a post for a later time. Good luck!

Re: (OT) Network Trouble II
 

The XP is on "Wireless" and there is no "A" Drive so IF it is running I do not want to screw it up (it's my daughters and she will kill me if I mess it up http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif ) this happens in the main computer and after reboot I can not access the net it will not even find the ISP

Re: Networking 101
 

OK I have printed this out.....I will see what happenes

Re: (OT) Network Trouble II
 

No floppy?!?!? Damned computer manufacturer arrogance...

Re: (OT) Network Trouble II
 

OK I tried all of Networking 101 only thing I had to add was the router address and after that nothing! had to do a system restore, the XP CAN see the ME and I can see the XP, I can not get the 2 ME systems to do so, the one has "Network Places" the other dose not I have reonstalled ME on this system and it will not show up this may be the trouble, It will see the ISP and all but no other systems.

Re: Networking 101
 

I have been told from D-Link that a fire wall is not needed the router is built with one in it, also when I have Zone Alarm up and running I get the same thing.

Re: Networking 101
 

Excellent instructions. Very much like what Ive done. I have a 5 machine network and a router. Win95, Win95se, WinME, WinXPhome, and a Debian Linux Server. Well except for DHCP. I didnt go that route. I agree whole heartedly with ZoneAlarm

But what I was HOPING to see was something I havent messed with yet but was considering... how to setup SEIV for a multi-machine hotseat play.

I havent looked at how SEIV does its games yet but based on Dominions2 experience Im guessing that there is some way to share the game-save directory and set the host to process immeadately on receiving the Last players turn-file. Its probably real simple but like I said I havent RTFM'd yet.

Re: Networking 101
 

OK....my "Main" computer can now "See" the other "ME" system but the other can not "See" the main http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif sorry about being a doofis I learn things the hard way http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

Re: Networking 101
 

It is not your fault, it is the shoddy networking in Windows... ME and XP are some of the worst...

Re: Networking 101
 

Half-true. A router will provide you with the same level as protection as the built-in XP firewall. That is, it will block unsolicited inbound connections. Think of it as looking through the peephole on your front door: if you see your friend, whom you called and invited over, you'll let him in. If you see some Jehova's Witness, you'll let him stand out there in the heat/cold/rain/etc.

A router will not however provide program-level access control, or outbound filtering of any kind. This is where ZoneAlarm and other "personal firewalls" come into play. A personal firewall can also provide a vital secondary layer of protection in case for any reason malicious traffic gets passed from your router to your network. With your wide-open shares, this is important. With your wireless access point built into the router and enabled, this is doubly important. Wireless is insecure, period, full stop, end of story.

You do have working network cards in all involved computers right? The Network icon should only be absent if you either don't have a network card, or don't have the drivers for that network card installed.

It might be easier to simply install NetBEUI on the ME machines (and the XP if you want to share files to it) and bind that to File and Print sharing. NetBEUI requires no setup at all, just install, share, and go. If you do go the NetBEUI route, remember to go to the TCP/IP properties and on the bindings tab (for ME) UNCHECK File and Print sharing. That'll close a security hole. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif Not sure where you would do that on XP, as I've only ever used TCP with my 2000 machines, never even had a second protocol installed on them.

Re: Networking 101
 

You do have working network cards in all involved computers right? The Network icon should only be absent if you either don't have a network card, or don't have the drivers for that network card installed.


Yes, I let windows PnP it (used card)

I want to use the printer so I need (?) that on?
I will look into setting up ZA some other way

Thanks http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif