Roostron Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 OK...I've been struggling with this for 3 days now and I'm completely baffled, confused, perplexed, aggravated, and about as fed up as a person can get. In short - at the end of the proverbial rope - I've hit bottom, and started digging!I've worked with, built, and configured hundreds of computers - and nothing has ever caused me this much grief!I have a laptop machine running Windows 98SE. I've recently installed a Linksys Wireless-G USB adapter to the laptop. I have 2 desktop machines, both running Windows 98SE. They are hooked to a Linksys Wireless-G router. There is no Internet connection - I just want to use the router to enable drive sharing between the 3 machines. The 2 desktop machines are hard-wired to the router with cables, they talk to each other wonderfully. The laptop machine connects to the router wirelessly just fine..., using 128 bit WEP, and can't find ANYTHING on the 2 desktop machines. It doesn't see either desktop machine, even if I enter the share names manually. I can only see the laptop shares from the desktop machines by MANUALLY entering the machine name, it will NOT appear in the network neighborhood automatically like the 2 desktop machines do. I can use VNC programs from the desktop machines to talk to the laptop, so I know the connection is working fine... it's just a problem of drive shares not working properly.All 3 machines have:TCP/IP with NetBIOS enabled as the ONLY protocol (no other protocols installed)The same workgroup name, and 3 different computer names and descriptionsDHCP server is DISABLED, all IP addresses configured manuallyThe same subnet mask (255.255.255.0)These 3 IP addresses: 192.168.1.11, 192.168.1.12, 192.168.1.121The router and wireless USB adapter on the laptop are configured with the same SSID (linksysshop)File and printer sharing are enabledGateways, WINS, and DNS all disabled or left blankThe router is at IP address 192.168.1.101What will it take to get the desktop machines to "see" the laptop drive shares, and for the laptop to see the desktop machines drive shares?Please help... I'm out of ideas and patience - about to open fire with an H&K 9mm on the whole cluster of misbehaving hardware!Roostron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chozo4 Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Gateways, WINS, and DNS all disabled or left blankSet your gateway to your router IP and enable DNS (set your router IP in the dns search order). See how that works out. I've not used netBIOS in years really so rather rusty on setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostron Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 Chozo4,I tried what you suggested (and a few other things also, changing only one thing at a time) and it still isn't working. The 2 desktop machines talk to each other just fine, and can be made to "see" the laptop by manually entering the share names... but the laptop cannot "see" either desktop machine using ANY method. Also, the desktop machines do NOT ever put an icon for the laptop in the network folders, except when you manually enter the laptop share name... then the icon is temporary and goes away.I'm beating my head against the wall on this one... and getting ready to beat all the computers against that same wall if I don't find a solution soon...What could be going on here? This is completely maddening!Roostron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwibus Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 (edited) I noticed one of the Ip adresses is higher than the one of your router have you tried setting it lower than the one from the router? I do not know much about computers but this seemed to differ between the working and non working pc'sIf your laptop has a normal wire connection does it work with the wire connexion? Edited June 2, 2008 by Kwibus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostron Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 (edited) Hello!I noticed one of the Ip adresses is higher than the one of your router have you tried setting it lower than the one from the router?...If your laptop has a normal wire connection does it work with the wire connexion?Yes, I had this same idea yesterday... I changed the laptop Wireless IP address to 192.168.1.22, and it didn't make any difference.In answer to your 2nd question, yes... the laptop has a normal 100MBPS wired network plug, I've plugged the cable directly into the router (using 192.168.1.21 as the "wired" IP address) and it works fine... talks to the 2 desktop machines perfectly and all shares are displayed on all machines.Something about the wireless connection is keeping the laptop from accessing the 2 desktop shares under ANY conditions... and seems to be "shielding" the desktop machines from "seeing" the laptop unless the share name is entered manually (i.e. \\LAPTOP\C\). Even then, the share won't "persist" and stay as an icon in the networking folders - it dissappears as soon as you close the network folders and open a new instance.I'm really hating this problem - as I NEED access to the desktop machines from the laptop (the whole reason I set up the network!) and that is exactly the direction of connecting that is blocked!Roostron Edited June 2, 2008 by Roostron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwibus Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Can you ping your wireless router and the other Pc's from your laptop ?If not your laptop might still be trying to use your wire connection. In that case disableing the wire network card may help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chozo4 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 You know, it JUST occured to me. Have you checked your router settings to ensure 'AP Isolation' is not enabled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostron Posted June 4, 2008 Author Share Posted June 4, 2008 Hi again!Can you ping your wireless router and the other Pc's from your laptop ?If not your laptop might still be trying to use your wire connection. In that case disableing the wire network card may help.You, Sir, are a GENIUS. A certifiable, 100%, complete and utter GENIUS!!!!I disabled the 10/100 wired ethernet interface in the motherboard BIOS, uninstalled the drivers for the same in the Windows 98SE network setup window, and the wireless connection started showing the drive shares immediately and miraculously!!! I can now see and use the desktop shares from the laptop, and the laptop shares from the desktop! Everything is working 100%Any thoughts on how I could re-enable the wired connection without it interfering in case I ever wanted to plug a cable in for faster transfers? Or is it pretty much hopeless?Thanks, Kwibus!!! You are my HERO!!!!Roostron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mijzelf Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Any thoughts on how I could re-enable the wired connection without it interfering in case I ever wanted to plug a cable in for faster transfers?In theory it's simple. Just assign an IP address in a different subnet to the tcp/ip protocol bound to the wired NIC, and disable NetBios on this protocol.On the other hand, you can also disable the card in device manager. Enabling it will require a reboot, but changing the IP address will also require a reboot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandnsmith Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I think, since we're talking 98 here, I'd create a batch file (or 2) to run to change the interface used as the gateway - use the route command to change the defaults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwibus Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 (edited) If you could setup your wireless router to distribute the IP adresses it may be possible to switch between wire and wireless without rebooting. step 1To do so you would have to enable your 10/100 wired ethernetcard in your bios and install it's drivers.Then go to control panel select system --> device manager -->network adapters --> 10/100 wired ethernet card and select disable. you should see a red cross appear on your 10/100 ethernetcard icon. (sometimes you need to click refresh for it to appear. step 2Test if every thing is still working via your wireless network adapter. step 3 setup your router to distribute Ip adresses (i do not have a router so i do not know how you should do that and wether your routewr is capable of this) step 4go to control panel --> network connection --> Tcp/IP wireless adaptor --> properties and select obtain an Ip adres automaticly. Your computer may need to reboot now.(you will need to do this wth your other pc's as well to prevent that your laptop get's the same ip adres assigned as your pc)step 5 check wether your wireless network adapter has an ip adress asigned to it (if the ip adres start with 169 is has not been assigned an ip adres)So far the preparation.these steps you'll have to do each time you switch the example is for switching from wireless to wire.step 6Go to the control panel select system --> device manager -->network adapters --> wireless adaptor and select disable.Now enable the wired 10/100 ethernet adaptor.step 7goto run in the windows menutype winipcfgnow select the wired 10/100 ethernet adaptor and press renew your wired 10/100 ethernet adaptor should get an ip adress asigned to it.hope this works.To MijselfOn my pc with win98 i am able to enable and disable my network card without rebootingstrange that you have to reboot. Edited June 5, 2008 by Kwibus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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